1 10 291 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/9c8e8db7a9de4265d1ab956681b3cda1.pdf 2925a4754f0fa538354a16a5d8497556 PDF Text Text September 8th - September 21st 2017 | Vol. 20 Issue 45 (No. 364) advocating justice | Building community Cincinnati's Crisis Mode | 5 This issue sponsored by The Economics of Compassion Initiative INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Corrupting Effect of Slavery | 7 Religious Peacemakers: Imam Ismaeel Chartier| 8 The Jubilee Campaign | 9 Dark Skies, Dark Money, Dark Intentions| 3 Find previous issues of Streetvibes online at: cincistreetvibes.org Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvoice | 13 �2 LOCAL From The Director: Safety vs. Comfort S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 | N o . 36 4 JOSH SPRING Is being uncomfortable the same thing as being unsafe? Let’s say you are at a neighborhood meeting and you hear a report that attention needs to be given to turn a block from unsafe to safe. You ask how it is known to be unsafe. You are told that there have been many reports of safety issues in that block. You ask what are those reports. You are told that people are reporting they don’t want to walk down that block because they feel unsafe because there is always a group of people hanging around on the sidewalk and stoops. You hear that people feel unsafe because when they walk down the sidewalk they have to walk past a line of people standing on both sides. And another person adds that they are often asked for money on this block. Some say Executive Director the people hanging out are loud with loud music, etc. Now, think about it, does anything in the above description show that this particular block is unsafe? There is no mention of anything that could reasonably harm another person. Instead folks are just hanging out talking, eating, dancing, listening to music, singing, having serious conversation, goofing around, asking for assistance, offering assistance, saying hello, saying nothing; this list could go on forever because in this example people are simply hanging out doing the social things that people do. For reasons related to systems, assumptions, prejudices, ignorance, etc., this person doesn’t feel comfortable around whomever it is they are passing. This level of discomfort may lead to being afraid, and perhaps their first feeling is a lack of safety, but their being afraid in a situation like this should not lead to pressure on this block to change, but instead for certainly self-reflection and ultimately systematic changes to prevent the systematic prejudices which taught them to be afraid in such situations. In other cases, people are conflating the meanings of the words unsafe and uncomfortable. Essentially just because a person interprets an event a certain way or has a certain feeling during such an event, that does not mean their feeling or the way they define their feeling is (Continued on page 6) T 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 Community Issues Forum Kicks Off Its 37th Season - Making the Case For an Affordable Housing Trust Fund he Community Issues Forum kicks off its 37th season of forums on Thursday September 14th. Sponsored by the Outreach Committee of Christ Church Cathedral, the Forum features presentations on critical community and public policy issues every other Thursday at noon from September to June. The opener on September 14th will showcase a proposal to establish a new public resource for addressing Cincinnati's affordable housing crisis. Drafted and championed by Cincinnatians for Affordable Housing, a coalition of organizations concerned about this issue, the proposed housing trust fund would provide needed financing to create housing for low-income families and individuals. Forum speakers Josh Spring, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, and Katy Heins, representing the Center For Community Change, will describe how the trust fund would operate while also depicting the potential importance of such a local entity. The establishment of a trust fund in Cincinnati comes at an appropriate time. This area confronts an affordable housing crisis with a shortage of approximately 40,000 units. This shortage stems from a steady loss of federal housing dollars 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. BILL WOODS Contributing Writer 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, Key Beck, Dr. Mark Mussman, Justin Jeffre, Michael Earl Patton, Saad Ghosn, Peter Block, Bobby Morris, Robert Park, Kim Green, Willa Denise Jones ----------------------------------------------- Housing Trust Fund One-Pager Credit: Affordable Housing Advocates (ahacincy.org) over the years, the gentrification of neighborhoods such as Overthe-Rhine, and growing income inequality. Housing trust funds already work effectively in many U.S cities, and Katy Heins of the Center (Continued on page 12) THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Photography/ Artwork: Dr. Mark Mussman, Michael Earl Patton, ahacincy.org, Paul Breidenbach, Saad Ghosn, Bill Woods, google images, cnn.com, Alice Shneider --------------------------------------------------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. 36 4 L LOCAL Dark Skies, Dark Money, Dark Intentions | S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 ike most folx these days, I get my first breath of news information through Facebook, Snapchat and other forms of social media. There is nothing that gets my feed moving faster than a natural disaster. First it was Hurricane Harvey that ravaged parts of Houston and now it is Hurricane Irma approaching the east coast. Along with news of natural disasters, I get advertisements from national companies where a portion of my purchase is donated, webdonation requests from NGO’s and famous people giving me tips for “helping out” those in need. This is not going to be a piece about coming together or giving to those who need it (although you should be doing both of those things). It is going to be about disaster capitalism. According to Wikipedia, disaster capitalism “centers on the exploitation of national crises to push through controversial policies while citizens are too emotionally and physically distracted by disasters or upheavals to mount an effective resistance.” What I would like to add to this definition is the act of using terror and compassion to push social issues, sustain business agreements and further personal agendas. Why is disaster capitalism a problem and how do we recognize it? The concept of disaster capitalism was explored in the book, “The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism” by Canadian author and social activist Naomi Klein. Naomi Klein shares how the neoliberal free market (think capitalism, "corporations are people," manifest destiny, bootstraps) has developed strategies of using “shock therapy” to push policies taking advantage of citizens while they are in shock from the disaster. An example of disaster capitalism is the using of one’s country being at war to encourage folx to go 3 KEY BECK Contributing Writer shopping; promoting the fallacy that spending money helps the country win the war by allowing our military to have more funds to buy weapons, equipment and goods. They then package the process as a “helpful” form of nationalism, so people feel they are “helping” by spending their money because countries are usually economically strapped during wartime. If we apply my additional definition, disaster capitalism also to be respected and rebranded (as altright) in response to the (percieved) danger of black liberation groups, like Black Lives Matter. Look, this is something many of us have seen, but didn’t have a name or term to describe it. Well, now you do and let me tell you why it is not a good thing. When people experience disasters, they are usually in a state of shock so they don’t always make the best decisions. They are easily Naomi Klein describes the ways disasters are monetized and used to further politcs Credit: Google encompasses using terrorist attacks on the US as an excuse to pass oppressive laws like Muslim bans/ travel bans or allow white supremacy influenced and can be influenced with the right stimulus. We also have a human yearning to support others to get to a place of happiness, mostly Reporter interviewing distressed flood victim Credit: CNN THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Key Beck Credit: Dusty Changepurse due to altruism. When one is faced with fear and terror, they don’t always react rationally. If we continually see someone shooting up heroin on our doorstep, and one day they die on our stoop, we may forget that everyone has a different story or reason why they engage in drug usage. We may take a “No Drugs” policy to things and began to criminalize the behavior. We may be very quick to support arresting those addicted to opiates without thinking that maybe if there was more affordable housing, rehabilitation centers, needle exchanges and employment services there may be less people who are susceptible to opioid drug usage or dying on the streets. This example shows how disaster capitalism, when left unchecked, is a bad thing. We don’t want to throw our economic strength into things that won’t work to solve the problems we are experiencing. Going to war or banning a ethnic group of people are not knee-jerk decisions to be making. So, what does this have to do with Hurricane Harvey. Well, we have organizations such as Red Cross who use this opportunity, like a impromptu-telethon, to gain donations. They are often the most visible organization, but there are many people on the ground who say they don’t really do much to help. For all the donations they receive, they have been criticized for driving empty trucks around, only sending a few agents or not even showing up. There are a number of these organizations who pop up in times of tragedy. Megachurches have currently been in the spotlight for the insensitivity shown when Joel Osteen declined to let residents stay in his megachurch because it was "affected by the flood" (even though there was photographic evidence that showed the opposite). Now he is leading a campaign to collect funds, clothes and food to distribute to residents. They are using one’s willingness to support others for their personal economic gain (this is part of capitalism/neoliberalism). Another shocking example of disaster capitalism is how news organizations will interview people in trauma to garner ratings. There are any number of poor, black folk (Continued on page 11) �4 LOCAL THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 | N o . 36 4 �No. 36 4 LOCAL Cincinnati’s Crisis Mode | S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 DR. MARK MUSSMAN H ave you ever woken up refreshed after a night’s rest? Are you able to leave work and picture the door “closed” and not think about it at all while you are home? Are you able to pay your rent on the first of every month without worrying about bouncing your check? Do you have the food you want in your kitchen, when you want it? What if you were constantly worried about these things with no hope for change? You’d be in a state of crisis. The world in which we live thrives on crisis. Educational theorists believe that there are a series of “crisis” events that we must pass through to get to new stages in our development. A crisis literally changes our brains to where we have options to reject, accept, or assimilate Staff Writer the exception. Having to figure out what and where you are going to eat (if at all), or where you are going to sleep, or if you can even sleep because you are so stressed out, is more than stressful – as Streetvibes Distributor Willa Jones, poet and writer, explains in her poem “Intoxication,” you can be intoxicated without taking a drink because your mind is so preoccupied with survival that it’s impossible to think clearly. How can you think about tomorrow when your basic needs aren’t met today? And this type of crisis-thinking isn’t limited to people experiencing homelessness. Housing, which seems like it should be a basic right, is both fragile and continuously contested. According to a recent LISC study, of us fighting with our neighbors. And we have a wider crisis in Cincinnati – racism – which negatively affects us all. In the study The State of Black Cincinnati, released a couple of years ago, it showed that the reality for people of color in Cincinnati is so far removed from that of white Cincinnati, that there’s no surprise white people have no clue on the experience of people of color in this city. People of color have severely lower health and education outcomes, but more shockingly (because America is touted as a meritocracy) upward mobility for people of color in Cincinnati simply doesn’t exist. There is no path out of poverty for thousands upon thousands of Cincinnati’s residents. No path at all. Until we start to recognize the fact success of people of color.) We must start to recognize structural violence, which, to me, is a continuation of redlining, Jim Crow, and ultimately slavery. As a city we, including what seems to be the business community in Cincinnati, haven’t moved on from white supremacy. It would be a huge step to get everyone to recognize that we have created, and actively maintain, a crisis of immense proportions. If I had all the answers I wouldn’t be open to learning and seeing more. I do know that we must create a more stable and fair community. Affordable Housing Advocates, a local group of housing providers, advocates and consumers dedicated to the goal of ensuring good, safe, accessible, affordable housing for all people in Southwest Ohio, is working vigilantly on a housing trust fund which will help create and preserve affordable housing in Cincinnati. We hope to get the county to start a Willa with student group Willa Jones holds up a recent edition of Streetvibes for a Facebook post Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman our new found perspective. It is at times very daunting, but we generally get through the crisis and have a chance to decompress, celebrate our failures (or successes), and move on to something else. But, for people experiencing homelessness and poverty, crisis mode is the norm, not O 5 55,000 families are trying to get into 15,000 units of affordable housing in Hamilton County. We are, whether or not you recognize it in your daily life, in a community-wide crisis. We are in a severe housing crisis that benefits only a very few wealthy land-owners and developers, while leaving the rest that white people have all the chances and privileges in this city, and we begin to understand how much that holds ALL OF US back, then we will continue to demonize and scapegoat the downtrodden, while falsely celebrating our successes (which were violently pulled from the potential Cincinnatians Protest the Repeal of DACA n Tuesday September 5th nearly 200 people gathered on 3rd Street to protest the announcement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions that the Trump administration was canceling DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Speakers included Councilmember P.G. Sittenfield, Yvette Simpson, Clerk of Courts Aftab Pureval and local JUSTIN JEFFRE Editor & Staff Writer activists. The event was attended by City Council candidates Tamaya Dennard and Brian Garry. The Greater Cincinnati Republican representatives backed the policy change. Former President Barack Obama - in a rare move for Protesters gather for Pro-DACA rally Credit: Paul Breidenbach former Presidents - spoke out against the administration’s decision. -------------------------------------- THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED program as well. If you want to learn more about the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, please go to ahacincy.org and read the white paper: The City of Cincinnati Affordable Housing Trust Fund Operations – Summary. --------------------------------------- �6 LOCAL JOSH SPRING (Continued from page 2) actually an accurate description of the event. This is not a trivial issue. It is a common occurrence that cops harass people based on the description of how someone else (usually someone who is white) felt in an area or around specific people, when nothing unsafe actually happened. It is a regular occurrence that a developer says they want to make an area safe, when there are not regular occurrences of unsafe happenings, but some people (who don’t live right there) believe it is unsafe because they here that people say it is unsafe. Consider the city budget debates over what politician cares more about public safety and the many people saying public safety YOU CAN SUPPORT THE S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 | N o . 36 4 must be first above all else. What have each of these people meant by the word safety? Often, if you really broke it down, they were really talking about people like themselves feeling comfortable. Here is a caveat to this: people experience and struggle with mental illness. There are times that people because of mental illness feel unsafe and afraid in what are reasonably considered safe situations for most other people. For the person dealing with this, they can be feeling and personally experiencing a bit of fear all the way to an excruciatingly terrifying event that only they are experiencing at that time in that place. This is real. For this person, what they are experiencing is real for them. In the examples above, I am not talking about this experience. • Donate by texting the word “Homeless” to 444999 • Join Community Shares Workplace Giving • Donate on our website through PayPal at www.cincihomeless.org/donate-2/ • Send us a check to show your support. 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 We receive NO public funding. We rely on the generosity of people like you. Log in to Kroger Rewards and search for the Homeless Coalition, or use our NPO 82944. Every time you use your Kroger Plus card, you will be supporting us. It will NOT affect your gas points! 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GC_HomelessCoal THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED GCHomelessCoalition �LOCAL The Corrupting Effect of Slavery No. 36 4 U 7 | S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 MICHAEL EARL PATTON ntil Hurricane Harvey, the news media was focused on the confrontations surrounding statues and other memorials of Confederate soldiers. Everyone – I hope -agrees that the Southern institution of hereditary slavery was an evil for those unfortunate to be enslaved. Those who want to keep the statues often skirt the question as to why this country has so many memorials to those who fought to keep slaves by denying that the War Between the States (better known as the Civil War) had much to do with slavery at all. They argue instead that the war was fought on the issues of state rights, federal power grabs, and import tariffs This is well-reasoned balderdash, a subject to which I may return in another article. Right now I want to focus on the corrosive effect of owning slaves often had on the slave owners. Many observers recognized this at the time, but it is little mentioned now. If somehow a slave owner were to rationalize “owning” other humans in order to exploit their labor, even breaking up their families by selling the members to different owners in order to make more money, then something is very wrong morally with that person. Sometimes slave owners themselves would recognize this, however dimly and imperfectly, and act. Others would sink deeper into the morass. I want to explore this and give some examples. We cannot assume that those who fought to preserve slavery, no matter how brave, were somehow free of its corrupting influence. At the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776 all the states allowed slavery. In fact, most of the signers themselves owned slaves. By 1787 several states had banned slavery, having recognized the inherent contradiction between fighting a war because “all men are created equal …” and that “… they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness” and slavery. A couple other states were moving towards outlawing it and would eventually do so. However, none of the southern states were moving in that direction. George Washington is one of those who came to reject slavery as being incompatible with the founding principles of the American Revolution. Not only did he quietly free some slaves during his lifetime, in his will he directed that his remaining slaves be freed upon the death of his wife, Martha. But most Contributing Writer slaves at Mount Vernon were owned by his wife, where they formed part of her dower property; this being property given to a bride to sustain her if she were to be widowed. These slaves passed directly to Martha’s in the South, he encountered a black man who had been kidnapped in the North and brought south to be sold under the pretense that he was really an escaped slave. He also relates how slave families were broken up to be sold and the reverse: how men and women were sometimes paired by Slave Pen displayed at Underground Railroad Freedom Center Credit: Michael Earl Patton heirs upon her death. Martha did not even free her own half-sister Ann. (Ann was finally freed by Martha’s granddaughter when she inherited the slave.) Slave-owner Thomas Jefferson saw the problem, too. In his book Notes on the State of Virginia he wrote that, “The whole commerce between master and slave is a perpetual exercise of the most boisterous passions, the most unremitting despotism on the one part, and degrading submissions on the other.” And while the young Jefferson would argue for the eventual abolition of slavery, the older Jefferson would not free his own slaves even when offered money to do so. It appears that the temptations of money and power were too much. Notoriously, Jefferson had several children by his slave mistress Sally Hemmings, whom he kept as slaves until adulthood when he would allow them to escape – never formally freeing them, however. And even in his will he did not free Sally Hemmings (his daughter eventually freed her). Cincinnati’s Levi Coffin was one of the busiest “conductors” of the Underground Railroad and wrote a book about his experiences. He relates how, as a child growing up “Breakdown Stereotypes” their owners regardless of what they themselves wanted. He observed how slavery would corrode the values of the community and gave this example from when he was in Yazoo City, Mississippi: That evening, while sitting on the sidewalk, under the awning, talking to the hotel-keeper, two colored ladies passed by us, dressed in rich silks, and adorned with jewelry. I said to the hotel-keeper: “I suppose that those persons are free?” “No,” he replied, “they are both slaves, but are kept as mistresses by two of our wealthy merchants.” “I asked: “Is such a state of society permitted here?” He answered, “Oh, yes; most of our merchants, and other gentlemen of wealth and high standing, keep such women. The practice is quite common in our community.” He then spoke of a wealthy gentleman living a few miles out of town, who had a wife and a family of children. He owned several plantations, and on one of them he kept a black wife, who had several children. “And does his white wife know it?” I asked. “Yes,” was the reply, but she can’t help it, and I don’t think she makes any fuss about it. One of his colored sons is his carriage driver. That gentleman stands fair in this community.” The last story I give is from Mrs. Trollope’s book, Domestic Manners of the Americans, published in 1832. Mrs. Trollope, who spent 2 years in Cincinnati (where she encountered numerous pigs) then went East and traveled there. She visited several small farms in Maryland with only a few slaves and how few of the “comforts of life” the slave owners generally had. She tells of one family consisting of a young man, his wife, two children, a female slave, and two young boys who were also slaves. Their home was small, only 2 rooms. She noted that the wife would not work in the kitchen, leaving the work to her slave. The food Mrs. Trollope was served was plain and much worse than what she had had at small dairy farms in England. The “dignity” of having her cup handed to her by a slave did not make up for the difference in the quality of the food. Of course, anytime one has absolute power over others there will be the temptation to abuse it, whether or not the person is called a slave. In the twentieth century one only has to think of Stalin, Hitler, and Mao, among many others. The Bible contains numerous passages restricting the abuse of authority against servants and slaves, and against anyone for that matter. Jesus rebuked many of the Pharisees, saying that they laid heavy burdens on people’s shoulders but not lifting a finger to move them. The ancient world was one where even most “free” people were ruled by absolute kings and emperors. John the Baptist told the soldiers who came to him not to practice extortion or falsely accuse anyone (Luke 3:14). As Lord Acton observed, power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Jesus also compared the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs which appear beautiful on the outside but inside are full of bones and filth (Matthew 23:27). We need to be careful about honoring those men who fought to preserve such an abusive and corrupting system as slavery. Sources: The Return of George Washington: 1783-1789 by Edward J. Larson (copyright 2014), Master of the Mountain: Thomas Jefferson and His Slaves by Henry Wiencek (2012), Hidden Cities: The Discovery and Loss of Ancient North American Civilization by Roger G. Kennedy (1994), Reminiscences of Levi Coffin: The Reputed President of the Underground Railroad by Levi Coffin (1876), and Domestic Manners of the Americans by Mrs. Francis Trollope (1832). ------------------------------------------- “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 Dr. Mark Mussman at MarkMussman@cincihomeless.org. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �8 RELIGIOUS PEACEMAKERS Worshiper & Servant of God: Imam Ismaeel Chartier Is also a Servant & Liberator of God's Creations "T o serve God properly we need to serve His creations and make sure they have freedom and a life worth living; otherwise we're not doing our work as religious individuals," says Imam Ismaeel Chartier, adding: "In Islam, God commands us to join good versus evil, to side with the oppressed and those in need, to always push justice through and stand against injustice." Imam Chartier is the Imam of the Clifton Mosque in Cincinnati, a mosque that serves the local Muslim community while remaining open and welcoming to all. Raised Catholic in his native Ireland, he came to the United States (Denver, Colorado) at the age of 17 when his father relocated for professional reasons. After college and going through a personal spiritual search, questioning his relation to God and what religion meant to him, he discovered Islam, studied it, deepened his understanding of it, and converted to it. He joined Cincinnati three years ago, chosen by the board of directors of the Clifton mosque to serve as its spiritual leader. Imam Chartier's upbringing was engrained all along in social justice. As a child growing up in Belfast, his grandparents constantly reminded him to fight, until independence, the English occupation of Ireland. When seeing freedom fighters on television, his grandfather, himself a member of the IRA, would praise them, commenting that they were fighting for people's freedom and liberation. His grandfather would also praise, for the same reasons, the Palestinian Liberation and American Civil Rights movements, comparing the plight of Palestinians resisting the occupation and of African Americans fighting the injustice of the Jim Crow laws to that of the Irish people trying to be free. "I was raised with the ideas that freedom for me meant also for all the others, anywhere and everywhere," S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 | N o . 36 4 SAAD GHOSN Contributing Writer states the Imam, "and that I was equally responsible for both." In college, Imam Chartier studied journalism and sociology and spent 2 years in Egypt researching a master's degree thesis in Near East studies. This initiated him to the Arabic language. Back to Denver, Colorado, he met his wife, also a Catholic Christian, and got married. Dealing, however, intensely, with the issue of his religious identity, after serious consideration and study, he felt Islam to be the most in tune with his values and beliefs and decided to convert to it. His wife fully approved and followed suit few days later. One year after, Imam Chartier, dissatisfied with the approach to Islam he was experiencing in the US, and wanting to demystify the perceptions Americans had of Muslims and of Islam in general, decided to become an Imam. And there he went, accompanied by his wife, on a 7 yeartrip to Muslim countries, including Egypt, Morocco, UAE, Kuwait, India, studying the Coran in Arabic, learning from scholars and spiritual leaders at their feet, obtaining permission to teach at his turn. In 2009, at his return to the US, he worked for a short while at the Colorado Muslim Society in Denver, then joined a 3rd space mosque where everyone, irrespective of who he/she was, was welcome to freely worship God, with no formality and a liberal rather than literal understanding, connecting back to the spiritual essence of Islam, also to others. This mosque became very popular and attracted all kinds of people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. "This is the kind of Mosque I would like to grow in Cincinnati," he says. While in Denver, Imam Chartier got involved in many social justice issues, supporting environmental What is ISLAM Islam is a faith and a comprehensive way of life that literally means "peace through submission to God." Muslims worship the One God, Allah, and revere Prophet Muhammad as His last messenger. They also believe in all the prophets who preceded and the holy books which they brought, such as the Psalms, Torah, and the Gospel. Islam believes in the Day of Judgement, when all humanity will be recompensed for their deeds in this world; also in angels, and in predestination. Islam has Five Pillars of Worship which enable Muslims to cultivate their relationship with God. They are: Testimony of Faith (Shahadah); Prayer (Salat); Charity (Zakat); Fasting (Sawm); and Pilgrimage (Hajj).  There are between 1,2 and 1,6 billion Muslims across the world and around 7 million Muslims in the United States. movements, working actively to repeal mandatory sentencing for juvenile offenders, helping pass a wage theft law to protect fair pay for minorities, refugees and undocumented workers. One of his big achievements there was helping found, and get the Colorado Senate to endorse, a new taxi company owned and operated by immigrants. These later thus became free from the enslavement other taxi companies were keeping them under. Imam Ismaeel Chartier Since his arrival to Cincinnati 3 years ago, Imam Chartier has been constantly involved in many local and national social justice and peace issues. He is part of the Palestinian Coalition Liberation, the Black Lives Matter and the American Indian movements, participating in their activities, supporting their rights, offering his Mosque to facilitate their events, making sure their voice is heard. When Sam Dubose was killed, he worked actively at pursuing justice. He recently married 2 leaders of Black Lives Matter, both nonMuslim. "33% of our congregation are African Americans or Africans," he précises, "and 25% of Muslims living in America are undocumented workers. Our community consists mostly of blacks, refugees, immigrants... I personally strongly identify with them." He is currently working on the cases of 2 Christian women, one from Kenya, the other from Lebanon, both threatened with deportation despite having lived in the US for more than 20 years. Actually, he has made the Clifton Mosque the 1st and only mosque in America and the West to be a sanctuary congregation, offering refuge for such individuals. Imam Chartier wants his mosque, its members and Muslims in general to reach out to their entire community, become socially and politically engaged, create bridges wherever they are and with everyone. During the recent presidential election campaign, he went on a 6-city tour in Ohio, encouraging Muslims to vote. After the Orlando shooting, he was the emcee of a vigil on Fountain Square stressing that not all Muslims were violent. With the support of Jonathan Cohen, Credit: Saad Ghosn dean of Hebrew Union College, he started there a Muslim-Jewish interfaith service and is planning, on the ground of the College, a Muslim theological seminary, the 1st such located one in history. He recently invited youth from Temple Shalom to visit the mosque and teach its own youth Hebrew. He is in constant exchange and dialogue with many of the local Christian churches and congregations and serves on the National Organizing board of PICO, a national network of faith-based community organizations, which try to create innovative solutions to problems communities face. "I am always trying to shatter the negative image people have of Muslims," he states, "shattering the boxes people build around Islam, but also the boxes we build around our own selves." Imam Chartier believes not only in being an active part of the community but also in giving back to it. His mosque operates a food pantry, offers every Sunday 140 free meals to the homeless, and during the month of Ramadan, 400 free meals a night to anyone in the community. (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 �9 LOCAL Welcome to the Jubilee Campaign and the Economics of Compassion Initiative No. 36 4 | S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 A JUSTIN JEFFRE s the Editor of Streetvibes it is my great pleasure to announce a new series that we will be featuring regularly in our publication. This series will contain writings from the Economics of Compassion Initiative. The goal of the campaign is to challenge the way our community thinks about all of those among us I Editor & Staff Writer who are experiencing poverty and the ways we measure the value of our fellow human beings. In Hubert H. Humphrey’s final speech, he said, “The moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; those who are in the shadows of life; the sick, the needy and the handicapped. " Here at the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition we believe that poverty and homelessness are not inevitable. They are systemic issues created by the decisions made by The Jubilee Campaign n Cincinnati there is an Economics of Compassion Initiative which seeks a local economy that serves, and is measured by, the well-being of all of its citizens. Central to this effort is the Old Testament idea of a Jubilee Year. Every seven years and every seven times seven years the debts are released and the land is restored to its rightful owners. Historically this includes resting the land, gleaning of the harvest, and forgiving the debts of the poor. We want to bring into modern day economics. Jubilee and an Alternative Consciousness As a culture we have constructed the idea of poor and poverty to falsely describe certain people. As if a person can be measured by their annual income, housing status, education level and their ability to shop a lot. We sustain poverty by believing that these measures best describe who our neighbors are. We describe our neighbors according to these measures because our current economy is by nature competitive, individualistic, selfinterested, best privatized, and blessed with an invisible hand. If you don’t have money then there is something missing in you. One label we use to keep you in your place in this culture begins the moment we call you "poor". This is the code for one who cannot fully participate in the dominant economy. As "poor," we consider you broken and in need of fixing, mentoring, subsidy, and programmatic intervention. The Jubilee idea, central to a compassionate economy, calls us to get interested in what people are good at. People cannot be defined by their income level. A human being is much more than their income level. They are better defined by the gifts, their capacity to care for others and what they can actually do in the world. Jubilee and the Consumer Economy We want to use this column to explore the Jubilee idea and the campaign we are starting in Cincinnati to tilt the economic system towards the common good and end the exiling effects of the current PETER BLOCK Contributing Writer market system. Jubilee in the Old Testament declares that “In the seventh year, all are equal, and this is the real essence of peace." The Israelites had economic its rightful owners every forty nine years. Our intent with the Jubilee Campaign is to take this seriously and make it happen here. The Jubilee task is to engage and explore this landscape of sacred obligation. It is a project of human beings and that they can be eradicated by the decisions of our fellow human beings. We believe that our community has the resources to uplift the downtrodden and underserved. We simply need the will. [These articles can also be found at thrivingcincinnati.org] --------------------------------------communal enterprise, for many an expression of faith and religion that commands attention and generosity. The campaign is to create a local coalition in Cincinnati of the faith community, neighborhood leadership, philanthropists, social entrepreneurs, government, corporations, and social service institutions to support debt release and support expanded Economics of Compassion Initiative logo Credit: The Economics of Compassion Initiative laws which called for forgiveness and freedom from financial debts every 7 years and returning the land to consciousness and imagination first, commitment later. It is not as simple as forgiving debt; it is a way of beginning a conversation that is a Peter Block Credit: The Economics of Compassion Initiative THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED local economic productivity to several vulnerable neighborhoods in Cincinnati. We want to create conditions under which forgiving the debts of neighbors, welcoming them in from exile, and investing in their productive capacity becomes a common task and a common purpose. Action Towards this end, we are conducting a series of Jubilee Forums. These are two hour events every six weeks that bring together a wide range of citizens; business, social service, faith and neighborhood people, to deepen our understanding of Jubilee. These Forums feature ministers, rabbis and Islamic leaders, projects in the city that are examples of valuing the gifts of neighbors. We also hear from residents from marginalized neighborhoods who are engaged in building small businesses. Eventually we will discuss the usury, credit and debt in our neighborhoods. [To find out more information about the Jubilee campaign go to www.econofcompassion.org] --------------------------------------- �10 LOCAL S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 | N o . 36 4 September 8 - 30, 2017 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. 36 4 | S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 KEY BECK (Continued from page 3) being interviewed only to see them in meme form days later. Today, a CNN reporter, who stopped flood survivors -black woman and her children, to ask “You’ve just arrived. Share with us how you were rescued?” The black women and her child were shaking, visibly cold and irritated. The black woman was quick to address the insensitivity of the reporter after sharing how they waited on police for 36 hours, survived for 5 days with no food and walked in four feet of water with children. “Ya’ll trying to interview people during their worst times, that’s not a smart thing to do. People are really breaking down and ya’ll sitting here with cameras and microphones trying to ask what the f**k is wrong with us.” This statement is very telling. The reporter was interested in exploiting that trauma to show folx they needed to care. Perhaps she had the best of intentions. To encourage others to donate or share information. Or maybe she was trying to get the best scoop, to say keep watching our channel because we are on the ground showing you the nitty-gritty. Regardless of her intention, her actions, and the media's reaction to disasters, SAAD GHOSN (Continued from page 8) "If we want to change the world we need to work where we are, be grass root workers. From Adam to Mohammad and passing by Jesus, all 11 LOCAL are harmful and exploitative. We need to stop highlighting trauma for economic, political and social advantages. Don't use xenophobia to fuel your opionion on building a wall. Don't use crime statistics to validate your racist assumptions about Black Lives Matter. You don't have to show people drowning in water for us to know that it is bad. Scroll a list of local agencies needing aid instead. We need to continue to fight unfair representations of poverty, distress, "inspiration." We need to get rid of our “exploitation memes” and “inspiration porn.” Yes, we can care about flood survivors. And yes, we can donate money for services that will help them get back on their feet. But we should look at where our money is going. Do they have a proven track record or caring about the lives of black and brown people, or do they just want an interview or operational funds? We should look for local service agencies to donate towards. They are usually on the ground level, and they could use the resources. It is important to have a sense of empathy, so I am not saying that you shouldn’t care. Nor am I saying don't watch. I am saying that you shouldn’t use trauma, terror and disaster to push prejudiced ideologies and sympathy coins. We need to be more concerned with the intent of messages and not allow ourselves to be fallen prey to the “shock therapy. were grass root organizers," he says. Adding "Real change starts locally." Imam Chartier starts his day every morning with this verse from the Coran: "God is constantly inviting people to the kingdom of peace". It is his daily prayer reminding him of the better world in the afterlife, but also and as importantly of the kingdom of peace that we each need to build on this earth, by getting rid of our ego, our lust, our divisive nationalism; fighting for justice and equality for all; spreading love. For Imam Chartier, --------------------------------------- Many people are concerned with the apropriaton of funds by Red Cross Credit: American Red Cross Website THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED these 2 invitations are inseparable, sowing peace and justice in this world and harvesting them in the future one. This is how he strives to live his life and make a difference. --------------------------------------- �12 LOCAL Growing Pains troubling part of my Growing Pains. The word is “Patience”. I was just talking to a friend about my struggle with Patience. He just laughed and didn’t really say much only that I can only do what is in front of me and leave the rest up to my God. It sounds easy enough. But for me easy and simple are the two things that I seem to complicate every day. Having spent the last 11 months focusing on me and how I can change my thinking and behaviors has been a blessing. I can look people in the eye today and genuinely ask “is there something I can help you with”? Before those were only words that had no validity to them. I was usually looking to gain something from the conversation. I was a taker not a giver. Giving of my time, my experiences however small they may seem to me has helped a few people. And for that I am grateful I want to continue to be of service in some respect to the many people I find myself coming into contact with daily. In particular the ones I see every day as I go to work in Over-theRhine. I too was once that person, and I feel that it is my duty to lend a hand when I can and not ignore the suffering of another human being. I want to end this short but, very consequential article with a dream. I dream that sometime in the not so distant future, I will be able to change the hearts and minds of a still struggling person out there who has given up all hope in life. Trust me things can and will change if only you take the actions necessary and have “PATIENCE”. and the French ruling class staying pretty rich. Simultaneously, a new patronage network and corruption venue was launched. Some EU priorities had more priority than others. Getting the Greek ruling class to pay serious taxes wasn’t nearly as important as ramming austerity down the throats of the Greek people. Then came the immigration crisis. First, the EU rulers refused to even discuss the historical origins of millions of desperate people wanting to exercise free movement the way capital does. A century of oil politics, colonial intrusions and their corrupted legacies were not acknowledged. Second, no gameplan was advanced to right those wrongs (like, for example, helping get rid of the klepto-capitalists in Egypt when they had the chance during the Arab Spring). The US was right in there on the side of reaction and corporate geopolitical manipulation. They all were happy to buy natural gas from Libya under Qaddafi. Unprecedented opportunities for progressive change all across North Africa and the Middle East went receding. Of course, acting there with credibility would have required some improvements on the home fronts like for Algerians living in France, Moslems in Great Britain, Belgium, etc., and that would have required paying more attention to their own working classes’ interests. But failing that, what could the EU do? A big infrastructure push addressing climate change, storm water management, sustainable agriculture funding by a huge surtax on EU corporate profits? Employing lots of locals and immigrants? No. So, Spain tanks, Greece flounders and eventually Britain exits. Response? More of the worst: tighten up the EU austerity screws. But why would we expect the ruling classes to do the right things? Even things that would benefit them in terms of, e.g., “recovery” from the Great Recession? That’s an interesting question but more important is why didn’t the organizations of the working class step up to the plate? Why didn’t the British Labour Party go to their friends in the Italian labor movement, the new populists in Spain, Italy and Greece, to all the old remnants of socialist and communist parties throughout Western and Eastern Europe, and re-make the EU vision? Demand a top-to-bottom redesign that puts the capitalists way down in the power structure, specifies explicit labor standards, including for immigrants, new algorithms for public investment of EU funds and market interventions to promote innovation and catch-up in lagging sectors and regions. Get economists working on it whose allegiance is to the people not to corporations, hedge funds and private wealth managers. There would be permanent conduits of capital from the leading actors in capital accumulation back to the peoples and regions that enabled that profitability, without embarrassment. The system would be unrigged. It’s not too late for Brexitexit. Now that the complexity and downsides of Brexit are plain for all to see it is a good time to counter the EU disease with a whole new perspective, explained to engage and clarify peoples thinking and driven by courageous new leaders backed up if necessary with the weapons of class warfare like the general strike. Cathedral, 318 East Fourth Street from noon to 1:00. Lunch can be purchased for $6.50 or you can bring your own. For further information call 381-4994. --------------------------------------- BOBBY MORRIS H Contributing Writer aving been on my journey for the past 11 months, I have found myself going through what some would call growing pains. I have to admit that these are things that I should have gone through during puberty. But I didn’t or I don’t remember. Let’s look at a growing pain. I have made a decision to move from here and the growing pains that I am going through are of being alone, cooking meals not in a microwave but on an actual stove. I have been doing the going to work everyday thing, the saving of money, the laundry all the simple things that most of you take for granted. Being a person who for so many years who relied on other people to do most of these things for me, I find it a struggle. I have also come to the understanding that I am going to have some ups and downs, some good days, some bad days. What I have to remind myself when things aren’t as I want them to be is to find a little piece of gratitude in what I do have and remember that all things come when they are supposed to not when I want them to. I find this to be the most Brexitexit ROBERT PARK Contributing Writer What was wrong with the European Union (EU)? Isn’t a common market good, aren’t uniform standards, a level playing field, equal rights, etc. generally a good thing? The EU was designed by and for the European corporate elite; the free flow of capital with minimal cross border frictions and obstacles was a dream too good to be critically evaluated. Very “respectable” economists predicted its failure on very solid grounds but they weren’t listened to by drooling neoliberals. What was the problem? It’s all about capital accumulation and banking, taking away local regulations, diluting political accountabilities, decision-making and authority. The subdued class struggles of the prior nation-states got even more removed and protected from working class traction. It created a vastly expanded playground for the finance gamers and trolls. It facilitated Germany getting much richer, Spain, Italy and Greece getting much less richer BILL WOODS (Continued from page 2) For Community Change helped A-HA research the best models. As usual, time will be set aside for questions and comments from Forum attendees. Since 2017 is a local election year, the rest of the Forums in September and October will focus on the Cincinnati mayoral contest, races for City Council, and ballot issues. Consecutive Forums on September 21st and September 28th will feature Mayor John Cranley and then Council member Yvette Simpson. On October 12th and 19th, the nonincumbent candidates for Cincinnati City Council will make their cases for election. Forums are free and open to the public and take place at Christ Church S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 | N o . 36 4 --------------------------------------- Councilmember Yvette Simpson and Robert Richardson Jr. at the Mayoral Forum Credit: Alice Scheider THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 36 4 | S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 NO ONE ASKED 13 STREET VOICE A QUESTION FOR THE PRESIDENT IN RHYME No one asked. How are you today? (With credit to Dave Altman.) No one asked, Because no one cared Why- oh - why oh - why -oh, Maybe because everyone is too busy Someone went home today Feeling, sad and empty Did Trump pardon Joe Arpaio? No one asked, No one cared Sometimes no one should have to ask. BILL WOODS Contributing Writer When was the last time you asked someone TREASURES could you help them? Life is a treasure or life be can a jewel It’s so sad when no one cares enough to ask! Life is made of choices made of win, draw or pull Looking back on my life not to mention the bridges I've burned KIM GREEN Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer Understanding that I do have a choice which way my life will be turned Having this knowledge, I wonder what changes could I have made in my life Seeing my past and believing in God knowing with him there will be no strife Treasures of recognizing my past and always asking would I have changed to be younger or right Treasures are things I cherish from childhood up to date, anything else is out of sight Knowledge of my past and in the belief of a change which would come with a new day Having lived and grown into who I am right now, question: "who are you?" ANSWER I SAY!! Treasures to me are things of the past that I have memory of, where making changes is too late Treasures, my belief in God and to know with faith his love and grace is forever great! WILLA DENISE JONES Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �14 PUZZLES CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 133 Across Down 1. Army unit 1. Bivouac 6. Deuce 2. Smell 9. Rebuff 3. Governing principle or 13. Grownup condition 14. Cut of meat 4. Put 15. Task 5. Thoroughfare 16. Tooth 6. Gait faster than a walk 17. Single 7. Be victorious 18. Garment size 8. Corpulent 19. Principle 9. Fake 21. Stutter 10. Average 23. Snakelike fish 11. Exhort 24. An anxious feeling 12. Ale 25. Healthy 15. Red wine 28. Tend 20. Appeal or request 30. Die earnestly 35. Golf club 22. Hit lightly 37. Elaborate song 24. Warship 39. One of the senses 25. Number one 40. Long-handled tool 26. Showing or feeling 41. Figure extreme anger 43. Open pastry 27. Keepsake 44. Having a sharp 29. Desiccated inclination 31. Float made of logs 46. Challenge or planks 47. Small gull 32. Small island 48. Connective tissue 33. Gaze 50. Novice 34. Reddish brown dye 52. Beverage 36. Requirement 53. Roofing material 38. Ethereal 55. Health resort 42. Curt 57. Medium-sized 45. Root vegetable kangaroo 49. Pen tip 61. Abjure 51. Organs of sight 65. Underway 54. Fibbing 66. Anger 56. Slang 68. Ice hut 57. Unit of power 69. Latin American dance 58. A great distance 70. A woman religious 59. Solitary 71. Vividness 60. Private area in a 72. Large woody plant theater 73. Acquire 61. Let for money 74. Mode 62. Friendly nation 63. Lose heat 64. Ripped 67. Regret PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ISSUE 350 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 132 S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 | N o . 36 4 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 263 - MEDIUM SODOKU PUZZLE NO 262- MEDIUM PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 36 4 RESOURCES | S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Shelter: Women and Children Bethany House 1841 Fairmount Ave. 45214 557-2873 The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women 2499 Reading Road 562-1980 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 6037 Cary Ave. 45224 1730 Race Street 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 621-7265 1528 Race St. 45202 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 241-1064 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 Other Resources 562-8841 215 E. 14th St. 45202 4230 Hamilton Ave. 45223 112 E. Liberty Street 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 St. Vincent de Paul 721-0643 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Men Shelterhouse 4600 Erie Ave. 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 1125 Bank Street 45214 Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 1437 Walnut Street 45202 Prospect House 921-1613 1805 Dalton Ave. 45214 Starting Over 961-2256 411 Gest St. 45203 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 2121 Vine Street 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Parkway Center 682 Hawthorne Ave. 45205 661-4620 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Women 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 Shelter: Family Interfaith Hospitality Network Housing: Caracole (HIV/AIDS) CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 114 W. 14th Street 45202 First Step Home Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Both 761-1480 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 2401 Reading Rd. 45202 VA VA Homeless Food/Clothing 768-6907 421-0065 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 OTR: 1620 Vine Street 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert Ave. 45206 Joseph House (Veterans) 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 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 977-6800 859-572-6226 First Lutheran Church 1208 Race St. Food - Last Monday 12-1 Clothing - second Monday 12-1 Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 351-0422 381-6672 1522 Republic Street 45202 27 W. 12th Street 45202 2401-2411 Reading Rd. 45202 AA Hotline CCAT 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. 45214 Talbert House 221-HELP Tender Mercies 721-8666 Cincinnati Union Bethel 961-4663 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 471-1100 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 721-4700 421-7803 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 UpSpring 363-3300 Health 961-0600 Center for Respite Care 621-1868 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 3550 Washington Ave. 45229 5 E. Liberty St. 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 McMicken Integrated Care Clinic and Mobile $100 for 26 issues Center Independent Living Options Peaslee Neighborhood Center 241-2600 621-5514 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart Goodwill Industries Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Mary Magdalen House 381-0111 771-4800 579-8547 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 Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 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 981-4200 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 859-491-8303 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 Want to advertise in Streetvibes? Cincinnati Health Network 2825 Burnet Ave. 45219 621-5300 961-1983 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio FreeStore/FoodBank 762-5660 Shelter: Men Medical Van 352-6364 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 Salvation Army 131 E. 12th Street 45202 15 $150 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED 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 for 26 issues and a $50 donation �16 S e p t 8 - S e p t 2 1, 2 0 17 | N o . 36 4 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 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 2/2015 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 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED QUEENACELASTINE SINCE 7/2017 � 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 2017 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 8-September 21, 2017 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: From the Director Community Issues Forum Kicks Off its 37th Season Pg 3: Dark Skies, Dark Money, Dark Intentions Pg 4: How to Respond to Panhandling Pg 5: Cincinnati’s Crisis Mode Cincinnatians Protest the Repeal of DACA Pg 6: Josh Spring Continued Pg 7: The Corrupting Effect of Slavery Pg 8: Worshiper & Servant of God Pg 9: Welcome to the Jubilee Campaign and the Economy of Compassion Initiative The Jubilee Campaign Pg 10: GCHC Pg 11: Key Beck Continued Saad Ghosn Pg 12: Growing Pains Brexitexit Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 8-September 21, 2017 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Bill Woods Key Beck Dr. Mark Mussman Justin Jeffre Michael Earl Patton Saad Ghosn Peter Block Bobby Morris Robert Park Kim Green Willa Denise Jones Ahacincy.org Paul Breidenbach Google images Cnn.com Alice Shneider Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Ahacincy.org Alice Shneider Bill Woods Bobby Morris Brexit Cincinnati Cnn.com DACA Dr. Mark Mussman Google Images Imam Ismaeel Chartier Josh Spring Jubilee Campaign Justin Jeffre Key Beck Kim Green Michael Earl Patton Paul Breidenbach Peter Block Robert Park Saad Ghosn Slavery Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/e9602532e5f76df3f69355acbb857785.pdf fca3395fff66e2ec24d792700a7d8ac9 PDF Text Text September 7th - September 20th 2018 | Vol. 21 Issue 16 (No. 389) advocating justice | building community Religious Peacemakers: Quanita Roberson | 8 This Issue is sponsored by Cecilia and Tom Kloecker INSIDE THIS ISSUE Public Housing is Under Attack | 3 Tourist Season at the Ocean | 5 The Museum at Fort Ancient| 9 The Community Issues Forum Kicksoff | 2 Find previous issues of Streetvibes online at: cincistreetvibes.org Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvoice | 13 �2 LOCAL From The Director: Safety vs. Comfort I s being uncomfortable the same thing as being unsafe? Let’s say you are at a neighborhood meeting and you hear a report that attention needs to be given to turn a block from unsafe to safe. You ask how it is known to be unsafe. You are told that there have been many reports of safety issues in that block. You ask what are those reports. You are told that people are reporting they don’t want to walk down that block because they feel unsafe because there is always a group of people hanging around on the sidewalk and stoops. You hear that people feel unsafe because when they walk down the sidewalk they have to walk past a line of people standing on both sides. And another person adds that they are often asked for money on this block. Some say the people hanging out are loud with loud music, etc. Now, think about it, does anything in the above description show that this particular block is unsafe? There is no mention of anything that could reasonably harm another person. Instead folks are just hanging out talking, eating, dancing, listening to music, singing, having serious conversation, goofing around, asking for assistance, offering assistance, saying hello, saying nothing; this list could go on forever because in this S e p t 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 | N o . 38 9 JOSH SPRING Executive Director Josh Spring Credit: Homeless Coalition example people are simply hanging out doing the social things that people do. For reasons related to systems, assumptions, prejudices, ignorance, etc., this person doesn’t feel comfortable around whomever it is they are passing. This level of discomfort may lead to being afraid, and perhaps their first feeling is a lack of safety, but their being afraid in a situation like this should not lead to pressure on this block to change, but instead for certainly self-reflection and ultimately systematic changes to prevent the systematic prejudices which taught them to be afraid in such situations. In other cases, people are conflating the meanings of the words unsafe and uncomfortable. Essentially just because a person interprets an event a certain way or has a certain feeling during such an event, that does not mean their feeling or the way they define their feeling is actually an accurate description of the event. This is not a trivial issue. It is a common occurrence that cops harass people based on the description of how someone else (usually someone who is white) felt in an area or around specific people, when nothing unsafe actually happened. It is a regular occurrence that a developer says they want to make an area safe, when there are not regular occurrences of unsafe happenings, but some people (who don’t live right there) believe it is unsafe because they here that people say it is unsafe. Consider the city budget debates over what politician cares more about public safety and the many people saying public safety must be first above all else. What have each of these people meant by the word safety? Often, if you really broke it down, they were really talking about people like themselves feeling comfortable. (Continued on page 7) The Community Issues Forum Kickoff on September 13th Focuses on Voting Rights and Increasing the Vote T he Community Issues Forum at Christ Church Cathedral kicks off its fall series on Thursday September 13th with a forum focusing on voting rights and local efforts to register and motivate people to vote. A panel including Elizabeth Brown, CO-President of the League of Women Voters of the Cincinnati Area, Catherine Turcer, Director of Common Cause/Ohio, Amy Teitelman, Regional Director of For Our Future Fund, and Mary Aguilera of the Ohio Poor People's Campaign, will review efforts in the Cincinnati area aimed at protecting voting rights and registering voters. A short training on how to register voters will also take place at this noontime forum. A recent Streetvibes article reviewed the importance of protecting voting rights while also depicting some of the problems that exist in Ohio and other states that have enacted laws designed to create voting obstacles for certain people. BILL WOODS Contributing Writer For instance, Ohio has a tough voterID law, and its current process of purging voter rolls of individuals who haven't voted in recent elections has unregistered thousands of voters. Meanwhile, the number of eligible citizens who vote has steadily declined, and Cincinnati's percentage dropped to less than one-third of its eligible voters in 2017. (Continued on page 11) 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, Jim Luken, Maria Funcheon, Saad Ghosn, Michael Earl Patton, Cleo Wombles, Kim Green, Willa Denise Jones ----------------------------------------------Photography/ Artwork: Homeless Coalition, Allie Graff, Justin Jeffre, Jim Luken, Saad Ghosn, Michael Earl Patton, Bill Woods --------------------------------------------------Thank You For Reading Streetvibes And Supporting Our Mission To Build Community And Advocate Justice. Bill Woods accepting last year's buddy gray award Credit: Homeless Coalition THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Streetvibes and The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless do not endorse candidates for public office. �LOCAL Public Housing is Under Attack No. 38 9 | Sept 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 A relatively new policy, Rental Assistance Demonstration Project (RAD), may decrease the available units of public housing in Cincinnati and beyond. RAD allows housing authorities to privatize public housing by selling properties to private developers. When public housing was created it was supposed to remain public forever. Created as a pilot program in 2012, there was a cap on how many units across the country could be sold to private developers. Since the Trump administration, the cap has essentially been lifted, and they have encouraged demolition over renovation. In addition, the administration is attempting to remove requirements to renew contracts. Under this plan, if housing is demolished, there would be no obligation to rebuild. The land could then lose the affordability contract. Residents don’t know about the Trump administration proposals, which include raising rents and giving money to housing authorities to demolish buildings. This week, I sat down with local organizer, Allie Graff, who is working out of our office at the Homeless Coalition. Allie has been working with CMHA residents to ensure their voices are heard, and to secure a seat at the table for residents who are most affected by the changes. Allie is most concerned that people’s rights are being violated, and she feels her job is to educate residents about their rights and responsibilities. She believes in the power of residents who, once they know what’s happening, will fight CMHA to preserve their housing. She believes in the power of the people, so she thinks amazing things could happen. In order to combat building deterioration, RAD allows housing authorities to sell public housing to private ownership. Due to decreasing public funding for public housing, the amount of deferred maintenance has increased each year. According to Allie, the public housing stock is in bad shape because they have underfunded it for years. Instead of putting the money into to fix it, they are allowing it to be sold off. When they sell, they are allowed to seek funding through banks, low income housing credits, grants, etc, that public housing authorities couldn’t leverage. Public housing money just comes from taxes, which is set by federal government, and they know they aren’t giving enough for public housing. Through RAD, anyone could buy public housing – it could be private, non-profit, or even LLCs. Allie doesn’t know if CMHA is putting calls out to prospective owners, but it may be possible that they are looking to sell the buildings to themselves through LLC’s. The risk of the loss of public DR. MARK MUSSMAN Staff Writer housing is too high because anybody can slip through the cracks. Every single resident is at risk because there is no way to determine who would be able to retain housing. There are at least three ways that we lose housing. Loss of 5% of the units is considered “acceptable” to the government. They can also consolidate units to make it more suitable by converting 1 bedrooms to 2 or 3 bedrooms, which will be a loss of units, but not considered a loss by the government. If a unit is vacant for 2 years, then it doesn’t count as a loss. So, if CMHA evicts people and leaves it sit for two years, they won’t have to rebuild that unit. They may also be able CMHA plans to add new units to their portfolio. We have seen something similar to this in HOPE 6, which greatly affected the West End. Some reports show that 10,000 people were displaced, and only about 2,000 people were able to return. That is an 80% loss for the neighborhood. HOPE 6 was similar in that they said they were going to demolish and rebuild and renovate, but people were displaced. Part of Laurel Homes, which is Liberty Street Apartments, is still there, and is still public. City West, which was built in the area of Laurel Homes and Lincoln Court, and although it is mixed income, Looking out over former CMHA broken promises at English Woods Credit: Allie Graff to demolish a building and not be mandated to rebuild it. CMHA is also talking about doing mixed-income, which will result in the displacement of low-income tenants. If they decide to turn them into market-rate, we’ve lost those units. It’s a possibility that many people were displaced, and weren’t able to come back. Through RAD, all CMHA buildings are at risk of being lost. Which is about 23 high-rises and complexes, as well as, scattered sites, which could be anything from 4-unit Tenant Organizer Identification Credit: Allie Graff all 4 of these scenarios happen. Allie is concerned that people will not be able to return to units, especially since there is no indication that apartments or single-family homes. It is estimated that CMHA manages about 5000 households, ranging between 11-12,000 individuals who THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED 3 rely on public housing in Cincinnati. Allie believes that the best-case scenario is that residents organize and purchase the buildings themselves. This has happened in other cities, but is an uphill battle here because the development community will benefit from the building contracts. Allie wants better, safer, homes for our neighbors in Cincinnati, but there is no way to know if this will happen through RAD. The first homes that are at risk right now (that we can tell from CMHA documentation) include: Stanley Rowe in the West End; Park Eden in Walnut Hills; The Pinecrest in Price Hill; Findlater Gardens in Winton Hills; Beechwood in Avondale; and some scattered sites – perhaps about 100 in the Fairmount and Price Hill neighborhoods. Residents have their First Amendment rights, so they can have a voice in the change. In the HUD laws around RAD, they are technically encouraged to be a part of it, and they are encouraged to give official comments that HUD would review, but CMHA hasn’t told them about their rights whatsoever. They have rights to be a part of the process, and they have rights to protect their homes. Allie is concerned that this doesn’t address the affordable housing crisis. It may actually make things worse, and in 15 years all of our public housing could be gone. One of the things with this, after it converts to privately owned, they are only 15-20year contracts, and right now they’d be required to renew, but laws can change. We could sell off the bulk of affordable housing, with no chance to rebuild. She has met people who have experienced homelessness because they lost their homes at Lincoln Court and Laurel Homes. She doesn’t want people to lose their homes and have their rights violated. She also believes in publicly owned and controlled assets. CMHA has tried to stop Allie from educating and advocating for tenants. They tried to have her arrested at a CHMA meeting about RAD with residents. Residents asked Allie to go with them, but the resident who asked her to go with them was late, and CMHA tried to have Allie arrested. Residents are legally allowed to bring anyone with them, an organizer or advocate. CMHA has been sending out letters saying that Allie is coming around and lying to residents, to discredit her. They have tried to stop residents from having meetings. Allie believes that there are thousands of people who need to learn more, and she is just one person. She also has difficulty accessing public housing on the bus, and she is an advocate for a better bus system. Allie believes that there is a glimmer of hope because residents in other cities have organized, created demands to their local housing authority, and were able to get transparency and have a seat at the (Continued on page 7) �4 LOCAL Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Steetvibes Editor Summary of Organization: The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition is a unified social action agency, fully committed to its ultimate goal: the eradication of homelessness with respect for the dignity and diversity of its membership, people experiencing homelessness and the community. Our Coalition works towards this goal by coordinating services, educating the public, and engaging in grassroots organizing and advocacy. Summary of Program: Streetvibes is an entrepreneurship program that advocates for justice and builds community through excellent, award-winning reporting. Streetvibes reports on topics related to economics, civil rights, race, religion, gender, LGBTQIA, immigration, the environment, and the struggle to end homelessness and poverty. The printed newspaper version is published bi-weekly by the Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition and primarily distributed by people who are, or once were without a home in exchange for a $2 donation. Summary of Position: The Streetvibes Editor will produce a quality 16-page bi-weekly paper, maintain the Streetvibes website, cultivate a social media presence, strengthen the relationships among the Distributors within the community and the organization, and provide guidance to enhance distributor productivity and F S e p t 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 | N o . 38 9 Job Description Part-Time development. This is a part-time position. Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Produce a 16-page, bi-weekly newspaper a. Strategic planning of articles b. Compose independentlywritten, thought-provoking, and original articles c. Story and photography assignments to volunteers d. Story assessment and editing e. Highlight member organizations, their events, work, staff, job openings, and volunteer opportunities f. Maintain an updated resource page, and other paper assets g. Adhere to a set production format and schedule h. Work directly with layout manager to coordinate distribution to printer 2. Create and post a local events calendar for Distributors 3. Assist Director of Education with Streetvibes Shadow Activities 4. Maintain database records of sales, Distributors, writers, supporters, articles, archives 5. Solicit and supervise freelance writers, volunteers, and field-related interns 6. Work with community members and member organizations to develop stories, ensure a diversity of voices, increase advertising, and improve sales 7. Raise funds for operation of Streetvibes through working with other staff to seek and secure grants, donations, sponsorships, and paid advertisements 8. Market paper to increase distribution 9. Manage Streetvibes website and social media, answer inquiries 10. Attend community events and newsworthy actions 11. Submit timely quarterly and annual reports 12. Plan annual Streetvibes fundraiser with assistance from staff and Board 13. All other duties as assigned Qualifications: • Degree in Journalism or related field preferred (not required) or equivalent writing experience • Photography experience preferred • Writing and Editing Skills • Proficiency with Adobe InDesign, Wordpress, and Photoshop • Ability to delegate, organize, and hold others accountable • Ability to challenge through writing • Familiarity and passion Battling my emerging inner curmudgeon or the past year, I have been battling my emerging inner curmudgeon! I don't like to believe I'm turning into a cranky old man, but sometimes, when I think about the things in this world that no longer make sense to me, I feel like some version of a greyhaired old man yelling at kids to stay off his lawn. Here are a few things that I just can't understand anymore. The "B" in LGBTQ What's that "B" doing in there? It stands for "bi-sexual," but if I've learned anything from the recent trajectory of discourse around sexuality in our culture, it's that there are more than two genders. For the record, I have no problem with that notion. Throughout history, JASON HAAP Contributing Writer different cultures have often included multiple gender designations - and I think that's a healthy thing. But what about that "bi" prefix? Isn't it really a leftover of a hegemonic gender duopoly? There are actually much longer versions of the LGBTQ label. I'm starting to see LGBTQIA appear more frequently, and I'm aware of the acronym extending as far as LGBTQIAPK+. In that configuration, the "P" stands for "pansexual," which seems like a more inclusive replacement for the old-school "B." It's curious to me why the group really raising our awareness about “Breakdown Stereotypes” gender diversity would include such a limiting throwback in their label. "People of Color" I remember being in a classroom, either in high school or college, when an instructor explained why the phrase "colored people" is offensive. If we consider certain people to be "colored," the notion sets up whiteness as a default, as the norm. Any system that measures non-white people against a norm of whiteness is rightly considered "racist." Hence, calling black people "colored" is racist. However, I cannot figure out how "colored people" and "people of color" are substantively different. The phrase "people of color" seems to do the same thing, setting certain for social justice especially the eradication of homelessness and poverty • Comfortable speaking in public, and with controversial issues and stances • Good interpersonal skills, ability to communicate with a wide range of individuals • Ability to convert document file types and use Microsoft Office • Understanding of layout, design conventions, and image requirements for print Working Conditions: • Supervised by Executive Director • Ability to work with and collaborate strategically with other staff in a busy work environment and multi-task • Ability to adhere to strict deadlines • Flexible schedule; some work on nights and weekends Starting Wage: $16.84/hr To apply: Send resume, cover letter, and 3 references to: Josh Spring, LSW Executive Director 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 joshspring@cincihomeless.org The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Homeless Coalition does not discriminate based on race, color, gender, national origin, age, religion, creed, ability, veteran’s status, homelessness or housing status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. groups apart from the default setting of "people." If the default setting is "non-colored," then, once again, we seem to be setting whiteness as the norm. That's racist, right? Apparently not, as everywhere I look I see the phrase "people of color" or even the acronym "POCs." I just don't get it. "People of color" should be offensive for the exact same reason as "colored people." Monkey Business Recently, in the race for Florida's governor, the white Republican said voters should not "monkey this up" by electing his Democratic opponent, who happens to be the state's first black gubernatorial candidate. He has been roundly denounced as engaging in "dog whistle" racism. I think it definitely is possible this guy engaged in dog whistle racism. I also think it's possible he used a common (Continued on page 7) “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 MarkMussman@cincihomeless.org. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �5 LOCAL Tourist Season at the Ocean No. 38 9 | Sept 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 JIM LUKEN If it's Tourist Season, why can't we shoot 'em? A Rhode Island bumper sticker, popular with the locals Contributing Writer I t's me again, your roving Streetvibes reporter. I keep getting last minute “deadlines” from the (retiring) editor. “Can you send me something? Anything?” So here it is: anything. For the past year +, since I moved near the Rhode Island seashore, I've tried to make my numerous contributions to this paper relate in some way to the what's going on in Cincinnati, downtown, “the ghetto.” [I've always fondly called OTR, my neighborhood for 15 years, the Ghetto. I will always be proud to have lived there.] I understand that “the beloved community” of OTR has become less and less ghetto-specific, meaning less down to earth and less real as it became more and more gentrified and unreal. (Really, it seems more and more like, Disneyland). I've tried to make the essays that I've sent the paper relate to stuff that you big city folks know and live, even though I live a world away from big-city life. As a matter of fact, when I moved here, I pretty well knew I was moving Jim Luken Credit: Justin Jeffre into a different lifestyle. And it is that indeed. RI is 39 x 46 square-mile state, with a huge bay running almost the entire height of the state, south to north. Hard to believe, but there is four hundred miles of coastline here, and 40 miles of ocean beaches near where I live on the southeast coast. It ain't called “The Ocean State” for nothin'. Much of the socio-economic fabric of Rhode Island is dominated by water, salt water. Commercial fishing, lobstering, clamming and crabbing contribute much to the fabric of local life. But for three to five months each summer, the economy where I live is dominated by tourism. And those people eat a lot of “lobstahs,” fish, crabs and clams. I haven't found the tourist influx as bothersome as many of the locals do, because—to a certain extent—I am still a tourist. I ride my bike to the ocean at least three or four times a week in the summer, and I drive to various places along the shore during the other 8 months, when parking is free at any of the beaches. After a lifelong romance with it, I plan to die near the sea. Life here is a lot slower in pace, and the people I meet are seldom tourists. They are locals, living in a small-town atmosphere. Everybody seems to have known everybody else for generations. They are slow to warm up to the new and the different. One different kind of people you don't find a lot of here—even in the summer—are people of color, especially African Americans. That feels very strange to me, because I lived in an Over-the-Rhine Community Housing “tenement” for so long, with most of my neighbors being friendly, engaging black folks. There are some black people here, but nothing close to large numbers. White people with black friends are few and far between. The homeless, almost all of whom are white, number three or four dozen in this area, and they remain pretty much invisible. In the 14 months that I've lived here, I have seen only three people, on various street corners, “flying” their “homeless...please help” signs. And I haven't seen any of these three return to their stations on succeeding days. There are more blacks in Providence, the capital, 45 minutes away. I did a Streetvibes story about homelessness there while vacationing in RI seven years ago. Their downtown paper (Street Sights) is apparently the only homeless newspaper in the US that is distributed for free. A good thing in a way. But the editors acknowledge the downside: the paper doesn't help support any vendors. I live in a one-bedroom apartment in a government-subsidized, 100 unit building. My rent is a few dollars less than I was paying at OTRCH. Onebedroom market rate apartments are nearby, renting for “$1085 and up.” There are two black people in this complex, one a woman 102 years old. Champagne Heights (see photo) is a housing “project” just a mile down my street. It is for families, and offers three, four, and five-bedroom units for poor families, half of which are black and Hispanic. As you can see, these accommodations are nothing like big-city “projects” in places like Cincy. Sadly, as in most rural places where I've lived (like northern Vermont) racism is still alive and well, i.e., sick and deadening to observe. At yuppie-ish bars in Wakefield, the nearby town, I hear things like, “Thank God we don't live up near Champagne Heights.” Or, “I wish those Champagne Heights people would stay among their own.” My (white) son and his wife have lived for four years right across the street from Champagne Heights. They have chickens outside, and they leave various things out in their yard all the time (a lawn mower, for example). I happened to ask him just the other day if they had had any problems with the folks from the project. “Absolutely none…ever.” he replied. Not even any “poached” eggs. Neither he nor I can quite believe the level of disguised racial distrust that we hear from too many of the locals. We both try to negate it when we can. But after a while, you sort of give up. What's the use? A quote: “You (Continued on page 11) Rhode Island Map Entrance to Champagne Heights Credit: Jim Luken Credit: Jim Luken THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �6 LOCAL THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED S e p t 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 | N o . 38 9 �LOCAL Kaepernick, Athlete Activism, and the Future of the NFL No. 38 9 | Sept 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 N oted essayist James Baldwin once stated, “I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” Freedom of speech has often been touted as a bedrock of American values, the importance indoctrinated in the hearts of Americans at a young age. When former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick chose to remain seated during the national anthem in the 2016 football season in order to protest police brutality, his actions were seen by many as disrespectful, unpatriotic, and un-American. In the eyes of many, Kaepernick was ungrateful for the opportunities his country had afforded him. What most didn’t realize, however, is that his protest stands atop a rich history of sportsmen who have not only spoken out against issues of race and discrimination in America, but who have done so in the realm of sport and in their roles as athletes. In anticipation of MARIA FUNCHEON Contributing Writer the upcoming football season, it’s time for Americans to understand Kaepernick and others who choose to kneel are following in the footsteps of many athletes of color in history who have challenged what it truly means to be free and equal in America. Muhammad Ali, who many consider the greatest athlete of all time, was known not only for his quickness and agility inside the ring, but also for his peaceful nature. A staunch opponent of war, Ali refused the Vietnam War draft in the summer of 1967 and was sentenced to five years in jail, receiving both support and condemnation during an ideologically divided time in the US. One year later Tommie Smith and John Carlos, members of the US Olympic track team, held their fists in the air as a gesture of black power after receiving gold and bronze medals at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. In 1996, NBA player Mahmoud AbdulRauf was suspended for refusing to stand for the national anthem, stating his belief that the flag was a symbol of tyranny, oppression, and racism. Sociologist Harry Edwards argues that the events both on and off the field at all levels of sport reflect the larger political and economic context of the world in which we are living. “The Olympics are and have always been political!” Edwards argued nearly two decades after Smith and Carlos’ raised their fists in Mexico City. Kaepernick has spoken publicly few times about the ideology behind his actions, but the support he has received, specifically from people of color, is notable. The day he decided to remain on the bench, Kaepernick joined a unique group: a league of patriotic athletes protesting injustice, almost all of them men and women of color. "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color,” Kaepernick said, echoing Baldwin’s sentiment that loving your country can also mean finding fault with it. Athletes of color are changing their public identities from singular player to multi-dimensional human being 7 capable of taking action and using their platform to raise awareness and become more involved with important issues. LeBron James’ decision to fund a tuition-free school in his home town of Akron for at-risk youth is a perfect example. Clearly, sports and politics are inextricably linked, and attempting to remove the political aspect is changing sports as we know it. To ask athletes -- specifically athletes of color -- to distance themselves from the very real political and social situations in the world is unrealistic and unAmerican. If there is anything that Kaepernick’s words and actions have taught us, it’s that the role of the athlete in the United States is evolving from silent bystander to knowledgeable, involved activist. After all, it’s these athletes who have helped build a multi-billion-dollar industry, and to simply ignore their grievances would have seriously affected the sports business economy as we know it. It’s time we stop looking at athletes of color as women and men who need to simply “shut up and dribble” and start looking at them as political actors with a vital voice in this important social movement. --------------------------------------- Here is a caveat to this: people experience and struggle with mental illness. There are times that people because of mental illness feel unsafe and afraid in what are reasonably considered safe situations for most other people. For the (Continued from page 2) person dealing with this, they can be feeling and personally experiencing a bit of fear all the way to an excruciatingly terrifying event that only they are experiencing at that time in that place. This is real. For this person, what they are experiencing is real for them. In the examples above, I am not talking about this experience. JOSH SPRING DR. MARK MUSSMAN (Continued from page 3) table. She believes that this has resulted in better outcomes, including higher quality housing, but it hasn’t been perfect. Residents in other JASON HAAP (Continued from page 4) vernacular phrase. But the more I think about this, the more I cannot figure out the rules. Are all common phrases that include the word "monkey" completely off limits if talking about someone who is black? It's pretty common, when people mess something up, to say they "threw a monkey wrench" into the situation. Are we really suggesting that I can say President Trump, or President Bush threw a monkey wrench into a situation, but I can't say that President Obama did? That seems weird. The word "monkey" just seems very different than other offensive terms that have rightly fallen out of acceptable usage. Consider the case of "cotton-picking" as an adjective, such as with "Get your cotton-picking hands off that!" This is a racist statement because "cotton-pickers" refer to slaves, and white people, back in the day, did not want black people to touch their cities will tell you that they didn’t get everything that they wanted, but it was worthwhile. We hope to have more information about what the residents will demand locally, but I think it will be around transparency, voice, and power and public ownership. The public is the owner of public housing, so if we lose our public housing, we lose our investment. Allie says that “There is a lot at stake. At the end of it, when there’s no public housing, will they have to have a public board, with public meetings? Will they be accountable to the public? There’s always a chance for people to organize and affect change – that’s what we hope to do. If people don’t get organized, everybody will lose. If we do organize around this, we could actually gain more.” things - hence "Get your cottonpicking hands off that!" The same is true for other common words, such as "gypped." It means to get ripped off, but the word is a derivation of "Gypsy," and it's based on a negative stereotype that suggests Gypsies are pickpockets. These words are inappropriate, and people should stop saying them. But "monkey" is different. Tons of phrases exist in common use that have never had anything to do with racism. Monkeys are funny and rambunctious creatures, so if we see a bunch of kids acting rambunctiously, we might say they are "monkeying around." What are the rules here? As a white man, presumably I can look at a group of white boys and say they are "monkeying around." But what if I'm talking about a group of white boys with one black friend? Can I say they are "monkeying around"? For my youngest son's entire life, my wife and I have called him a "monkey." When he was little, watching Curious George, we used to look at the TV, then look at him, and say "We're so glad you're a monkey!" (which is a line from the show). He has tons of stuffed monkeys. We used to tell him, when he was born, we had to cut his tail off so people would think he was a "real boy." (Before anyone freaks out, he always laughed, and knew we were joking.) For those who don't know me, does it change anything when I tell you my son is half-black? Am I racist for calling my brown boy a "monkey"? I'm sure there are people who absolutely think so. But what about my wife? She's black, and she calls him a monkey, too. Does that make her racist? And what about non-white, non-black people? Can I say that a group of Latino kids are "monkeying around"? Whatever the case, the word "monkey" is nothing like the "n-word," as a point of comparison. Most people know they are not supposed to say the "n-word," and anyone who says it (for the most part) knows exactly what is going on. However, I am unaware of any cultural conversations at critical mass about saying the word "monkey." There are tons of examples of "monkey" appearing in benign instances of common vernacular. I have trouble categorically faulting someone for using the word "monkey," when, for all I know, there is no malevolent intent, and when the word is not inherently offensive. Conclusion I know it's a common stereotype that, as people age, their views become outdated. I also figure those aging people don't find their opinions to be "outdated." They probably think the world around them has become crazy. I totally feel like the world around me has become crazy. I don't think I'm an old curmudgeon, but I am just self-aware enough to recognize the possibility! [You can email Jason Haap at jasonhaap@gmail.com or send letters to the editor at streetvibes@ cincihomeless.org] THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �8 RELIGIOUS PEACEMAKERS A Water Spirit, Quanita Roberson Is a Healer of Trauma, an Enablor of Love and Compassion, and a Builder and Bridger of Community "I S e p t 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 | N o . 38 9 SAAD GHOSN am the promise of forgiveness and reconciliation in the world," says Quanita Roberson, "and my work is to heal trauma wherever it is, on the individual, interpersonal and organizational levels, bringing peace and building bridges between individuals and communities." Roberson grew up until the age of seven with her maternal grandparents, in a house always open to all. She was raised religious and attended regularly her grandfather's church, a Protestant non-denominational church in Mount Auburn, Cincinnati, where he was the minister; and after the age of seven, practiced Catholicism, when her mother married a white Catholic man. "I was also later exposed to Jehovah's Witnesses," she says, "my mother and stepfather having converted to their religion when I was 15; and to the Unitarian Universalists when I was 16, having lived then for a year with a family who belonged to their faith." Growing up, Roberson was thus exposed to different religions and incorporated a little of each in her beliefs, but it is the spiritual teaching of the Dagara medicine wheel from Burkina Faso, West Africa, to which she was introduced at the age of 20, that resonated the most with her. Contributing Writer "Dagara is about spiritual healing," she says, "also about community building and how we are together and how we each live our purpose." According to the Dagara wheel, each individual, depending on the last digit of her/his birth year, represents one of the 5 elements of Fire, Water, Earth, Mineral, Nature. Roberson falls in the "Water" people category, usually considered the peacemakers, the ones with the ability to reconcile differences within the self and with one another. "I am a water spirit and I bring forgiveness, reconciliation, peace building, the medicine of the emotions," she states. Four years ago, Roberson complemented her knowledge of the Dagara by completing a yearlong apprenticeship with Fanchon Shur, a Cincinnati-based movement artist, movement therapist and choreographer who has been practicing movement and trauma healing since the 70's. "I learned from Fanchon about healing through movement, how water responds to it, moving and shifting in our body, and how it affects us." Actually, trauma had been part of Roberson's life from a young age. At fifteen, she went to court and pressed charges against her stepfather for What is the DAGARA MEDICINE WHEEL A Medicine Wheel is the basis of the cosmology and five element rituals of the Dagara tribe of West Africa. In Dagara, people are categorized according to the five elements of fire, water, mineral, earth and nature, each imparting to its respective people a very specific role they are supposed to fulfill in order to keep the community together. Fire, the original element, is seen as a most potent connection to the spirit world. It puts people back on their spiritual track by consuming that which stands between them and their purpose. It is also the state the ancestors are in. Fire people are the link between the village and the world of the ancestors. Water  brings cleansing, purification, reconciliation; it is essential to the spiritual journey. Water people are considered peacemakers, with the ability to reconcile differences, both within the self and with one another. Earth, the central element in the Wheel, is the mother who is inviting us to come home to the community and to the earth, our true home. The Earth person takes care of others and, like a grandmother, wants all people to be fed and to feel content, respected and loved.   Mineral is the elemental energy that invites us to remember, through ritual, who we are and why we are here. In Dagara physiology the bones, not the brains, are the storage place of memory. Mineral individuals are story tellers; their gift to society is that of remembering. Nature is plants and animals and landscapes. It invites us to welcome change and to open ourselves to transformation in order to realize our true and authentic selves. Nature people have the key to the evolution of our consciousness; they make us understand what change, transformation and adaptation mean. sexually abusing her. Her religious family forgave him, but she was initially unable to do so herself and went through a deep depressive phase. Facing at that time the choice to heal or to die, she let herself go to the spirit, was pulled and saved by it, and said yes to life. Later in life, she worked for the Red Cross as an instructor and an instructor trainer, predominantly in Quanita Roberson the area of HIV infection. She thus met many individuals’ suffering from AIDS or infected with the virus and was very touched by their condition and their traumatic experience. "I saw individuals and coworkers dying from AIDs, and parents suffering from the loss of their loved ones," says Roberson. "I lived their pain, witnessed their grief and wanted to help them and ease their agony." After the Red Cross, she joined for a couple of years Public Allies participating in their activist work and in their yearly retreats focusing on social justice; but when her son was born, she decided to quit her job and stay at home. "I was already in my late 20's," she says, "and I felt the need to complete my education and so I went back to school." Roberson received a Bachelor's degree in Organizational Leadership from Wilmington College, then a Master's degree in Organizational Management and Development with a concentration in Integral Theory from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA. "I wanted to help people heal from their trauma, also do organizational development work, and wanted to approach both from a holistic perspective." This is when Roberson established her own practice and started coaching. "My coaching is reconciling internally, interpersonally or organizationally," says Roberson. "I lead individuals, families and Credit: Saad Ghosn organizations through grief rituals, help them learn to grieve, to empty out and make room for the new to come in. I do it one on one, also through workshops and retreats." In helping others do their grief work, Roberson, in addition to easing their pain, takes them on a forgiveness and reconciliation journey, freeing their spirit and thus allowing them more space for love and compassion. She has been doing coaching for seventeen years now and in five countries. Her feminism healing retreats, for instance, help empower women; and her work through the Center for Progressive Leadership, helps activists and politicians in the state of Ohio widen their perspective, discover greater choices and acquire more personal internal power. One of Roberson's main interests, however, is healing the ancestor’s legacy of slavery, not only for African Americans, but "for all Americans," as she is quick to point out. She is currently finishing writing a book on that same topic; it is titled 'The Inner ground Railroad: A 40-Day Journey to Remembering Self and Spirit'. In it (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 �9 LOCAL The Museum at Fort Ancient No. 38 9 | Sept 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 T MICHAEL EARL PATTON he Museum at Fort Ancient is not about the earthworks at the site so much as it is about the story of the American Indians in Ohio, from the first arrivals to historical times. It brings together several different narrative threads and shows that their story is much more interesting than what we generally hear – if we hear anything at all. The earthworks and a possible reason for why they were built are described in a video at the museum, but other for the most part the museum is about the Indians themselves. I had written about the earthworks in my last article, “The Mystery of Fort Ancient.” Through dioramas, exhibits, and signs the museum takes us from the first arrivals as the Ice Age was ending, through the invention of pottery, and describes everyday life. They grew crops in addition to hunting. Early Indians such as the Hopewell, who had built the earthworks, planted Maygrass (grown for its starchy seeds) and sunflowers. Only later did Indians grow the “Three Sisters,” that is, corn, beans, and squash. Christopher Columbus’s “discovery” (the Indians knew it was here) of the Americas marked the start of radical changes. One of them was a series of epidemics that killed millions of Indians. Smallpox was one of the diseases, and probably measles was another, but whatever they were the Indians had little or no immunity. These diseases simply had not been present in the Americas before Europeans came. Most of the time the spread of disease was unintentional although there is at least one documented case involving the British at Fort Pitt (present day Pittsburgh), where it was deliberate. There were also the Beaver Wars, where the Iroquois tribes forced out the Indians who had been living in the Ohio area so as to get the beaver pelts for themselves, to trade with the English and French. Only when the beavers were virtually killed off did Contributing Writer the pressure relent and other tribes settled here again – mainly different tribes than had been here before. With the young United States starting to settle the Ohio River valley including Cincinnati, came a military drive to force the Indians out. The campaign of General St. Clair ended in disaster for the U.S. Army when the Indians united and utterly defeated his troops. General Anthony Wayne was much more methodical and ultimately successful, defeating the Indians at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794. The Treaty of Greenville formally conceded southern Ohio to the government of the United States. It also allocated land in northern Ohio for the Indians, but later settlers in that area, supported by President Jackson, pressured them to leave. There are no federally-recognized tribal areas in Ohio today. This is an excellent museum and does a good job of telling a complex story. The present museum opened in 1998 so if you have not seen it since you were a kid, it is probably worth another visit. From April through November the museum at Fort Ancient is open Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and Sunday from noon – 5:00 pm, closed Mondays. From December through March it is open only during the weekends. Admission is $7 for adults; $6 for seniors (60+) and students (6 – 17). The recommended route is exit 36 / Wilmington Road off of I-71, then south on Middleboro Road and then west on State Route 350. See www.FortAncient.org for more information. Ft Ancient Museum - Shaman Ft Ancient Museum - Wall Models Credit: Michael Earl Patton Credit: Michael Earl Patton Ft Ancient Museum - Entrance Ft Ancient Museum - fur trader Credit: Michael Earl Patton Credit: Michael Earl Patton Ft Ancient Museum - Campfire Ft Ancient Museum - First Ohioans Credit: Michael Earl Patton Credit: Michael Earl Patton THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �10 LOCAL S e p t 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 | N o . 38 9 September 7 - 29, 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. 38 9 | Sept 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 11 LOCAL JIM LUKEN (Continued from page 5) can't talk someone out of something they were never talked into in the first place.” (attributed to Jonathan Swift). I still try sometimes. On Thursday (the 6th) I will attempt a modest sociological experiment. About a month ago, I more or less joined an open “writing” group that has been meeting at the local Guild hall for an incredible 22 years. Every week, 15 to 20 people mostly my age (50 - 95) write and read something related to an assigned “prompt” or topic. Then people comment. Very civilly. This is New England, remember. The people in this group are almost all long-time residents of the south-shore area. They are mostly genteel, well-educated, upper middle-class, and surprisingly good writers. But, in a strange way, I feel as if they have been sheltered for the most part, from a sense of the way things are out in the world beyond their little seaside world. Their biggest social problem seems to be that every summer they have to deal with lots and lots of tourists. A minor BILL WOODS (Continued from page 3) Since the publication of that article, an informal coalition of civic and religious groups (the Voter Engagement Coordination Campaign) have come together because of their concern about voting rights and the need to register and SAAD GHOSN (Continued from page 8) Roberson uses the Dagara wheel and takes the reader on a 40-day journey through which she shares her own story. "I am a dark skinned African American girl, raised in a biracial family, formerly married to a white man who lives on the Kentucky side of the Ohio river, and my kids are multiracial descendants of slaves and of the sons and daughters of the Revolution," she states. "I grew up exposed to diversity, born in both cultures and do not hold either as victim. We can shift and become connected and that's what community is about." In addition to coaching, Roberson has been heavily involved in organizational development work. Partnering with Tenneson Woolf from Utah, a facilitator and a workshop leader, she has been conducting yearly retreats involving young pastors from the United Church of Christ, guiding them into team building and into community engagement. Working with the Kellog Foundation, she serves as both an evaluator and a participant in their grants on truth, racial healing and transformation. As an organizational Champagne Heights Community Credit: Jim Luken had to face racism, and racial issues in a much different and intimate way than my new neighbors here. Stay tuned. For the next issue, I will write a short letter-to-the-editor with an update as to how it goes with the writer’s group. I will close this with a quote from a speech given by one of my heroes, novelist Kurt Vonnegut, not long before he died. “The most spiritually splendid American phenomenon of my lifetime is how African American citizens have maintained their dignity and self-respect despite their having been treated by white Americans...as though they were contemptible and loathsome and even diseased.” headache, at most. This Thursday, the topic is wide open. We can read anything we want, old or new. I have decided to read an essay I wrote for this newspaper some years ago, entitled “White Like Me.” It details some of the racial issues that I dealt with in OTR, and in Vermont, as well as during a three month visit to Haiti in 1999. I will be interested to find out how my audience of local writers reacts to some of this material. Most of them lean toward being liberal, but, as I mentioned, they have not been exposed to matters of race except through what they see in the media. Although most of you Streetvibes readers are middle class, you have motivate voters. Meeting for the first time at the Carthage Christian Church on August 10th, the organizations represented were the NAACP, the Faith Community Alliance, the Ohio Poor People's Campaign, Project AMOS, MAARC, AIR Inc., For Our Future Fund, and representatives from the AFL-CIO. These diverse groups will work together this fall to complement their various activities. The hope is that this collaboration will provide a lot more oomph to the efforts to register folks and get out the vote. The Community Issues Forum will also facilitate three other preelection forums. On September 27th, a panel of civic leaders will review critical issues that should be on the legislative agendas of candidates running for national, state and local offices. Then on October 11th, Issue I, the Ohio Constitutional Amendment that would reduce penalties for non-violent drug offenders, will be featured. Other ballot issues will receive attention on October 25th. Forums are free, and attendees may bring their lunch or purchase it on site. development person, she will help in the local training of their grantees for community engagement. With People's Action she is currently collaborating on a project designed to identify, across the country, rural communities which voted for Obama and later for Trump, trying to determine within them the thread of conversations around race, religion and immigration. The purpose is to pin point the messages that made it through pop cultures and learn how we can better listen to each other and build improved relationships. In New Jersey, Roberson trained both community and police members in trauma-informed responses to violence. She tried to remove their preexisting biases and bring instead their commonality and complementarity, reinforcing what one participant simply stated, that "they're all trying to get home safe to their families..." Addressing diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Roberson helped design a self-assessment tool for managers, stressing an approach that will shift the topic from just being a subject of discussion to becoming an actual practice. Roberson is also very concerned about the activists in the community, about their need to tend to their own healing in order to become healthier and able to continue their engaged work. She is considering partnering with JustLove to develop an activist cohort to address their issues, and as a result, to increase the efficacy of their involvement. In addition to her coaching and organizational development work Roberson is involved in various social justice activities locally, nationally and internationally. In collaboration with the YWCA, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation and the Freedom Center, she arranged for the screening of "I Am Not Your Negro," a documentary based on James Baldwin's writings and that explores the history of racism in the US. It was followed by a Q&A session led by Aisha Kiefer Smart, Baldwin's niece, and by Roberson herself. Conversations on race, open to the public, will continue later around the city, also facilitated by her. "The movie connects past to present," she says, "but we also need to connect present to place and examine what race means to us in Cincinnati and what we want to be together." In 2016 Roberson was the Keynote Speaker for The National Diversity Conference in Brazil, also a presenter on Community/Police Relations at the NAACP National Convention in Cincinnati. Going from there Roberson would like to spend time reinforcing the initiatory process in our country. "We're still an adolescent country," she says. "We need to become initiated adults in order to initiate our youth." Asked what she means by initiation, Roberson states that it is how we grow up, how we make our purpose and our calling clear, how our soul meets our self, and how we become spirit instead of only earth-centered and earth-led in our decisions. She is currently planning, with Tennison Woolf, a 3-year cohort for individuals age 40 and under, focused on that issue. Since initiation is culturally specific, Roberson will ask participants to have their ancestral DNA study done and the information available prior to joining the group. For Roberson the essence has always been community. Through trauma healing and through organizational development she has always tried to empower individuals, families and organizations, to create bridges between themselves and to reinforce communities throughout the world. She will continue using the wisdom of the Dagara Medicine Wheel, her water spirit, her skills and knowledge to contribute to peace in all settings and wherever she is. View of Neighorhood Credit: Jim Luken THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �12 F or almost ten years I lived in rural areas of south-central Ohio and then north-eastern VT. In each of these locals, I was an “adjunct professor,” teaching composition or speech part-time, to adults (ages 18-50) in community college settings. In every case, my students were one hundred percent white, mostly poor, lower middle class. A few might be termed “rednecks.” Each of them had come to college trying to better her/himself by hopefully attaining an Associate’s Degree. By and large they were nice folks. At some point in each teaching semester, a strange issue would come up. Its recurrence in every classroom situation, and in states separated by 1000 miles, always felt strange to me. There is a word for this issue that seemed so out-of-place in those rural settings: Racism. More particularly: Affirmative Action. Time and again, one of my students (for some reason) would bring up affirmative action, and most folks in the class would be instantly enraged, instantly in agreement with the notion that white students or white job seekers were being denied opportunities by less qualified blacks. Oh, the rage. Oh, the unfairness. I could almost hear the dread in each of these voices: “What if it should happen to me when I go looking for a job?” Some would even have stories of a brother or an uncle, aware that he had had the better qualifications, who had been by-passed in favor of a less worthy black (according to that brother or that uncle). Such an old meme. But—like a bad check—it keeps bouncing back into the conversation. A few years ago a black woman commentator on Fox news, was in a hissy-fit because Michelle Obama had talked about “race” at Tufts University, suggested that the first lady had been admitted to Yale because of...you guessed it... affirmative action. I often asked my college classes, “How can you guys hate blacks when, living out here in the boonies, you rarely even see one?” Then I would hear the denials. “We're not prejudiced.” “This has nothing to do with prejudice.” They felt that employers were being forced to hire “quotas” of blacks, even if they lacked the qualifications for the jobs. I heard these same angry complaints, at least a dozen times. After a semester or two of this, whenever this discussion arose, I chose to fire back with the same response, a rhetorical question: “OK, Imagine this. It's not going to happen, but try to imagine it. Imagine you could choose whether you could go in for a job interview with black skin rather than your white skin. Would anyone here opt to go to this interview as an African-American instead of a STREET VOICE White Like Me S e p t 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 | N o . 38 9 JIM LUKEN Contributing Writer white American? Think about it. Be honest.” Silence. And they were honest. Not one hand ever went up. Every one of these youngish students preferred the special privileges and exemptions that—they knew in their guts—come with being white in a society primarily controlled by whites. Understandable. As a young person, but well into my own adulthood, I can remember the sense—deep inside but seldom articulated—the feeling of being lucky to have been born white. The most startling experience I have had regarding race, i.e., my whiteness, came during a three month stay in Haiti in 1999. Everyone born in that tiny island country is one shade of black or another, all had ancestors who were brought there as slaves of the French. The vast majority are very poor. Before my visit, I felt quite anxious about staying in a place that was all black. In the States, I could often feel hostility—especially from young black men—when I found myself downtown in their neighborhood, on their turf. Even today, after having been a long-time resident of OTR, Cincy's most famous ghetto, I still feel it. But from the moment I arrived in Haiti, I felt none of this. The reason? Haitians do not carry any racial baggage. They don't hate or resent white people for being white. They refer to us as “blans” (whites) but they don't think of us as “white.” Weird. A prominent black American bishop, visiting Haiti at the time we were there, was stunned when he heard himself referred to as a “blan.” He was informed by his host that Haitians call all foreigners—black or white—“blans.” So, moving around among Haitians, it was clear to me that the people weren't seeing me, or judging me, as a white guy. What a wonderful experience. Even more powerful was my own reality. Amazingly, I didn't feel “white” among all these people. I felt as if—except for being richer than most of them—I was one of them, one with them. Looking out onto their Haitian world, I couldn't see (or feel) my white face. The only way to experience my whiteness was to look at my hand. Not being “white' in an all-black society remains one of the most liberating feelings I have ever had. In 1962, when I was senior in high school, a white guy—John Howard Griffin—published a famous bestseller titled “Black Like Me.” With the help of a dermatologist, Griffin had significantly blackened his skin. For six weeks, he roamed the deep south by Greyhound posing and living as a black man. Although Griffin expected the story of his experiences to be of interest only to sociologists, the book proved to be a national sensation, discussed and argued about for many months. My own experiences of being race-neutral in Haiti, in some ways resemble Griffin's journey of more than fifty years ago. Among an alien race, I felt a comfortable kinship. Only occasionally did Griffin deal with any of the discriminatory horrors that black Americans have dealt with for four centuries. And still do today. Now, as a long-time OTR resident, with black neighbors all around me who so obviously enjoy their sense of community, who share the same passionate desire for racial justice, who understand the meaning of “black pride,” I often find myself wishing that I could be part of that community for a while, including being one with them in the continuing, the ongoing battle for racial justice. Like my rural college students, however, who could never be anything but white, I will participate, as something of an outsider, in America's most defining issue. The struggle to prove that “Black Lives do Matter” as much as—maybe a bit more, due to their centuries of suffering—than privileged white lives. -------------------------------------- THOUGHTS FOR TODAY Woke up with my mind made up To stay focused and alert, Moving my head side to side Seeing what is around me You may never know What may come your way. Watch the area you’re in Because you never know when you’ll be robbed. I’ve been robbed twice. You have to be alert. You may never know what may come your way. It’s best to be prepared and ready. I always pray When I go my way Asking for God’s guidance and protection Along the way. Good or evil—I need to be prepared, Come what may Life can be easy and hard. It is always good to be prepared To stay safe every day I believe that is the best way. CLEO WOMBLES Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �13 STREET VOICE No. 38 9 | Sept 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 NO ONE ASKED No one asked. How are you today? THE CAMPAIGN REFORM MOTHER GOOSE Jack and Jill went to the Hill No one asked, To push campaign reform laws. Because no one cared But there the couple's requests Maybe because everyone is too busy Someone went home today Feeling, sad and empty We're taken by Congress as jests, And received a lot of guffaws. No one asked, No one cared Sometimes no one should have to ask. When was the last time you asked someone BILL WOODS Contributing Writer LOVED ONE GONE could you help them? It’s so sad when no one cares enough to ask! KIM GREEN Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer There is time for everything including a time to say hello and a time for saying goodbye There is a place for everything including a place to laugh, to cry and ask for reasons why To live each day surrounded by the people we love, never forgetting God is a blessing Is to know that having a mind to remember precious moments will always be a lesson We as people tend to hurt when things don’t go our way or grieve for things that are lost We as people must keep in mind there is never nothing lost as long as God is the boss We must teach our children that as long as we remember nothing ever really goes away Teach them the truth about life and death and remember our experiences everyday Just remember that the good times always outweigh the bad times And remember even though people aren’t with us they’re in God’s House and that’s fine! WILLA DENISE JONES Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �PUZZLES 14 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 157 Across Down 1. Kind of star 1. Reported information 5. Group of cattle or sheep 2. Overt 9. To a greater extent 3. Passport endorsement 13. Heroic poem 4. Pretending 14. Make a great effort 5. Lap 16. Iniquity 6. Test 17. Direction 7. Relating to the kidneys 18. Mansion 8. Stingless male bee 19. Narrow projecting 9. Bill of fare strip of land 10. Finished 20. Gastropod 11. Food grain 22. Beauty treatment 12. Moose 24. Pinch 15. Attempted 26. Facial expression 21. Predatory feline 27. Body of water 23. Cot 30. Field event 25. Bard 35. Tender 27. Supple 36. Necessities 28. Worship 39. Carried in a certain way 29. Form of tide 40. Molecule 31. Soak through 42. Greyish brown 32. Unrefined 44. Step 33. Complete or full-length 45. Mouselike mammal 34. Ooze 47. Hunt illegally 35. Freshwater fish 49. Take liquid a little at a time 37. Singing couple 50. Boil vigorously 38. Squabble 52. A need to drink 41. Encountered 54. Apiece 43. Reverberation 57. Metal-bearing mineral 46. Dairy product 58. Linguist 48. Charter 62. Unit of geological time 51. Bird of prey 66. Gag 53. Meal 67. Ashen 55. Hold on tightly 69. Having the means to do 56. Small crude shelter something 58. Rain heavily 70. Halo 59. Gumbo 71. Foe 60. Jump 72. Scorch 61. Measure the duration 73. Enfold of something 74. Mirth 63. Comply 75. A specific kind 64. Applaud S e p t 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 | N o . 38 9 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 287 - MEDIUM 65. This place 66. Mandible 68. Staining substance PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ISSUE 388 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 156 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 286- MEDIUM PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �RESOURCES No. 38 9 | Sept 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Shelter: Women and Children Bethany House 557-2873 1841 Fairmount Ave. 45214 Salvation Army 131 E. 12th Street 45202 Shelterhouse 411 Gest St. 45203 762-5660 2121 Vine Street 45202 Cincinnati Union Bethel 2401 Reading Rd. 45202 VA VA Homeless Food/Clothing First Lutheran Church 1208 Race St. Food - Last Monday 12-1 Clothing - second Monday 12-1 Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry OTR: 1620 Vine Street 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert Ave. 45206 Our Daily Bread 1730 Race Street 45202 921-1613 661-4620 Starting Over 961-2256 Hamilton/Middletown AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 St. Raephaels 981-4200 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Joseph House (Veterans) Northern Kentucky Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Both 471-1100 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. 45214 241-2965 1522 Republic Street 45202 221-HELP 721-8666 768-6907 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 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 621-5300 961-1983 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 Want to advertise in Streetvibes? Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Center for Respite Care 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave. 45229 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 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 UpSpring 363-3300 2825 Burnet Ave. 45219 859-491-8303 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-572-6202 Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky 634 Scott St. 41011 859-291-4555 Health 421-0065 Brighton Center (11-17 y/o) 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 977-6800 859-572-6226 You can support our mission and spread the word about your business. For more information contact Justin Jeffre at 513-421-70803 x 12 or email streetvibes@cincihomeless.org 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 621-6364 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio $100 241-2600 621-5514 1223 Main St. 45202 961-4663 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 558-8888 351-3500 977-4489 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 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Women First Step Home 352-6363 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 562-8841 Prospect House 682 Hawthorne Ave. 45205 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 2401-2411 Reading Rd. 45202 215 E. 14th St. 45202 Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 761-1480 CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 27 W. 12th Street 45202 Center Independent Living Options Peaslee Neighborhood Center Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Men 721-0643 Housing: 114 W. 14th Street 45202 Other Resources 1125 Bank Street 45214 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 Talbert House Tender Mercies 241-1064 St. Vincent de Paul Shelter: Youth Interfaith Hospitality Network FreeStore/FoodBank 4600 Erie Ave. 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Shelter: Family 591-2246 621-7265 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 1437 Walnut Street 45202 1805 Dalton Ave. 45214 Churches Active in Northside McMicken Dental Clinic 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti Mental Health Access Point NAMI of Hamilton County PATH Outreach 112 E. Liberty Street 45202 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 Parkway Center 751-8771 4230 Hamilton Ave. 45223 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Shelter: Men St. George Food Pantry 2554 Dennis St. 45219 Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 1528 Race St. 45202 The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women 2499 Reading Road 562-1980 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 6037 Cary Ave. 45224 15 for 26 issues $150 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED for 26 issues and a $50 donation �16 S e p t 7 - S e p t 2 0 , 2 0 18 | N o . 38 9 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 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 September 7-September 20, 2018 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: From the Director The Community Issues Forum Kickoff on September 13th Focuses on Voting Rights and Increasing the Vote Pg 3: Public Housing is Under Attack Pg 4: Battling My Emerging Inner Curmudgeon Pg 5: Tourist Season at the Ocean Pg 6: How to Respond to Panhandling Pg 7: Kaepernick, Athlete Activism, and the Future of the NFL Pg 8: Religious Peacemakers Pg 9: The Museum at Fort Ancient Pg 10: GCHC Pg 11: Jim Luken Continued Bill Woods Continued Saad Ghosn Continued Pg 12: White Like Me Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 7-September 20, 2018 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Bill Woods Dr. Mark Mussman Jason Haap Jim Luken Maria Funcheon Saad Ghosn Michael Earl Patton Cleo Wombles Kim Green Willa Denise Jones Homeless Coalition Allie Graff Justin Jeffre Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Activist Allie Graff Bill Woods Cleo Wombles Collin Kaepernick Dr. Mark Mussman Fort Ancient Homeless Coalition Jason Haap Jim Luken Josh Spring Justin Jeffre Kim Green Maria Funcheon Michael Earl Patton Museum NFL Public Housing Religion Rhode Island Saad Ghosn Voting Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/cce77aed66a739b794e093d1eff30244.pdf 046f3aded6b239c37b7c698898b7d1da PDF Text Text S e p t e m b e r 5 t h - S e p t e m b e r 1 9 t h 2 0 1 9 | Vo l . 2 3 I s s u e 1 8 ( N o . 4 1 5 ) advo cating justice | building communit y Any opinions in this issue are of the authors and don't necessarily represent Streetvibes or The Homeless Coalition. Barriers and Belonging Feature On Page 8 This Issue is sponsored by Cecilia and Tom Kloecker Find previous issues of Streetvibes online at: cincistreetvibes.com Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvoice | 12 �2 COALITION N ov 2 o v 19, 0 18 || N o . 393 Aug 5 -- N Sept 19,22019 No. 415 From The Editor: A New School Year, The Same Stories Gabriela Godinez Editor-in-chief I f you have been following with the editorials here at Streetvibes you will know that we frequently discuss issues that have a deeprooted hateful history in our country. Topics like racism, sexism, and homophobia have an extensive history in our country that lead to where we are today. These are also stories that are often left out of our children’s textbooks. We need to teach our children the true origins of America, where our society is today, and give them the tools to make their communities a better place as they grow up. We can start by telling the new generations the truths and forgotten histories of this land. Professor Hasan Kwame Jeffries argues that we need to tell the Tours focus on the historical and contemporary struggles and successes of the Overthe-Rhine Peoples' Movement. Learn what gentrification looks like and how displacement affects community members. Cost: $80/Group (max 20 in each group). Sign up today: https://cincihomeless.org/ please-register-youreducation-event-here/ stories of slavery, like that of the year of 1619, the year that American Heritage says “shaped America” as “an English privateer brought kidnapped Africans to sell as slaves.” I also don’t remember being told anything of detail about the rebellions of slaves in America. In A History of Pan African Revolt, C.L.R James describes a rebellion in Virginia in August of 1831. Enslaved Africans killed around 55 enslavers, but we aren’t taught about the bravery of these Africans because textbooks are written not to tell the truth, but to tell the story America today wants to remember. The language that is used in textbooks also helps to recreate the narrative. Words like “removal” or “reorganization” are nicely packaged vocabulary that really means murder, theft, and stolen land. Social Justice Walking Tours When we do talk about atrocities, we only briefly discuss the topic. This is often the case when the history we are talking about isn’t as far away as the genesis of the White America. Topics like lynching are often glossed over and made to seem as if there were a few bad men and we are past all that now. We should at least teach our high school students about Emmett Till, the 14-year-old boy who was brutally tortured and murdered for no other reason than a white woman said he made unwanted advances toward her. A statement that, years later, she said was a fabrication. We also don’t talk about the lynching of Mexicans in the Southwest. According to NPR “recent research reveals that Mexican workers and landowners were the targets of mob lynchings.” The list of forgotten histories goes on and on and on. I am saying that these topics cannot and should not be abbreviated and yet here I am writing a short editorial about the matter. The problem is that there is simply not enough space in this paper to mention every single atrocity America has tried to forget. But there is enough time to mention them within all the years students are in school. If our children are old enough to protest and bring light to complex topics like climate change and gun control, then they are mature enough to understand how we got here in the first place. Knowing how this country was truly molded will help them understand how to properly tackle our modern issues. These new generations want to know the truth, and with world at their fingertips by way of the Internet, we should at least try to guide them through the truth before they learn the harsh truth on their own. We are getting better at telling our history, but there is still so much to improve on. 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 Streetvibes is an activist newspaper, advocating justice and building community. Streetvibes reports on economic issues, civil rights, the environment, the peace movement, spirituality and the struggle against homelessness and poverty. Distributed by individuals experiencing homelessness or on the edge of homelessness, in exchange for a $2.00 Donation. Streetvibes is published twice a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that works to eradicate homelessness in Cincinnati. 113 East 12th St. Cincinnati OH, 45202 Ph: 513.421.7803 FAX: 513.421.7813 WEB: www.cincihomeless.org www.cincistreetvibe.com EMAIL: streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Editor-in-chief: Gabriela Godinez Feregrino Executive Director: Josh Spring Director of Development: Mona Jenkins Director of Education: Dr. Mark Mussman Volunteer Editors: Katelyn Lusher, Chris Wilkey Distributor Program Manager: Sallie Mascus Layout: Gabriela Godinez Feregrino Reception: Bonita Batton, Larry Johnson Maintenance: Pete Roper ------------------------------------------CONTRIBUTORS THIS ISSUE Writers: Gabriela Godinez, Bill Woods, Lacy Wallace, Peter Y. Sussman, Felix Winternitz, Nick Brown Dr. Mark Mussman, Anuradha Nagaraj, Roli Srivasta, Carey L Biron, Willa D. Jones, Bobby Morris, Kim Green ------------------------------------------Photography/ Artwork: , Gabriela Godinez, INSP.com, , ---------------------------------------------Thank You For Reading Streetvibes And Supporting Our Mission To Build Community And Advocate Justice. Streetvibes and The Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition do not endorse candidates for public office. �No. 39 | Nov 19, 2- N o v 19, 2 0 18 Aug 5 3- Sept 2019 | No. 415 3 HOMELESSNESS Climate Change Is Already Amplifying the Affordable Housing Crisis Jared Brey Next City W hen Hurricane Michael tore through the Florida panhandle last October, it killed at least 43 people, caused an estimated $25 billion in damage, and destroyed thousands of homes. In Mexico Beach, Florida, where the storm made landfall and the damage was concentrated, nearly half the homes were destroyed and almost all of them were damaged. Many residents were still living in substandard housing six months after the storm, and competing for a shrunken pool of rental units with workers who had come to town to assist in the storm recovery, according to a report in The Washington Post. Other areas of Florida were already facing challenging housing shortages. And earlier this year, the state legislature once again pulled money from an affordable housing trust fund to pay for other programs, including disaster relief. Housing damage from extreme weather events like Hurricane Michael “further compounds the nationwide affordable housing crisis,” the Center for American Progress, the left-leaning D.C. think tank with close ties to the Democratic Party, wrote in a report released earlier this month called ‘A Perfect Storm: Extreme Weather as an Affordable Housing Crisis Multiplier’. “Efforts to address the devastating impacts of natural disasters … have thus far failed to consider the threat multiplier effect that more extreme weather and scarce supply of affordable housing has on frontline communities — those most likely to experience the worst and first climate impacts,” the report says. “Solutions that offer only temporary relief in the wake of disasters and/or are directed to wealthier households and homeowners will perpetuate the loss of affordable housing stock that, when damaged, is often demolished rather than rebuilt. Moreover, they will increase displacement, housing poverty, and homelessness.” Catastrophic weather events are becoming more frequent. In the last three years, for example, weather events like storms, floods, and wildfires that caused at least $1 billion in damage, adjusted for inflation, doubled the yearly average during the period between 1980 and 2018. “One of the reasons we wanted to write something like this was because, I think, people get caught up in thinking and hearing that climate change is some kind of distant threat,” says Heidi Schultheis, a co-author and senior policy analyst in the Poverty to Prosperity Program at CAP. “It feels a little bit intangible. We don’t see it affecting our day to day lives. We really wanted to bring home to people that this is not a distant threat. This is very much happening right now.” The report cites a March study from the National Low Income Housing Coalition which shows a nationwide shortage of 7 million housing units for low-income renters. That shortage disproportionately harms low-income communities of color and people with disabilities. Natural disasters not only exacerbate homelessness by destroying existing housing, but they also have outsized mental and physical health impacts on people who are already experiencing homelessness, the report says. The report, which was published six months after the United Nations Security Council held a discussion about climate change as a global “threat multiplier,” makes a number of recommendations for ways that the federal government as well as state and local policymakers can “build strong, healthy, fair, accessible, and affordable communities that are resilient to future climate change impacts.” Congress, for example, should direct HUD and FEMA to coordinate evacuation efforts and housing assistance in the wake of national disasters in racially equitable ways and in compliance with the Fair Housing Act, the report says. Congress should also expand federal funding for rental assistance and homelessness services programs, it says. In addition, leaders at the state, local, and federal levels should invest in climate resilient infrastructure and community development projects that don’t create displacement, while adopting design guidelines that account for greater extreme weather risks. Specifically, the Center calls on Congress to pass the Reforming Disaster Recovery Act of 2019, which would address the equitable disaster funding recommendations, and for HUD to fully implement the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which would require housing authorities to address local segregation. States and cities also need to acknowledge the increasing frequency of extreme weather events and plan for them, says Valerie Novack, the 2019 Portlight Fellow for the Center’s Disability Justice Initiative, and a co-author of the report. For many cities, damages from weather events that impact housing aren’t even big, headline-grabbing tropical storms or hurricanes, but more workaday floods or storms that can happen on a regular basis, Novack says. And governments also need to acknowledge the time it takes to recover from the biggest disasters. “If it really takes us a decade to recover, and these events aren’t going to slow down, then what’s the reality of the scope of recovery year to year?” Novack says. Heidi Schultheis says that while the authors didn’t conduct original research for the report, they sought to compile existing information in a way that emphasized the racial justice and disability justice aspects of the climate-change and affordable-housing challenges. “The people most impacted are really those with the least power,” Schultheis says. Guillermo Ortiz, a research assistant for energy and the environment at the Center for American Progress and lead author of the report, says the report is meant to build a case for federal action on the twin crises of climate change and affordable housing so that cities and states can respond more quickly and holistically to extreme weather events. “We can develop recommendations and solutions, but ultimately, we need political will here in D.C.,” Ortiz says. “Eventually folks on the ground are going to have to deal with these things one way or another, and we want to make sure they have the resources to act at the local level.” This article was originally published by Next City, a nonprofit news organisation whose journalism amplifies solutions and helps spread them from one city to the next city. Support its work at www.nextcity.org. Ten feet of water flooded nearly 20 percent of the neighborhood throughout the city of Minot, N.D., leaving more than 4,000 homes inundated by flooding Credit: Photo by Jesse Lopez THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �4 ADVERTISMENT THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED NAug o v 2 5- -NSept o v 19, 18 | |NNo. o . 393 19,2 02019 415 �N o. 39 Nov 219, - N2019 o v 19, 2 0 18 Aug 53-|Sept | No. 415 5 U.S NEWS Life on the Streets: The proliferation of private guards Helen Hill Street Roots P rivate security guards are ubiquitous these days. They silently survey the public in stores, on sidewalks, in schools, on campuses, in malls, at apartments and in hotel lobbies. For 20 years, Street Roots vendors have watched the proliferation of private security forces on our streets, and they have strong opinions about their actions in the community. Some vendors interviewed for this article expressed a sense of comfort and security when private guards are around. Others were frustrated at being told to move or threatened with arrest after months, or years, selling Street Roots at what they had understood was a legal post. Some said they think private guards overstep their jurisdiction when they remove people from sidewalks and doorways. Others said they think they target the homeless based on appearance, both inside stores and outside on public sidewalks. A few reported violent incidents in which they were physically threatened or harmed by guard patrols at night, with only their word to back them up. Private security guards do not wear body cameras. Brian Hibler said he feels the increased presence of private security whenever he’s in major stores, such as Fred Meyer or Safeway. “They follow me around when I walk in,” Hibler said. “It depends on how you are dressed, how you look that day, if you have a backpack. I was in Fred Meyer’s with my daughter yesterday, and I swear at least five were following us, and it was embarrassing and irritating, and we ended up not getting anything and just left. We didn’t like it at all. It’s not nice at all. We get profiled. If I wear a baseball cap and a backpack, I get followed. My daughter is 27. She has a good heart and doesn’t steal. She felt really embarrassed. “Maybe there is a better approach than throwing a bunch of security people at some of the problems that are going on within the stores,” Hibler said. “I believe the private security guards are pushing boundaries,” Tina Drake said. “They are going outside of their jurisdiction and their training, especially pushing people away from places they can legally be. I was recently at Target, where I used to sell (Street Roots) because they are under new security. Now I cannot stand on the street corner and sell there anymore. I got told to leave the other day, leave the sidewalk. I feel they are overstepping because they are pushing people away from places they can legally be. She was kind, but she told me I had to leave the area. I’ve been there for quite a few years.” Another vendor, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “Yesterday a friend and I had a conversation with a security guard outside Sisters of the Road. He was kind-hearted and said he wished he could help people instead of just carry out the law on private and public property. It just seemed like his heart was in the right place.” Belinda Estermeyer and John Kadubec are also supportive. Belinda said the security guards are basically “like hall monitors” in her apartment building. John Kadubec “never had a problem and is glad they are there. second – I happened to be walking by a garbage can – and the security guard stopped me and said, ‘You can’t be doing that here.’ I said, ‘Doing what?’ He said looking for cigarettes and taking them out of the garbage. I said I wasn’t; I just happened to turn my head and happened to look down. He was demanding my ID and said I would be trespassed off the property. They said they could restrain me until the police got there. I said I was just someone walking on the sidewalk; I didn’t touch anything. He laughed at us, and we turned around and walked away.” Vince Masielo said he’s had tough interaction with private security at Right 2 Dream Too, the city-sanctioned rights. If they threaten to sweep or remove you, tell them to get the real police, someone who actually has real authority in the area.” Sean Sheffield said he believes security guards are overstepping their bounds. “Their jurisdiction is only the property they are supposed to be on. If you are private security for an office building, outside that door, that’s not your jurisdiction. I’ve had encounters with them telling me I can’t be on a public sidewalk. I say to call the cops and we’ll decide who’s right on this one.” Roger Cavitt sells Street Roots at Powell’s City of Books downtown. “I’ve been on that side of the street Photo courtesy of Stephen Woods/Flickr/Creative Commons They keep everything in order,” he said. Stephanie has had very different experiences. “We were resting at Fred Meyers,” she said. “We had only been there for 20 minutes, and he (a private security guard) said I was disturbing the other customers. We had a shopping cart with our stuff we’d bought in it, but it was under a table, nowhere near anyone. He told us to get out of the building and demanded right there by the front door that we had to take all our belongings out of the shopping cart in just a couple minutes and be off the property. He didn’t let me grab a garbage bag to put it in. He said it was loitering. “Another time we were at Jantzen Beach. They have armed security,” Stephanie said. “I was walking down the sidewalk. I looked down for a establishment for people experiencing homelessness, located near the Moda Center. “The Moda Center has its own security, and big venues bring more private security, and if they don’t know about the homeless village, they can act aggressive and domineering,” Masielo said. “Sometimes you get good, honest people. Sometimes you get jerks. I’ve never been into anything physical. Others have and gotten hurt. “There’s a relationship between homeless and police, and that’s not the same as between homeless and private security,” Masielo added. “People should know you don’t have to ever say your name. They have no right to anything the police can lawfully get from you. You have to know the difference. Don’t be alone. Know your THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED for two years. Recently a guy started yelling at me – he initiates it – so this security guard walks over and tells me to move. I tell him I’m not moving because I am totally legal. We already measured it and everything. He called me a panhandler for selling the paper. He said he didn’t want me there. So I moved a block down. My attorney says just be quiet about it. I lost my spot. I was making a bunch of money. “I just notice what they do with homeless people. I see them chase them around. And they have a bias against black musicians; they say they are too loud, they have to leave. It’s the way they do it. They don’t do it with any respect. The white musicians play all day, whatever they want to do.” Courtesy of Street Roots / INSP. ngo �LOCAL 6 NAug ov 2 5 - -NSept o v 19, 18 | |NNo. o . 393 19,2 02019 415 The Community Issues Forum Kicks Off Its New Season At The Peaslee Neighborhood Center With A Focus on Citizen Organizing Bill Woods Contributing Writer The Community Issues Forum kicks off its new season on September 12th with a forum focusing on neighborhood organizing. A panel led by Joele Newman, Lead Organizer for the Peaslee Neighborhood Center, will discuss Peaslee's Equitable Development Rubric, tax abatement policy reform, the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, and "just cause eviction" policy. Normally held at Christ Church Cathedral, this session will take place at the Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 East 14th Street in Over-the-Rhine, at 12:00-noon, on that Thursday. Holding the Forum at Peaslee is fitting because of the Cathedral's strong ties to this neighborhood center in OTR. Long known for its diverse programs and services for neighborhood residents, Peaslee added community organizing to its mission when outside developments threatened the day to day lives of the people that it serves. Several years ago, Peaslee staff organized mothers and young people in a grassroots campaign that successfully stopped an upper-income housing development that would have eliminated the community's only basketball court and needed recreation and park space. Out of this organizing effort emerged the idea of the Equitable Development Rubric. The Rubric is essentially a set of guidelines for neighborhoods to use in measuring the impact a development would have on the health, safety, and livability of their areas. In the last six months, Peaslee has spoken to numerous groups about its design, and received support from several neighborhoods. Besides the Rubric, Peaslee works in coalition with the Homeless Coalition, the Legal Aid Society, and other grassroots groups to promote tax abatement reform, more equitable policies to guide eviction procedures, and funding for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Panelists will join forces with Joele Newman to inform Forum attendees about these efforts. Peaslee and the Homeless Coalition also just joined the new Citizens Organizing Round Table, an informal network aimed at promoting community organizing to assist average people to have a greater impact on government decision-making. The Round Table joins Christ Church Cathedral in sponsoring this Forum at Peaslee. This fall marks the 39th year of Community Issues Forums sponsored by Christ Church Cathedral. Free to the public, lunch can be purchased at the Forums that generally meet at noon every other Thursday from September to June. Although Forums cover a range of topics, they primarily focus on critical community issues and subjects that deal with social, economic, and political Justice. The Forum returns to Christ church Cathedral on Thursday September 19th at noon. Candidates for the Cincinnati School Board will make their cases for serving on this body. Initiatives to curb gun violence will receive Forum attention on October 3rd and October 17th, and a Halloween Forum on October 31st will focus on "The Horrors of Dark Money in Politics." The Revolution And Civil War in Spain Raya Contributing Writer The revolution and civil war in Spain in the 1930s represent a somewhat unique moment in history, when an incredible variety of political parties and programs were put to the test and given the opportunity to prove their worth. Further, the eventual victory of Franco’s fascist armies makes this a cautionary tale that ought to warn revolutionaries today against making the same mistakes as the Republican camp. The main political line inside the Republican camp, promoted by the Communist Party (PCE) and the Socialist Workers Party (PSOE), was the Popular Front. It was this political line, sanctified by the Stalinized Comintern, that did more than any other to ensure the defeat of the Republic and the victory of fascism. This fatal error was reinforced by the refusal of the anarchists, organized in the CNT and FAI, to take power and form a revolutionary government when given the opportunity. The Stalinist, reformist, and anarchist approaches to the civil war and revolution in Spain all failed, and we believe studying the reasons for those failures is of great relevance for revolutionaries today. The Popular Front was a multiclass formation that sought to unite all “progressive” and “democratic” forces in the struggle against Franco—the price of which was the abandonment and/or indefinite postponement of revolutionary aims. In practice, it meant putting the revolution “on hold” in order to fight the civil war “first.” But civil war is ultimately a class war, and to emerge victorious, the working class can rely only on its own revolutionary methods and organizations. This alliance of sections of the left with the liberal bourgeois—or rather, with the pale shadow of the liberal bourgeois, most of whom had no scruples supporting Franco if the alternative was workers’ power—undermined the war effort at every turn. As no inroads against private property of any kind could be tolerated by these politicians, the Republic fought with its hands tied behind its back and took the working class down with it. As an example, the Popular Front refused to take revolutionary measures for the confiscation and redistribution of the land, leading the pro-Republican peasantry to feel as though it had little to fight for. This was a missed opportunity to break the back of Franco’s forces by giving both his soldiers and those living in fascist-controlled areas a powerful incentive to revolt. The government also refused to support self-determination for the Spanish colony of Morocco, which allowed Franco’s forces to use it as a key power base, which could have been crippled by a strong independence movement there. Additionally, it is impossible to know how many lives were wasted by the Popular Front policies of keeping weapons needed on the front lines back in the rear— for use in repressing the revolutionary workers—and denying adequate supplies to the revolutionary militias that proved to be among the most determined anti-fascist fighters. What is known is how quickly the “Republican” bourgeois capitulated to Franco and how demoralized the Popular Front left the revolutionary workers and peasants. The road not taken, the only path to victory in the revolution, was to form a proletarian united front, embrace the class nature of the war, and rally all the oppressed and exploited sections of society in the struggle for their own liberation. The Spanish Revolution also showed the anti-revolutionary aspects of the anarchist insistence on the “abolition of the state”—in the abstract—as the primary task. Faced with an actual revolution and the opportunity to take power in order to transform society, the Spanish anarchists refused. Claiming to be against all types of state organization, the CNT/FAI leaders showed themselves in practice to be against only such governments as would advance the revolution. In the Catalan capital of Barcelona, Lluis Companys flatly informed the CNT/ FAI that power was in their hands if they choose to wield it—and was met by the anarchists’ refusal to match the power they had obtained in the streets with governmental power. Instead, the CNT opted to leave the Catalan government in office, tacitly offering consent to its anti- THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED revolutionary policies. Later, anarchist theory notwithstanding, the CNT went from merely consenting to the government to actively participating in it as the CNT ministers joined the Popular Front government. If the CNT/ FAI anarchists had moved to form a revolutionary government and aligned with the POUM to dismantle the Popular Front and wage a revolutionary war against the fascist tide, their victory would have been assured. Of course, if they had done so, they would not have been anarchists and would have had to accept that the revolutionary dictatorship of the proletariat is a necessary stage in the socialist transformation of society after all. In his article, “The Lessons of Spain: Last Warning,” Trotsky wrote: “A new generation of revolutionists is now being educated by the lessons of the defeats. This generation has verified in action the ignominious reputation of the Second International. It has plumbed the depths of the Third International’s downfall. It has learned how to judge the Anarchists not by their words but by their deeds. It is a great inestimable school, paid for with the blood of countless fighters!” The defeat of the Spanish Republic was the result of the classcollaborationist policies of its leaders and the absence of a powerful Bolshevik party to offer an alternative. This should serve as a lesson to revolutionaries today and ensure that the mistakes of the past are never repeated. �NAug o. 395 3 -| Sept Nov 219, - N2019 o v 19,| No. 2 0 18415 LOCAL 7 The Cincinnati Health Department and UC Health Team Up to Expand Access to Healthcare Services to Meet the Needs of the Avondale Community Health Department City of Cincinnati T he Cincinnati Health Department (CHD), in partnership with UC Health, is proud to announce the opening of a new 19,000 sq. ft. fullservice healthcare facility in the heart of the Avondale neighborhood. The Ambrose H. Clement Health Center is an anchor project embedded within the Avondale Town Center development and the direct result of the growing demand for additional services in the community. Constructed by The Community Builders, and jointly operated by CHD and UC Health, the facility at 3559 Reading Rd. will serve the healthcare needs of the Avondale community and provide access to first-class, culturally competent care within walking distance for residents of the neighborhood. Services will include adult medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/ gynecology, mental health services, pharmacy, WIC and health insurance enrollment assistance, and laboratory services. “Our partnership with UC Health allows us to bring primary care services closer to Avondale and our surrounding communities, and will continue to work closely with them to meet the healthcare needs of the general population as well as the underserved,” stated Commissioner Melba R. Moore, MS, CPHA, Cincinnati Health Department. The new location and additional space allow for more exam rooms, better space for the delivery of team-based integrated care, nutrition education and other parenting classes, and the opportunity to work with many more families and provide more services. “This community needs more high-quality care for both kids and adults. We are finding that families are more anxious, more depressed, more sedentary, and less interactive than they were just a decade ago,” added Commissioner Moore. “We see families in despair, hungry, and without their basic needs being met every day. The rate of food insecurity, substance abuse disorder, infant mortality, obesity, depression, suicide and anxiety are growing at alarming rates, and we have to take action to help our community members.” There are several physicians and mental health providers at the new facility, which will allow for more children and families to be seen. The Cincinnati Health Department will staff the health center with family nurse practitioners Katherine Redman, MSN, APRN-CNP, FNP-BC and Lauren Gering, APRN, FNP-BC. UC Health clinicians will staff the health clinic. They include: • UC Health Obstetrics & Gynecology: William J. Moravec, MD; Clinque Davis, CNP • UC Health Primary Care/ Psychiatry: Robert Pulliam, MD • UC Health Psychiatry: Jackie Collins, MD; Maria Espinola, PsyD; Stephen Benoit, PhD, MA, LPCC “UC Health is proud to partner with the Cincinnati Health Department to improve the physical and economic health of the communities we serve,” said Richard P. Lofgren, MD, UC Health president & CEO. “We have heard loud and clear that we must ensure broader access to care and must address health disparities. This new health center will provide first-in-class, culturally competent care within walking distance for residents.” In 2018, the Cincinnati Health Department increased overall annual patient volume to 58,754 patients and over 115,103 total patient visits. Of those, 15,011 were referrals, 68 percent were insured, and 178,964 total number of prescriptions were filled. “At UC Health, we believe that access to quality healthcare is an important building block that helps our community prosper, grow and thrive,” said Nita Walker, MD, senior vice president of ambulatory services for UC Health. “This new health center will grow our capacity to meet the needs of more patients who need healthcare. It will also allow us to further integrate physical and behavioral health services, which is so necessary to truly address the community’s needs. I am confident that this health center will be a valuable resource that will serve people for years to come.” Prior to the relocation, the Clement facility had been located at the corner of Burnet Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive for the past five years. Why Don’t Cincinnatians Ride The Bus? Andy Shenk Contributing Writer So often, in conversations with well-meaning friends, I get blank looks when I tell them I ride the bus. For much of Cincinnati, our bus system is a mystery. Sure, everyone has seen Metro buses on the street, but riding one is inconceivable. I listened to a podcast a few years ago that was discussing public transportation in Cincinnati and specifically Metro. I'll never forget what one of the hosts said, "I don't even know where most of Metro's routes go!" Coming from someone who lives in the city, and would identify as an urbanist, I knew that his ignorance was only the tip of the iceberg in our city. I'll be the first to admit that it took some time to learn Metro's system. The 19 and 24, which run identical routes from Government Square before splitting at the intersection of Vine and MLK, are horribly confusing. The numbers do not align geographically. In fact, there is no rhyme or reason whatsoever to the numbering system, with the 6, 21, 32, and 33 serving the West Side and the 1, 4, 11, and 43 serving East Side neighborhoods. The 64 starts at Glenway Crossing and takes a staggering 65 minutes to reach Government Square, while the 46 begins at the Zoo before snaking through Avondale and almost every point in Uptown on its way downtown. But when you don't have a car, which is far more common in Cincinnati than many would like to admit, you figure out how to ride the bus pretty quickly. I started by trying to memorize the route schedule on the 1, the first bus I rode regularly when I moved to town. After a few years, I transitioned to the Google Maps app on my phone, which calculates bus schedules in an instant and makes improvisational bus riding much easier. By now, when I'm Uptown, I know exactly where the 17, 19, 24, 31, 43, 46, 51, 78, and Metro*Plus go and which one is my best bet, depending on the schedule and how far it is to walk. It's an amazing sense of freedom to hop off the 21 in Westwood and know a 20-minute walk north will bring me to the 64. Sometimes, after a Xavier game in Norwood, instead of waiting for a 4 stuck in traffic on Montgomery, I enjoy a leisurely walk up Woodburn to the intersection with Gilbert, where I catch the 4 home. I know that I'm privileged. Now a stay-at-home dad, I don't have to worry about being late to work because of a delayed bus or missed transfer. I'm not trying to drop a kid at daycare early in the morning before doing it over again in the afternoon. As someone who lives downtown, I don't have to choose between riding a crosstown bus that comes once or twice an hour or taking the much longer trip to Government Square for a transfer. Those are the downsides of Metro's underfunded system, something the Better Bus Coalition is trying to change. But even without any improvements, it drives me crazy when I see people driving places they could ride by bus and save on stress and parking. Unless THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED it's after midnight, the bus is almost always the best option between Uptown and Downtown. Urban neighborhoods like Walnut Hills, East Walnut Hills, East Price Hill, Clifton, Mt Auburn, and Northside have good to excellent bus service. How many new residents moving into the city, not to mention long-time residents, even consider the bus? Imagine if Cincinnatians' were as comfortable with Metro's bus routes as they are driving the headache-inducing street grid? In fact, considering how stressful driving here can be, learning about the alternatives seems like an obvious choice. Why is it again that so many Cincinnatians don't ride the bus? Submitted By: Carey L. Biron Rachel Savage Rebecca Rosman Nadia Kanji Vassilis Triandafyllou Lisa Mauch Angela Hursh Kenneth Weartz Andy Shenk �FEATURED 8 N o v 25--N o v 19, 0 18 | |NNo. o . 393 Aug Sept 19,22019 415 Barriers and Belonging Gates Blocking off the public CRC property and sidewalk. Photo by Dr. Mark Mussman Dr. Mark Mussman Staff Writer T here’s nothing more special than a sense of belonging. When we grow up, we may have a small family or a large one, and we can enjoy the feeling of being part of something larger. Being a part of a family may bring us feelings of warmth, kinship, and security. Family may mean spending Sundays with your cousins growing up, or participating in family outings that create life-long memories. Once we are thrust from the nest, we are forced to create new connections through school, religion, work, and community life. When someone knows your name, remembers you, gives you an indication that they have been following your work, there is certainly a sense of pride. You want to work harder, make yourself known, and contribute to the positive events in your community. You’d do anything for your family, to make sure they feel that they are loved, while setting sensible boundaries. But what happens when you are rejected by your family? We know that LGBTQ youth are more likely to be rejected by their families, which leads them into homelessness. Homelessness during the teenage years means instability, and difficulty participating in typical teen things, such as sports, music, theater, school. All of those memories are shuffled together with thoughts of survival and, perhaps, even suicide. Rejection means that our youth are being approached for survival sex; they are being mistreated, and they are experiencing life-lasting trauma even before their 18th brithday. In a matter of hours, after being rejected from their families and put out on the street, the effects of PTSD begin to rewire their brains, hardening a once open and elastic mind, and create a heightened state of fight, flight, or freeze. Family rejection is perhaps one of the most cruel things that anyone can experience, simply because it is from your own kind, your own family. But what if the kind of rejection we experience comes from the world around us? LGBTQ folks have long experienced rejection, so we’ve learned to create our own communities. From the gay bars, community centers, art organizations, to house parties, tea dances, and bath houses, LGBTQ folks have been forced to find our community outside of the mainstream. The simple matter of being excluded from typical contracts (like marriage) for so long, has created a separate way in which we see the world - a world that is wrought with rejection and displacement. Rejected from our families, our social groups, our political, educational, and economic communities, we sought new ways to relate and conceptualize the world. It has also led to higher rates of drug use, risky sex, and suicide. While many of the barriers that LGBTQ people face are structural, the fight continues for inclusion and appreciation of the views and experiences that we have. As an individual, each of us wants to bring our gifts to the world in our own way, but barriers may prevent us from fully participating in society. LGBTQ people have had to go underground because of the danger that society has posed, which is why “visibility” has become such a buzzword. Everyone needs to be seen as part of society, not shamed for just existing. So, what does it look like when we apply a lens of rejection to race in Cincinnati. Does it look like underfunded schools that are 99% Black? Does it look like Black average income is half of white average income? Does it look like a city with no upward mobility for Black residents? Does it look like 1000 Black residents forced out of Cincinnati each year? Does it look like the denial of access to high quality health resources to Black residents? Does it look like a 20-year difference in life expectancy for Black and white residents? Does it look like disparate treatment by the police? It looks like all of these things and more, but the actual physical barriers that exclude people of color from participating in society are disturbing, to say the least. Fencing outside of a bar and restaurant divides consumers and pedestrians using the same sidewalk. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �N o. 39 Nov 219, - N2019 o v 19, 2 0 18 Aug 53- |Sept | No. 415 FEATURED 9 Findlay Playground fenced off to create an income generating space. Photo by Dr. Mark Mussman If you’ve been following Streetvibes over the past year, you have seen a couple of articles relating to Findlay Playground, also known as Findlay Park. It is at Five Points on the northern border of Over-the-Rhine, at the intersection of Findlay, McMicken, and Vine Streets. The park currently has a fence around it, closing it off from use. This fence has been up for almost a year, yet the progress around the reopening of the park has been very slow. A preliminary report draft has emerged with spurious content. The Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) should be charged with neglect and dereliction of duties due to its inability to deliver on its promise to provide the space that we publically own to the public. Due to Cincinnati Police Department (CPD) pressure, without the input of people who use the park, and without the approval of the Over-the-Rhine Community Council (OTRCC), the CRC put a fence around the park. CPD made bold, baseless claims that every person who uses the park is a criminal, and it is only used for criminal activity, yet children and families used the playground daily. A fence went up. This is a good place to point out that the word “gentrification” simply means displacement. One group of people is displaced for another group. Closing Findlay Park is both an act of violence by removing people from a public space, but is also a tactic of gentrification. Model Group bought the block behind the park and has already leased the public alleyway between the block and the park, and put a locked gate and fence around the alleyway. (You may remember that Model Group pushed out many people on the blocks surrounding Findlay Park, all of them were Black people who lived there for many years, and many of them over 65 and on fixed incomes.) Model Group had a specific vision to bring affluent white people into the Findlay Market area, including their own family members. In this vision, they revamp the park to push out Black people who may live in poverty. They don’t want to even see them. So, what started with a questionable police report on the park, leading to a fence going up and slight modifications to the park, has finally led to a park-like gathering just a block south on Republic at Green Street. At that intersection, Model Group’s Brickstone (perhaps now POAH controlled), Cornerstone Renter Equity, and the Over-the-Rhine Rec Center abut each other. The Rec Center has a second floor overhang, which is great for people trying to avoid a rainstorm that passes through. People who live near the corner enjoy hanging out with people who were displaced from Findlay Park. Each day this summer, it has been a joyful place, where people listen to music, talk with each other, and enjoy the day. Personally, I walk through there regularly, and often I leave with a hug and smile, an acknowledgment. It is a park-like setting for those who were displaced. This past month, crowd control fencing went up around the CRC and Cornerstone, blocking off the public sidewalks and parts of the publicly controlled Rec center property. This is in direct violation of human rights, and may even violate city ordinances. But, no matter what the legality or morality of the fencing, it sends a very clear message - you are not welcome, you are a nuisance, and you don’t deserve a place in this community. At the last Over-the-Rhine Community Council Meeting, the police officer said the fence went up because “people gather there,” not because of issues of crime, not because there was violence, simply because they exist. “If you are Black and poor in Cincinnati, there is no place for you here.” This is the message that these gates send. To think about this more deeply, contrast these gates with the bar outcroppings that take up the sidewalk on almost every street in the neighborhood. The corrals designed to keep wealthy drinkers inside the business clash with the barriers put on the sidewalk to keep people out. This is what gentrification looks like, and the violence of it; the rejection, and the racism, contribute to PTSD. Combine PTSD with the isolation that the barriers actively are trying to achieve, and you will have higher drug use, risky sexual practices, violence, and suicide. Rejection has a long-lasting effect, and until we remove the barriers that prevent people from belonging, we will be actively harming our Space blocked off behind the rec center so that no one can use it. Photo by Dr. Mark Mussman THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �10 GLOBAL N o v 25--N o v 19, 0 18 | |NNo. o . 393 Aug Sept 19,22019 415 Bees: How Important Are They And What Would Happen If They Went Extinct? Philip Donkersley The Conversation B ees – including honey bees, bumble bees and solitary bees – are very important because they pollinate food crops. Pollination is where insects move pollen from one plant to another, fertilising the plants so that they can produce fruit, vegetables, seeds and so on. If all the bees went extinct, it would destroy the delicate balance of the Earth’s ecosystem and affect global food supplies. There are more than 800 wild bee species within Europe, seven of which are classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as critically endangered. A further 46 are endangered, 24 are vulnerable and 101 are near threatened. While it’s unlikely that all bee species will be wiped out anytime soon, losing these threatened species would still have a big impact on pollination around the world, wiping out plant species, some of which we rely on for our food. But the problem goes far beyond bees. In fact, honeybees are responsible for only one third of crop pollination and a very small proportion of the wild plant pollination. There are a diverse range of other insects including butterflies, bumblebees and small flies that do the rest of the work – and it looks like these insects are in trouble too. A recent study suggests that as many as 40 per cent of the world’s insect species are in decline. Insects are facing extinction rates that are eight times higher than vertebrates. In Germany, scientists have recorded losses of up to 75 per cent of the total mass of insects in protected areas. These trends lead scientists to believe that about a third of all insect species – that’s nearly 2m – may be threatened with extinction. And that figure is growing by over 100,000 species every year. Yet hard data on threatened insect species is lacking, with only 8,000 records actually assessed by the IUCN. Here’s a rundown of what scientists believe to be the top causes of declines in insect diversity and abundance. Invasive species Invasive predators, parasites and disease-causing bacteria called “pathogens” have been blamed for the collapse of honeybee colonies around the world. Recently, the spread of the Asian Hornet in Europe has caused great concern. This species preys on honey bees, and a single hornet is capable of killing an entire hive. There is some evidence that wild bees in North America have declined in the face of fungal and bacterial diseases. Of course, in the past bees have coexisted with these pathogens. The fact that scientists have seen more bees lost to these diseases in recent times is probably linked with the bees’ increased exposure to pesticides, which can damage their immune systems. Pesticides Pollution – particularly from exposure to pesticides – is a key cause of pollinator decline. There are three types of chemical pesticide widely used in the UK: insecticides targeting insect pests, fungicides targeting fungal pathogens of crops and herbicides targeting weeds. Insecticides contain chemicals that can kill pollinators, so they’re clearly a threat. But they may not be the greatest problem pollinators experience. Herbicides are actually used five times as much in farming as insecticides. These weed killers target a huge variety of the wild plants that bees need to forage. Environmentally-friendly farming schemes recommend planting wildflower strips on the edge of crops, to provide safe refuge and food sources for pollinators. Yet drifting clouds of herbicide from growing fields can contaminate these wildflower strips. The most cutting-edge research suggests glyphosate (the most commonly used weed killer) can impact the gut microbes of bees, which can have devastating implications for their health. Although exposure to herbicides and pesticides used by farmers is likely to be one of the main causes of pollinator decline, the chemicals used by city authorities and civilian gardeners might also be harming bees and other insects. So, for the bees’ sake, it’s best to avoid using them where possible. Climate change Global warming is believed to be a major driver of wild bee declines. Some wild bees can only survive in a narrow range of temperatures. As their habitats get warmer, the places where they can live grow smaller. For example, some might be forced to live at higher Photo by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED altitudes, where it’s cooler, reducing the space they have to live in. Habitat destruction The way land is farmed has been associated with declines in biodiversity and pollination. Farming destroys the kinds of spaces that bees use to nest, it takes away the diversity of food that bees use to forage on and it even has wider impacts on other animals like wild birds, mammals and amphibians. While countless insect species are currently going extinct, those that remain are taking their place, so it’s unlikely that crops will stop being pollinated any time soon. Generalist species such as the bufftailed bumblebee, the European honey bee and common small black flies, which can survive in a huge range of temperatures and conditions, will become the main species pollinating our food sources, while rarer, more specialist species will decline. But as generalist species move in to take the place space left by the losses of specialists, and complex ecosystems become dominated by a couple of generalists, the whole system becomes far more susceptible to a single sudden change. Insects form the base of many intricate food webs, their decline will result in a complex cascade of impacts on vertebrates, threatening ecological stability. Philip Donkersley is a senior research associate in entomology at Lancaster University Courtesy of The Conversation / INSP.ngo �N o. 39 Nov 219, - N2019 o v 19, 2 0 18 Aug 53- |Sept | No. 415 GLOBAL 11 Mexican Women Are Angry About Rape, Murder And Government Neglect – And They Want The World To Know Luis Gómez Romero, María de la Macarena Iribarne González Reuters W earing green bandannas and dousing police in pink glitter, last month Mexican women staged a furious protest in Mexico City after a 17-yearold girl reported being raped by four police officers. Officials have sent mixed signals about ongoing investigations of the case, and Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum triggered fury among feminists when she said there would be no “fabrication of suspects.” The alleged police rape has hit a nerve in Mexico, where women face extremely high rates of violence and incessant catcalling. Another teen girl was reported being raped by a Mexico City policeman days before the women’s march, which drew an estimated 2,000 people and included both violent property destruction and wrenching tributes to Mexico’s missing women and girls. With 1,812 women murdered between January and July this year – about ten a day – Mexico is Latin America’s second-most dangerous country for women, after Brazil, according to the United Nations. More than 200 Mexican women have been kidnapped so far in 2019. Yet Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador – who was elected last year in a landslide with a progressive gender agenda and promises to “transform” Mexico – has not followed through on promises to expand women’s rights. In fact, his administration has rolled back some the few federal policies designed to protect and empower Mexican women. Women in the workplace Under austerity measures meant to curb public spending, the Mexican government in February ended an internationally lauded day care program that allowed low-income families to sign up for state-subsidized child care close to their workplace or home. Rather than pay subsidies to this network of private day care facilities, the Mexican government now gives vouchers worth about US$80 every two months directly to families. Each family may now decide whether to send their children to day care or pay “a sister, an aunt or a grandma,” López Obrador said in a February press conference, giving parents more choice in their child care. The suggestion that female relatives should care for Mexico’s children infuriated women’s groups and human rights organizations in Mexico. In a joint statement, 17 civil society groups said the new policy would “strengthen gender streotypes” and “promote discrimination and gender inequality.” It reminded the president that women do 70 per cent of all domestic work in Mexico and that grandmothers already care for 50% of all young children not in their parents’ care. Mexico’s subsidized child care network, which has served 2 million children since it was established in 2007, has been successful in enabling more women to work outside the home. According to a 2017 government evaluation, the day care network had relieved 1,825,394 parents of child care duties for 34 hours a week over the past decade. A significant percentage of the communities served by the day care network were either very poor or home to a predominately indigenous population, according to the U.N. Women were the primary beneficiaries. Mothers who used government subsidized day care were 18% more likely to have gotten a job between 2007 and 2017 compared to those who did not receive government-subsidized child care, according to a government program evaluation. Even so, Mexico still has the second-lowest female participation in the workforce among developed countries, behind Turkey. Only 4 out of 10 women are employed outside the home. Defunding women’s shelters The Mexican government disappointed feminists again when the government announced in March that it would additionally slash funding for women’s shelters and instead give the money directly to victims of domestic violence. Worldwide, women are most likely to be murdered by a male partner and may be unsafe in their own homes, making shelters a vital sanctuary. In Mexico, the number of women stabbed or strangled at home rose 54 per cent between 2012 and 2016. In March 2019, the same month the cuts were announced, Mexican police received 56,590 reports of domestic violence – a 16 per cent increase over February 2019. The plan to stop funding women’s shelters funding was met with immediate and fierce backlash. Women take part in a protest called "They Don't Protect Me, They Rape Me" to demand safety in the city and justice for two teenage girls who, according to local media, were apparently raped by policemen, in Mexico City, Mexico, August 16, 2019. Picture taken, August 16, 2019. REUTERS/Mariana Greif THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Advocates for victims of domestic violence warned that cutting shelter funding would expose women and children to even more danger. Public uproar forced López Obrador to retreat. “The women’s shelters will remain,” he said on 7 March, announcing a new plan to expand the Mexican government’s role in the “protection, attention, punishment and eradication of violence against women and girls.” Women’s shelters have nonetheless seen substantial budget cuts under the government’s austerity measures. News reports in June revealed that 29 per cent of Mexico’s 81 publicly funded domestic violence shelters received no federal funding at all for the second half of the year. Women’s rights ‘not a priority’ López Obrador, a leftist firebrand who won the Mexican presidency in a landslide, remains very popular eight months into his six-year term. To quell criticism that it doesn’t care about women, his administration in late May announced the launch of a European Union and United Nations program in Mexico to eliminate violence against women. The investment of €7 million, or about $7.7 million, is called the Spotlight Initiative. It will target three Mexican states with high rates of violence against women: Mexico state, Chihuahua and Guerrero. The EU program’s goals are to design public spaces that are safer for women, facilitate women’s access to justice and protection services and to “fundamentally change the perception of women within their families and in society.” A spokesperson for the European Union told the Spanish newspaper El País that López Obrador initially rejected this initiative because gender “was not a priority” for his government. After the Mexico City women’s march, López Obrador defended his government’s dedication to women’s issues. “That’s our main issue – to guarantee the safety of men and women,” he said. The president also criticized demonstrators for defacing a famous monument with feminist slogans. He urged Mexican women to protest in a “responsible way, without violence,” and to “protect the cultural and artistic patrimony of Mexico.” Luis Gómez Romero is a senior lecturer in human rights, constitutional law and legal theory at the University of Wollongong. María de la Macarena Iribarne González is a lecturer at the school of law at the University of Wollongon. Courtesy of The Conversation / INSP.ngo �12 STREETVOICE Have I Forgot What Love Is About I wonder is that a true statement or is it that I have been looking in the wrong place. Like when you think you have her but she keeps on saying “we are just going to be friends” and she could have said friends before lovers. But how long can that last when you in your pockets and you don’t mind giving her this on that, like she is your woman. Do you start thinking like everybody play the fool sometimes, and you start thinking in the back of your mind, in your heart, and soul that she is thinking “I got his nose wide open.” If I was a truck driven I could make a u turn and she still Bills Here come another one, Just like the other one, Bills Work hard today Pay a bill tomorrow It's tiresome, And you still have to borrow Can't save anything for tomorrow come back to me. Now don’t get me wrong like I can’t Bills, everyone has them see this, cause I do. I even tell her “when the well run dry Some, live on the streets don’t blame me,” but I feel that she think that is not going to happen but like I have told her several times I am not going to keep on beating my head against the wall. Well guess what, while I was writing this I just hit pay dirt. It might hurt me but enough is enough maybe it was the light I needed to see to bring me out of this madness and all I can say is thank God. Will I go back again? I don’t think so, under no circumstance. You know God know my heart and he know it is good. Maybe I had to go through this but when the smoke clears and I can see the forest for the tree I know I am out of the woods. A lesson well learned but won’t happen again and I hope what I have shared will give you food for thought. Don’t do like I did cause if you do you will be just as miserable. Good luck in love wherever you find it. Lee McCoy Contributing Writer Streetvibes Distributor Nov 5 2 -- Sept N o v 19, 0 18 || No. N o . 415 393 Aug 19, 22019 To do without them The rich, the poor Everyone, needs a little bit more Rent, phone, electric bills, And micellaneous, It's all so strenuous, It's all so strenuous Bill collectors call and say, Are you gonna make a payment today? Don't you wish your bills would go away? Then we could all have a happier day. Kim Green ContributingWriter Streetvibes Distributor Streetvibes Writing Circle If you would like to submit a story for publication in streetvibes, come join Katelyn Lusher, Chris Wilkey, and Alex McIntosh for a group writing session! THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 39 | Nov19, 2 - 2019 N o v 19, 2 0 415 18 Aug 5 -3Sept | No. Home At Last 13 STREETVOICE Those are words used by so many at the end of a day Those are good words until you find that in your home you can't stay After being homeless for five years and fighting for the anna louis inn Finding a apartment starting my life over i thought my fight was over then I began to see old building being reconstructed granting jobs for so many To see new restaurants all over town i figured it was a good thing to eat plenty I began to see people being moved out of their homes where they'd lived for years Doesn't mater whether you blind, cripple or crazy you have no say so my dear Then i saw how expensive restaurants were i went to wendys and they were gone I saw beer brewys on every corner, parking lots for their customers i got scared Then the demolish of the store next door to me gave me the sense to get prepared After standing up for the rights of so many i'm ready to stand up for my rights I just found out that my home had been sold years ago now i am ready to fight Still not understanding the politics, city or government policies and rules I just see the poor being move out of the riches way and i feel it's cruel The point is not that the buyers of your home is paying for your move an packing That was easy but wonder when they'll be back to move you again packing So i trying to find a home where i will be safe with no fears of a changing world With no control over these changes other than to protest and shout out loud I put it all in the hands of god and know and believe he has a plan for this cloud Now i can't believe home at last for i don't know how long my home will be mines To be home alone we all need to put all faith an trust in god let him read between the lines THE NO MITTENS NEEDED MOTHER GOOSE The three little kittens, They lost their mittens, But then they did not cry. They knew climate change Made the weather strange, And December like July. BILL WOODS Contributing Writer Willa D. Jones Contributing Writer Streetvibes Distributor THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �PUZZLES 14 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 108 Across Down 1. Stalk 1. Male red deer 5. Possessed 2. Long hollow cylinder 8. Scorch 3. Panache 12. Bulbous plant 4. Stingy hoarder 14. Female animal 5. Part of a shoe 15. Desire 6. Veneration 16. Humiliate 7. Style of glazed 17. Snakelike fish earthenware 18. Building offering lodging 8. Black bird and meals 9. Detest 19. High ranking officer 10. Report or maintain 21. Ornate manner of speaking 11. Depend 23. Relieve from 13. Danger 24. Rapid active commotion 15. Part of a song 25. Mediterranean fruit tree 20. Worship 28. Deposit of valuable ore 22. Illuminated 30. Disorderly fighting 24. Sultry 35. Part of the eye 25. Number one 37. Let for money 26. Very angry 39. Beauty shop 27. Presumption 40. Rant 29. Depression in a surface 41. Come after 31. Grains of rock or coral 43. Small semi-aquatic 32. Slumber salamander 33. Further down 44. Warhorse 34. Way in 46. Change direction 36. Outstanding tournament 47. Cervid player 48. Bid 38. Divot 50. A great distance 42. Represent as if in 52. Inquire in a meddlesome a play way 45. Ten years 53. A small compartment 49. Color 55. Crib 51. Cook by dry heat 57. Bluster in an oven 61. Steadfast 54. Venue 65. Speedy 56. Private instructor 66. Actor's prompt 57. Boast 68. Took without consent 58. Complain bitterly 69. Part of a church 59. Part of a church 70. Employ 60. Despicable 71. Sum 61. Ooze 72. Mirth 62. Short letter 73. Deplete 63. Group related by 74. Rip blood or marriage N o v 25-- N o v 19, 0 18 || N o . 393 Aug Sept 19,22019 No. 415 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 3- EASY 64. Contained 67. Country, initially PUZZLE SOLUTIONS CROSSWORD #107 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 2- EASY PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 39 Nov 2 - N2019 o v 19, 2 0 18 Aug 5 3- |Sept 19, | No. 415 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 NAug o v 222 - N- oSept v 19,5, 20 18 | |NNo. o . 393 2019 414 S treetvibes is distributed by individuals who purchase the paper for 75 cents per copy and sell it for a $2.00 donation, keeping the profit they have earned. Becoming a Distributor is a great way for individuals who are financially poor to get back on (or stay on) their feet. This program provides supplemental income for those unable to secure other employment. Money earned helps meet basic housing, food and health care needs. The program is a hand up for people who are often in a place of getting only a hand out, or even no hand at all. All Distributors wear a badge and usually a vest and can be found selling the paper in Downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northside, Northern Kentucky and at area churches. ALFRED WOOLFOLK SINCE 10/2003 ASRES AYENAW SINCE 2012 BERTA LAMBERT SINCE 1997 BETTIE BAILEY SINCE 10/2017 BRANDON NELSON SINCE 4/2008 BRIAN ADAMS SINCE 7/2017 CHARLES WILLIAMS SINCE 7/2017 CHRISTOPHER KAIHATSU SINCE 7/2017 CLEO WOMBLES SINCE 10/2003 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 DARREL ROZIER SINCE 7/2017 DAVID MCCANE SINCE 2017 ERIC VALDEZ SINCE 2/2017 GERALD FRANKLIN SINCE 7/2017 GRADY COOK SINCE 1997 HENRY BRELAND SINCE 7/2017 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2000 JENNY BURTON SINCE 7/2017 JIMMIE GIPSON SINCE 2001 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 JOHN HORN JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 J’TORI TYMAN SINCE 5/2014 KIM NGUYEN SINCE 7/2017 KENNY BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 MARK SHEARS SINCE 4/2012 MAURICE GOLSBY MELISSA MOSBY SINCE 9/2014 MIKE CARANO SINCE 4/2016 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RICKY WOODS SINCE 4/2015 RICCARDO TAYLOR SINCE 1999 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 STACIA HOLLANDER SINCE 2017 STEPHANIE EAKES SINCE 7/2017 SYLVESTER WALKER SINCE 7/2017 TALINA HILL SINCE 2/2011 VICTOR MUMPHRY WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 WINNIE RICE SINCE 7/2017 QUEENACELASTINE SINCE 7/2017 TIA CASS SINCE 11/2007 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED TONY THOMAS SINCE 3/2005 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 VIOLET COLLINS SINCE 2017 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2019 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 5-September 19, 2019 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: A New School Year, The Same Stories Pg 3: Climate Change is Already Amplifying the Affordable Housing Crisis Pg 4: GCHC Pg 5: Life on the Streets Pg 6: The Revolution and Civil War in Spain Pg 7: Why Don’t Cincinnatians Ride the Bus? Pg 8: Barriers and Belonging Pg 9: Barriers and Belonging Continued Pg 10: Bees Pg 11: Mexican Women are Angry About Rape, Murder and Government Neglect Pg 12: Street Voice Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 5-September 19, 2019 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gabriela Godinez Bill Woods Lacy Wallace Peter Y. Sussman Felix Winternitz Nick Brown Dr. Mark Mussman Anuradha Nagaraj Roli Srivasta Carey L Biron Willa D. Jones Bobby Morris Kim Green INSP.com Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Anuradha Nagaraj Bees Bill Woods Bobby Morris Carey L Biron Cincinnati Civil War Climate Change Dr. Mark Mussman Felix Winternitz Findlay Park Gabriela Godinez Healthcare INSP.com Kim Green Lacy Wallace Mexico Murder Nick Brown Peter Y. Sussman Rape Roli Srivasta Spain University of Cincinnati Willa D. Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/ed4a34bbaa20b514f4e1ba3487577ba4.pdf 30483d019e30d56f3e8a46cd79a09502 PDF Text Text S E P T . 2 8 - O C T . 1 1 2 0 1 2 VOL.16 ISSUE 20 (No. 235) PAGE 11 PAGE 9 PAGE 3 facebook.com/streetvibes cincinnati PAGE 12 inspiring stories from around the world twitter.com/streetvibesnews 13 PAGE 10 streetvibes.wordpress.com �2 EDITORIAL Improperly Charged From the Director trust in the legislative process? Do you JOSH SPRING Executive Director Y ou’re driving down the interstate- the same route you’ve taken home from work for a decade. You’re going your normal 65 miles per hour. A State Trooper pulls behind you and turns on their lights. Confused, you pull over. You remember that you recently replaced your left brake light, so it must not be that. The Trooper walks up to the door and asks for your license and registration, you remember finances are tight for your family now and you really can’t afford a ticket. You hand over the demanded papers as you ask why you were pulled over- knowing you were not over the 65 miles per hour speed limit. The State Trooper says, “You were speeding.” You ask how that could be. The Trooper says, “You were going 65 in a 50.” You explain that you know the speed limit is 65 and you have been traveling this same route for ten years. The Trooper says, “There’s a sign half a mile back that says 50.” You express being surprised. You had not noticed the sign. A few weeks later when you have scraped up enough money, you pay the fine. Afterward you do some research and you find out that in fact the State Trooper, at the order of her superior painted and hung the sign dictating 50 mph just the day before. Furthermore you find out that this so called new speed limit law was never discussed by any legislative body, the general public never had the opportunity to voice opinions and no legislative body ever adopted the new rule. Additionally the government was never notified of the actions of the State Trooper’s office. Yet, you were charged with an offense and punished with a fine. How do you feel? Are you angry? Are you frustrated? Do you lose feel apprehensive about driving on area roads for fear of breaking rules you did not know exist and had no say in? This situation sounds either absurd or like a conspiracy we would see on a program like 20/20. But would you believe something very similar happened in Washington Park and in fact had the potential to happen throughout this city. Meet Park Rule 28. Park Rule 28 granted the Cincinnati Park Board the ability to have an employee erect a sign of any sort in any park at any time with any “rule” or “rules” on it. These “rules” would then be enforced by the Cincinnati Police Department as if they were laws. If you broke one of these “rules” you could receive a criminal charge, you could be fined, you could even be arrested. Park Rule 28 allowed for these “rules” to be posted without having been passed through any proper legislative process in which the Public had an opportunity to speak. We saw the consequences of this Park Rule 28 in Washington Park. After it re-opened, there was a laundry list of new rules, ones that were not consistent with the normal Park Board Rules. They were rules that specifically targeted people with low incomes and/or people experiencing homelessness. These rules were created via last minute emails between a couple of Park Board employees, one Police Department employee and a couple of 3CDC employees. In fact 3CDC, the private organization, created the final draft of the “rules” with input from the other two groups. The rules were not passed by the Park Board in an open public meeting; the new rules were not given to City Council or the City’s Law Department. Yet they were hung and enforced like laws. We connected three very concerned and affected people we know and work with, Jerry Davis of the Homeless Congress and Ann Brown Sept. 28-Oct.11, 2012 and Andrew Fitzpatrick of the People’s Platform for Equality and Justice with Civil Rights attorney Jennifer Kinsley. Jennifer, an expert in such issues, assisted the three people in filing suit against the Park Board, specifically calling out the unconstitutional nature of Park Rule 28. On September 20th the Park Board Photo: sodancapassion.blogspot.com voted to strike down Park Rule 28. cannot disregard that no significant The Park Board realized it did not effort was put in on the part of 3CDC have a winning case and could not to ensure that qualified people living stand up to the fight. They struck down near the Park had a positive opportuthe rule. This returned Washington nity to get work in the park. Fourth, Park specifically to normal Park Board we cannot disregard that nearly $50 rules. More importantly, this means million dollars was spent on 2 square that, now in the City of Cincinnati, blocks, as we have people sleeping rules for parks must be passed through under bridges. the Park Board in open public meetSpecifically to Park Rule 28. The ings, in which the Public has the opground-level consequence of Park Rule portunity to speak. Back door, biased 28 is that it allowed for the creation of rules can no longer be created simply rules meant to target certain people by posting a sign. because they are experiencing homeHow absurd is it that until Seplessness- rules that made it so food and tember 20th- it was actually the case clothing could not be distributed in that you could get a criminal charge for the park for example. We can never be breaking a rule that was never estabokay with a rule that is meant to negalished in any democratic fashion? Until tively target certain people because the 20th you could have been charged they are experiencing homelessness. with a criminal offense for breaking Even more importantly however, Park a rule a few people, over last minute Rule 28 circumvented democracy and emails, decided to paint on a sign and more to the point, circumvented the hang in a park. People. Park Rule 28 handed power to Some folks have looked at all this a few people that had enough money and said, “Oh Washington Park looks to have access to power. This is wrong. great, why do you all keep complainThe resulting terrible rules in ing?” First of all, we cannot disregard Washington Park were the consethe way in which the People in Overquences. We know that if we don’t stop the-Rhine were disregarded- the way it here, it will only get worse and we in which amenities People needed and will see more discriminatory “rules.” used were taken away despite outThanks to the three Plaintiffs and Ms. cry. Second we can’t disregard all the Kinsley, our city is more democratic negative and stereotyping arguments today than before September 20th. against people with low-incomes or people experiencing homelessness that -Josh Spring, LSW, Executive Director were made to convince others to pay for the park to be re- done. Third, we �Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2012 3 LOCAL Tavis Smiley and Cornell West’s Poverty Tour 2.0 Every Friday at Noon People’s Platform for Equality & Justice Peaslee Neighborhood Center Monday, October 8th 5PM Occupy Western & Southern, Support Anna Louise Inn 400 Broadway Saturday, October 12th 1-4PM YWCA’s What Women Want 2012 National Underground Railroad Freedom Center Friday, October 12th 1-4PM Drop Inn Center’s Mental Health Forum Health Foundation Thursday, October 18th Noon Homeless Coalition’s Annual Meeting Church of the Redeemer Thursday, October 18th 5:30-7:30 Over the Rhine Community Housing’s Celebrating Our Beloved Community Music Hall Photo: briggsandtort.com F rom September 1215, Tavis Smiley and Cornell West mounted their “Poverty Tour 2.0,” focusing on stops in key battleground states of the presidential election, including Ohio. Their purpose is JASON HAAP simple: to inject a Contributing Writer discussion of poverty into the political landscape - one that too frequently focuses on the mythical “Middle Class,” which, according to Smiley and West, has largely disappeared. “We expect that the forthcoming census data will reveal that poverty in America is not an abstraction,” said West in a press release. “Too many Americans are living hand to mouth. Basic needs such as living-wage jobs, food, clothing, medicine, and shelter cannot be ignored by the major parties during the upcoming political conventions, or by their respective nominees on the campaign trail.” Their tour hopes to draw attention to the millions upon millions of Americans experiencing poverty - those who have lost their “Middle Class” status, and who therefore are being ignored by both the Democrats and the Republicans. Tavis and Smiley predict that the new census report will show that half of all Americans are living in or near poverty. According to the website for “Cincinnati Works,” census data indicates that 316,000 adults and 167,000 children are living in poverty in the Cincinnati Tri-state area. Cincinnati actually ranks as one of the worst cities in the country for childhood poverty. Interestingly, according to the web page for Cincinnati USA, our region “ranks in the nation’s Top 10 markets for number of Fortune 500 headquarters per million residents, higher than New York, Boston, Chicago, or Los Angeles.” Some of these local companies have a strange way of interacting with the poor. Western and Southern has been trying to stop the Anna Louise Inn from helping abused women in a location where they want to build condos, and 3CDC has worked, in conjunction with the city, to put pressure on the Drop Inn Center to move from their current location - right in the middle of prime real estate for wealthy development. It’s still unclear if the Drop Inn Center will maintain their current location, or whether they will be tempted to upgraded facilities in a downgraded locale. Either way, the poverty wars are alive and well in Cincinnati, so efforts like those of Smiley and West are well-timed. Coincidentally, it appears an unnamed group of activists have been distributing flyers around town on this same theme (at least, if the very nonscientific measure of what appears on my doorstep means anything). The flyer investigates details about U.S. income, and ends with this proclamation – while making no direct calls for action: Saturday, October 20th 1-3PM Homeless Awareness March Location TBA Saturday, October 26th 6-9 p.m. Day by Day Calendar Launch & Exhibition Emery Theatre, 1112 Walnut Street Friday November 2nd 7 p.m. Faces without Places “Yellow Bus Ball” The Syndicate 18 East 5th Street Newport Kentucky 41072 513-549-3155 or www.faceswithoutplaces.org TBA December Homeless Coalition Annual Dinner If your organization is having an event, demonstration, etc. and you would it like it included on the Streetvibes calendar, please email with the details: streetvibes@cincihomeless.org “Some people are concerned as the 1% continually gain more power over governments, and own ever more of the media we depend on. The vast amount of money they pour into lobbying and political campaigns make it hard for our leaders to act in our interest rather than theirs. The 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations to make massive contributions to political campaigns greatly increases their power. The gaps continue to grow with no end in sight.” Perhaps this flyer is an answer to the call put forth by Smiley and Tavis. The time is now to start thinking and talking seriously about poverty - as a community, and as a nation. Standin’ on the Corner Watching all the Girls Suits Go By JIM LUKEN Contributing Writer I ’ve been a very active “activist” most of my adult life. As such, I have been to hundreds of demonstrations, marched for more than a hundred miles, spoken at rallies, and performed in dozens of “street theater” events. I was arrested once in the late 80s at an anti-war sit down at our local Federal Building (all of us were released shortly after our arrests). Over the past six weeks, several of us agechallenged (read: old) activists have engaged in another, different, form of “active” protest. In an attempt to give it a name, we call what we have been doing “vigiling.” Each stands by himself on a street corner in front of, or near, Western & Southern Financial Group Headquarters. We are protesting what this corporate goliath is doing to Anna Louise Inn (the Inn), a 103-year-old haven for poor women located on the southeast edge of Lytle Park. The Inn is “little David” in this metaphor. We don’t carry slingshots. We carry signs. There have been as many as four of us old guys in any given morning, or late afternoon, vigil. The important thing is that we do not stand together the way people do at demonstrations. We each stand at a different place around the W & S quadrant of buildings. This is a vigil. We stand alone, each holding his sign in the face of oncoming traffic or oncoming pedestrians, many of whom are W&S employees. Most of these people do not like what we are doing. Some confront us angrily. Others whisper furtively that they are on our side. “Thanks for doing this,” they often say. I have “vigiled” several other times in my life. In my religious days, I stood watch for an hour each week in the middle of the night near a bonfire in the back of St. Bernard’s Church in Winton Place. At the time, our church community was praying,24hours daily, for an end to the US- sponsored “Contra” terrorist war in Nicaragua. I no longer pray in any formal way, but I clearly understand vigiling to be part of a long-standing, very special kind of prayer. Jesus kept a vigil in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before he was tortured and murdered by the state. In my mind, Dorsey Steb- {Continued on page 4} �4 LOCAL Sept. 28-Oct.11, 2012 Natalie Portman campaigns for Obama at Union Terminal JUSTIN JEFFRE Streetvibes Editor O n September 19th Academy Award winning actress Natalie Portman spoke to a packed house at the “Ohio Women Vote 2012 Summit” at the Cincinnati Museum Center in Union Terminal. Ohio’s former First Lady Frances Strickland also spoke as well as State Rep. Alicia Reece. Portman told the crowd of about 300, “This really is a crucial moment in our history and you in Ohio, especially women in Ohio, will decide this election. It could come down to a few votes so you know that every woman you talk to, every person you help register, each one of you in this room will have an enormous impact.” And, “I think we are really lucky to have a very clear decision in this election; there are very clear differences between President Obama and Mitt Romney.” Before she went on to contrast the differences she told a personal story about her connections to the Queen city. Her mother went to high school at Walnut Hills and her grandmother lives in Hyde Park. She said her grandfather came to Cincinnati after WWII. “He couldn’t afford to go to college. He had to start working right away. He started working as a door to door salesman and he built up his business into Champion Windows which then became a big business,” said Portman. “And because of that I see President Obama’s support of small businesses as so crucial to our economy. He’s cut taxes for small businesses 82 times since he’s been in office.” Standin’ {Continued from page 3} bins, an 80 year-old Lutheran Minister is by far the most Jesus-like of us four vigilers (but he won’t like my saying so). I recently had a long break when I went out of town on vacation. Dorsey has been faithfully standing watch for an hour and a half, most weekday mornings and evenings, for many weeks. Standing for an hour and a half on pavement is no mean thing for a youngster of 68 like me. Dorsey lives in Forest Park. Every day, and sometimes twice a day, he drives and parks near a bus stop, takes the bus downtown for 45 minutes or longer, walks five blocks each way to W&S, and stands vigil, in his black suit and Roman collar. He laughs that passersby sometimes say “Hi, Father” to him. For many years, Dorsey has been one of my activist heroes. He never gives up. The other guys are Mike Shyrock, of Mt. Auburn Presbyterian, and an 83 year- old doctor, who doesn’t want his name used. They come to 5th and Broadway most afternoons and hold their signs in front of the rush hour traffic heading North or East, both one-way streets. Dorsey and I come for the afternoon vigil as well, but we prefer the mornings. We arrive at W & S at around 7:30 a.m.; we each stand near one of the main entrances on 4th Street. Most of the pedestrians are company employees, walking up from their big garage on Third Street. Our Portman described why she isn’t voting for the Romney-Ryan ticket. “The Romney-Ryan plan will raise taxes on the middle class an average of $2,000 per family. And those taxes don’t go to investing in education which will grow our economy, but will go to cutting taxes on the wealthiest people.” Portman said Obama’s plan only raises taxes on the wealthiest and the middle class gets tax breaks. “97% of voters will get tax breaks under Obama’s plan, but the money that they raise from the wealthiest will go to education”, she said. Portman also told the crowd that the President has reformed student loan repayments, doubled Pell Grants and made scholarships more available. She told the adoring audience that, “We were on the brink of another great depression when he came into office. He was handed Portman speaks at the “Ohio Women Vote 2012 Summit” at the Cincinnati Museum Center in a miserable situation and he has Union Terminal .Photo: Justin Jeffre steadily improved it. He’s also take us back in a time machine. “In invested in stem and science techsame services. “He’s created the Equal fact Ryan co-sponsored a bill with nology, engineering and math. Our Pay Act so that women get paid the Akin, that Congressman who made young people are being trained for same pay for the same jobs that they the comment about rape; they sponthe types of jobs that are going to be do as men, he’s protected a woman’s sored a bill using the term forcible available in our new economy.” right to choose and also has created She said Romney wants to expand rape for the first time, to distinguish a health care plan under which all of between different kinds of rape the economy with “trickle-down these preventative treatments like ‘because we all know some rapes are economics” and we have seen “an mammograms are covered for women not forcible’ - which absolutely makes and will save lives. And that I think assault on women” in the past few months. “We have seen a very accom- no sense.” She said she thinks women women deserve,” said Portman. need to stand up for themselves beplished young woman who testified She said her Grandma is a lifecause their mothers and grandmothbefore Congress about using birth long Republican, but that she is cauers made giant strides to win women control being called a slut. We saw a tiously optimistic that she will vote for representative of Congress that sits on the rights they have gained and they Obama because they’ve been having can’t afford to go back now. the Science Committee saying in the a lot of conversations lately. She She said Obama’s created a national media that a woman couldn’t said they caught up the night before healthcare program where women get pregnant through rape,” she said. at Boca, their favorite restaurant in aren’t charged more than men for the Portman said Romney wants to town. vigil gives us a wonderful opportunity to study human nature. We are not confrontational in any way, although my signs sometimes are. I spend a great deal of time (and money) making my 24” x 30” signs, in bold black and colorful letters. I want them to have impact and get into the “head space” of those who read them. “No Room in the Inn for Corporate Greed,” or “WesternSouthern: Abusing Poor Women Since 2010” are some examples. Yesterday afternoon, I had a sign that said: “HONK if you [big red heart] the Anna Louise Inn.” It was raining, at times, hard. It took 45 minutes to get 52 honks. In that time, probably 3000 cars had passed. One guy walked by me. “Honk-honk,” he said. I counted that in my 52. Dorsey Stubbins protests in front of Western Southern Corporate office in Downtown Recently, I softened up and made Cincinnati daily. Photo: Justin Jeffre a sign that read: “We [red heart] Western-Southern Employees. Your Where does this anger come they need in order to remain safely Boss—Not So Much.” That sign drew from? I find myself wondering. Do middle-class. quite a few smiles, to which I rethey think we are going to shut down As traffic dies down, and most of sponded, “Thank you,” or “It’s true.” the company and they will lose their the employees are tucked inside their And it is true. We understand jobs? Impossible. My sense is that it corporate womb-tomb, we are given that the attack on the Anna Louise comes from some highly internalized a bit of time for other thoughts and Inn is being waged by the “Corporate fear-factor. I believe that many, if notions. One that keeps coming back Person” not any one employee or not most Americans, have swallowed to me is that being “out there,” makgroup of them. Nonetheless, the vast “fear” as they would a prescription ing a kind of fool of myself, is the very number, maybe as many as 75%(?), of drug. They see anyone who would best thing I could be doing with my employees who walk by refuse to even stand on a corner with a sign in the time on these early fall mornings and glance at us. Many scowl as they turn early morning hours as crazy. “Why is afternoons. Were I religious, I might their heads. We scan each one of their this lunatic trying to make me think say that this vigiling thing is almost faces for a sign of warmth, of humanabout anything but my security and holy, almost a prayer. ity. If they make even a moment’s eye well-being?” You, Dear Reader, might consider contact, we greet them with a smile We “vigilers” are doing something joining us of a morning or afternoon. and a “good morning.” Then, most that few of them can even imagine Make a sign. Come on down. We’ll respond with a “good morning” of doing themselves. They know we are find a not-so-quiet street corner for their own. I often thank the ones who in opposition to an institution that you. offer a smile. �Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2012 LOCAL 5 4-Year Councilors Could Be More Focused, or Could Lose Touch LAURENCE BAIBAK Contributing Writer T he ballot in November will include a proposal to extend Cincinnati’s city council terms from two to four years. Critics say it will reduce accountability to the public, but supporters of the extended terms are hopeful councilors will pay more attention to doing their jobs than to keeping them if they’re not up for election every other year. Be it a race for local office or a national election, money is essential to campaigning. In the age of super PACs, it’s become a common complaint that politicians pay more attention to constituents with more money. And according to Gene Beaupre, Xavier University’s director of government relations, the less time our councilors spend fundraising, the more time they can spend attending to the needs of their low-income and homeless constituents, and to people less involved in the political process in general. “Politicians don’t campaign on something that’s going to happen in five or ten years,” he said. “They campaign on ‘making your streets safer today.’” Given a four-year term, councilors would be allowed enough time and security between campaigns to dive into more complicated topics, like poverty, infrastructure, and civil rights. Beaupre mentioned the argument that elections are effectively “report cards” on performance and that fewer elections could reduce accountability to the voters. But, he countered, that matters more in head-to-head races than in a city-wide 9X race like the one that produces Cincinnati’s city council. Such an election doesn’t seem sincere as a grading system, he said, because “traditionally, the incumbents and the people with name recognition are the ones that get elected or reelected.” Last year was an exception, he added, likely owed to the significant anti-SB5 turnout. Former County Commissioner and City Councilman David Pepper, however, remains concerned about accountability. According to Pepper, councilors tend to fall out of touch with citizens between elections. Speaking from his own experience, “it’s too easy,” he says, “for the politicians’ priorities to become their own projects, or the priorities of those with easy access to City Hall—as opposed to everyday voters’ needs.” He also points to “petty bickering and shifting alliances” among the councilors Council Chambers. Photo: Justin Jeffre. as a distraction that may only worsen if terms are extended. Frequent elections are the surest way to keep politicians in touch with the voices of their constituents, he says. “I never felt more ‘in tune’ than in the heart of a campaign—which is why I started knocking on doors even in the noncampaign year.” Pepper, a Democrat, is joined by the Hamilton County Republican Party in opposing four- year city council terms. The GOP is in favor of “a structural change in city govern- ment that is comprehensive and that would include districts and a more executive/accountable mayor,” but is “firmly opposed” to the term extension, calling it a “power-grab” and a reduction in accountability. Meanwhile, the League of Women Voters, a nonpartisan political organization, supports the extension, claiming it would “enable greater stability for decision making on City Council and give Council members more time to focus on longer term issues.” League of Women Voters: Vote Yes on Issue 2 JUSTIN JEFFRE Streetvibes Editor T he Community Issues Forum kicked off its 32nd season on Thursday, September 6th. The Forum featured a presentation by Ann Henkener from the League of Women Voters on Issue 2, the proposed Constitutional Amendment to change the way federal and state election districts are drawn in Ohio. Currently, state elected officials and the State Legislature redraw the federal and state election districts every ten years once new Census data is official. Following these guidelines means that state representatives of the party then in power draw the district lines in ways that favor the election of candidates from their party. It essentially allows politicians to pick their voters rather than voters having competitive elections that give them real choices. In 2011, the Republican Party’s blatant gerrymandering prompted the League of Women Voters, Common Cause and other reform groups to draft the proposed amendment that would eliminate this highly partisan approach. Issue 2 would institute an open process guided by a nonpartisan commission comprised of four Republicans, four Democrats, and four independents appointed by Ohio’s Appeals Court Judges. In open meetings that permit citizens to submit their ideas and plans, the Commission would adopt new districts based on criteria such as compactness, potential political competitiveness, and respect for existing communities. Gerrymandering is when the process of selecting electoral districts is used to establish a political advantage for a particular party or group by manipulating geographic boundaries to create partisan or incumbent-protected districts. The term was first used in Boston back in 1886 to describe how Governor Elbridge Gerry had signed a bill to redistrict Massachusetts to benefit his Democratic-Republican Party. One of the districts was carved into a shape that looked like a salamander. The term is a mashing of the governors name and the word salamander which was originally written Gerrymander. The non-partisan League of Women Voters has a long tradition of being a resource where voters can go to get unbiased information about candidates and issues. They even ran our Presidential debates until the Democrats and Republicans decided they wanted to control the debates themselves in the 1980’s. According to Henkener the League throughout the nation is now in the interesting position of being called very partisan on the issue of Gerrymandering. Henkener says that, “In every state across the nation one party is getting the short end of the deal when it comes to fair and competitive districts. And every party that is ending up with the short end of the stick is very reform minded. The LWV is also very reform minded so we work together.” She listed some examples. “In California Republicans were getting the short end of the deal so they supported the League’s reforms there. California ended up passing the reforms. In Florida the Democrats were getting the short end of the deal. So the Democrats became reform minded and supported the League’s reforms there which also passed. Generally whichever party doesn’t get the short end of the stick doesn’t think that reforms are necessary,” she said. Henkener says, “Theoretically our congressional maps are supposed to be drawn by the Ohio legislature. They are our representatives and are supposed to have the citizen’s best interest in mind.” But thanks to the public records request that was made by a coalition led by the League we know what really happened. The Ohio Campaign for Accountable Redistricting (OCAR) released a comprehensive transparency report on Ohio’s redistricting process. The independent group graded state officials a D minus on transparency. The report, entitled, “The Elephant in the Room”, shows that decisions were not made in public. Public input was ignored and the public had limited opportunity to review proposed maps. The public was not provided with relevant data for proposed districts. Nonpartisan redistricting criteria were not used and the criteria used to evaluate plans were never publicly identified. It also documents: A concerted strategy of secrecy was employed which included use of a national consultant, secret meetings, and a secret redistricting office. The plan to shroud the process in secrecy was recommended early on by a national Republican consultant who advised state officials in a series of secret meetings. $210,000 was secretly paid to two Republican staffers. A downtown Double Tree hotel room they called “the bunker” was rented for three months to use as a secret redistricting office. Taxpayers were charged $10,000 for it. Speaker of the House John Boehner’s team was the primary decision maker for the congressional map. A last minute change was made to the congressional districts to honor a request from Boehner’s team to move the corporate headquarters of a major campaign contributor into a different congressional district. It took just 13 minutes for the request to be fulfilled. Republican officials believed that changes they made to state legislative districts could save them millions of dollars in future campaign expenses. Based on their own political indexes, Republican officials believed they created a congressional plan which would provide a 12 – 4 Republican advantage and a state legislative plan which would ensure their control of the legislature even if there were a strong Democratic year. Multiple maps were considered including pairings of Congressman Sutton and Fudge, Gibbs and Johnson, and Turner and Jordan. Requests by State Senator Chris Widener to keep Clark County in one congressional district were ignored because this would hurt the political index for Congressman Stivers’ district. A last minute change was made to split Mercer County into three congressional districts in order to move State Senator Keith Faber’s home from the 8th congressional district to the 4th congressional district. Many questions remain because many of the records requests have not been fulfilled. For example many asking: what lobbying did legislators and congressmen engage in for their districts? What congressional district plans have been proposed in private negotiations between Democratic and Republican politicians? How many other district boundaries were manipulated to raise campaign funds? What else was discussed in the political backrooms? Last year Issue 2 was a big issue about collective bargaining rights. Most voters voted No on 2. The League of Women Voters urges citizens to become informed about the issues on the November ballot and to vote YES on State Issue 2 this year. [Editors note: I sit on the Board of Common Cause Ohio.] For more information visit: www.lwvca.org �6 NATIONAL For Homeless, Mobiles Are A Life Line JESSE CALL The Contributor (USA) www.street-papers.org His daughter is in the hospital and is about to die. Her blood work shows she has diabetes but does not know it. He has finally landed a job if he can start later today. She might get a job if she can interview tomorrow morning. The river’s about to flood his campsite. She just got assaulted and robbed and needs help. These are circumstances that the homelessness can face each day, and without access to a mobile phone, such individuals may not get the information or help they need in time. Health care providers, career counselors and those living on the streets say that having access to a mobile phone is essential for the homeless. Federal and state governments have also long recognized mobile phone access as a need for those experiencing homelessness and poverty. Governments have teamed up with major cell phone service providers to offer free or low-cost cell phones to people with low incomes under the Lifeline Assistance Program. The Universal Service Fee that cell phone subscribers pay on their monthly bills covers the costs of the program, which was set up under a 1996 federal law. To qualify for a free mobile phone with 250 free minutes and 250 free SMS text messages, an applicant needs to show that his or her income falls below 35 percent above the federal poverty guidelines or that he or she is receiving other federal benefits such as SSI or food stamps. “People shouldn’t have to face the decision to pay for phone service or pay for food,” said Jack Pflanz, spokesperson for Assurance Wireless, one of the providers of the Lifeline Assistance Program in Tennessee. “In today’s society, I think it is essential that someone experiencing homelessness has access to phone service.” Tool for employment Critics of the homeless contend that an individual should be doing everything they legally can to bring in more income in order to ‘get back on their feet.’ For many, this means securing additional employment, a task that is particularly challenging in its own right but which can be further complicated by the lack of regular access to a phone. Unfortunately, most potential employers are not particularly understanding about the life circumstances of homeless people. Regardless of their housing status, these employers expect employees or potential employees to be available on short-term notice to complete interviews or show up for work. Most employers also expect employees to have his or her own phone number where he or she can be reached and can receive a message, according to local career trainers and counselors. “In today’s job market a job seeker must have an active email address and a reachable phone number,” said Connie Humphreys, career development manager of Davidson County at the Nashville Career Advancement Center. “It is not enough to provide this information on a résumé. The job seeker has to regularly check their email and phone for messages and respond immediately. If an employer is not able to reach the applicant or the applicant does not respond quickly to the employer’s call to set up an interview, the employer may assume that the person does not really want a job with their company.” This sentiment is echoed by the state-operated Tennessee Career Centers. “The easier you’re accessible, the better likelihood you have for getting a job interview,” said RJ Sherr, area manager for the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. He adds that being able to be reached at a moment’s notice for an interview should always be a prospective employee’s goal. Too often, however, people without regular phone access call back too late, and find out the position has been filled or they are no longer accepting interviews. “People shouldn’t have to face the decision to pay for phone service or pay for food ... In today’s society, it is essential that someone experiencing homelessness has access to phone service.” This is exactly why Debra Hyden, who currently homeless in Nashville, says she has a Lifeline Assistance Program phone. “For me, it’s to find a job,” she said while waiting for a meal from a local ministry. She says that the government-provided phones are the ones she sees most on the street and she expects most others also have them mainly to secure employment. Also waiting for a meal at the local ministry is a woman who recently graduated from Vanderbilt University but now finds herself homeless because she defaulted on her student loans. She says she does not currently have a cell phone but wants to know more about the Lifeline Assistance Program after overhearing Hyden talking about it. She agrees that having a cell phone would be helpful to her in finding a job and feeling more secure. Robert A., a veteran of the Marine Corps and vendor of Nashville’s Want to help fund Streetvibe’s Mission? Register your Kroger Plus Card! It’s easy. www.kroger. com/mykroger/ pages/ community_ rewards Register with your Kroger Plus Card number or use the phone number associated with the registered card. Our agency number is #82944 Forward this on to friends and family. This takes seconds...one time! You can help bring $100 of dollars for our agency. Each time you use your Kroger Plus Card we get 4% of that sale back. Sept. 28-Oct.11, 2012 street paper The Contributor who is currently living out of his truck, says that he recently applied at a local Social Security office to get a Lifeline phone. “I’m trying to get a job,” he explained, adding that the process for obtaining the phone is a lot of work in itself, which has kept him from having time to sell the paper and earn an income. Nevertheless, he says, having a phone will be worth the effort. Accessing health care Yet another reason that having access to a mobile phone can be essential to someone experiencing homelessness is that a phone enables more immediate access to medical care. “Phone service is important for maintaining health,” Pflanz at Assurance Wireless said. “Customers need to be in contact {Continued on page 7} with doc- �LOCAL Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2012 7 Ohio Justice & Policy Center celebrates its 15th anniversary JUSTIN JEFFRE Streetvibes Editor T he Ohio Justice & Policy Center (OJPC) held its second annual fundraising dinner and celebrated the important work that they do. They have a small staff but they have been accomplishing big things when it comes to reforming our criminal justice system in order to make it more just. The OJPC works to rehabilitate incarcerated people. Their goal is to enable them to successfully reintegrate back into the community and -Al Gerhardstein {Continued from page 6} to eliminate racial disparities in the criminal justice system. “In Ohio we have 50,000 prisoners, 54% of them are black despite the fact that only 11% of Ohioans are black. The criminal rate of crimes for blacks is no higher than the rate of crimes by whites. We need to litigate, to advocate in a way that will reform the system and make it more fair,” said Al Gerhardstein. Gerhardstein founded the organization. At the end of 2011 Ohio’s prisons held 50,000 in a system that was deAl Gerhardstein speaks at OJPC’s annual dinner. Photo: Justin Jeffre signed to hold just 38,000. That same year Ohio became prisoner in American penal history to tor David Singleton “The whole state the first in the nation to sell a state win freedom from censorship. Over benefits when people leaving prison owned prison facility to a private have a better chance at becoming the next quarter century, he won corporation. The Corrections Corpohardworking, tax-paying citizens.” many of the nation’s highest journalration of America bought it for $72.7 The keynote speaker, Wilbert ism awards, including the prestigious million. Rideau, is a former inmate of 44 George Polk Award, for his outstandIn 2011 OJPC played a crucial role years in Louisiana State Penitentiary. ing contributions to public underin getting a Smart-on crime-Reform In 1976, Wilbert became editor of standing of the criminal justice and bill that was passed by the Ohio The Angolite, the prisoner-produced prison systems. Senate. According to OJPC’s direcnewsmagazine, and was the first Cricket is one of many companies offering such service. Reaching clients quickly can be essential in some circumstances, FriskicsWarren says, especially when laboratory work comes back and shows that a client has a condition that requires immediate treatment. “They may need serious and immediate attention and if we can’t find someone we can’t manage their condition,” he explained. Another circumstance that frequently arises at UNHS is when his organization is trying to help someone obtain the medicaLike many people experiencing homelesstion they need for free. ness and poverty, Patricia Reeves uses her “Medications of theirs cell phone daily to make calls and send texts. come in that we’ve Photo: Raven Lintu arranged for them to receive directly from tors, clinics and drug stores to be able the manufacturer through patient to get their prescriptions,” he said. assistance programs,” he said. “Being The staff at United Neighborable to reach folks is essential.” hood Health Services (UNHS), a local healthcare service provider that Create a safety net provides healthcare to those without insurance, agrees. While reaching clients for health “A great number of our patients care concerns is important, Friskicssuffer from multiple chronic condiWarren at UNHS says that another tions and they are often serious, so important need for people experiit’s important for us to be in contact encing homelessness is to be able to with them,” said Bill Friskics-Warbe reached by those who care about ren, who coordinates services for them. people experiencing homelessness “Family members will purchase at UNHS. “Fortunately, a lot of folks cell phones and put some minutes on have the government-issued Assurthem so they can know that they are ance phones and a lot of folks have safe and OK during their time on the Cricket phones,” he said, referring to streets,” Friskics-Warren said. the inexpensive prepaid cell phones “It’s all about relationships for that do not require service contracts, people that live in poverty. That’s which he says some of his clients use. how they survive,” added Debbie Grant, E & T development coordinator at Goodwill Industries of Middle Tennessee, who also serves as chairwoman of the Nashville Coalition for the Homeless. “So their cell phone may be to call a best friend or family member because that’s going to be the person that can come and help them.” While she believes that access to a cell phone helps Goodwill’s clients get jobs, she also says the access to support from others that a phone provides is key. “Just having a viable means of communication is more important,” she said. Having a cell phone also helps keep families in touch, particularly for single parents who do not get to see their children all the time. Charlie Edward Keyes, who is also homelessness in Nashville, says he uses his phone to speak with his kids in Louisiana. Pflanz at Assurance Wireless also tells the story of a man who became homeless after being laid off during the auto industry meltdown and how he used his phone to secure new employment and stay in touch and arrange meetings with his kids under a shared custody agreement. Access to a mobile phone is also good for reaching out during emergencies. “People might see me holding a lot of ones and mistake me for having a lot of money,” Robert A. said. “What if they decided to rob me?” Web and email access Having a government-issued or cheap prepaid cell phone is one thing for critics, but often it’s the quality of the phone that seems to bother them the most. On Twitter, “Alex Ferrari” (@ amferrari1), from Nashville, wrote: “At a red light on my way home a guy selling the contributor (paper homeless people sell in Nashville) pulls out a iPhone and makes a call…” Similarly, “Annelise Walley” (@ AnneliseWalley) wrote: “I was about to give this homeless guy on the street some money. Then I saw him pull his iPhone out of his sock. #Nashville.” One Twitter user took it a step further. “Mark Hobson” (@matchstickmgmt), also from Nashville, wrote: “If you have an iPhone, you shouldn’t be allowed to sell the contributor. #fact.” However, as more and more employers are requiring immediate Internet and email access, having a smartphone is becoming more than a luxury for those on the street. “One of the reasons a cell phone is important is so an employer can get back in touch with a person,” Grant at Goodwill said. “However, more and more employers are using the computer and job applications that require an email address.” Most free or prepaid phones have very limited web capabilities, making checking email and accessing online applications difficult or impossible. Thus, people without Internet access on their phones have to resort to using public computers like those at the library or outreach organizations, which often limit access to traditional work hours, as well as the amount of time one can spend at a computer before it’s the next person’s turn. Humphreys at NCAC echoes the need for people seeking employment to be able to check and respond to emails throughout the day. “If the jobseeker doesn’t respond quickly to an interview invitation, they may not respond to the calls and messages from customers, which will result in poor customer service,” she said about employer expectations. Thus, jobseekers that are able to purchase a smartphone may be making an investment that will-with time, and perhaps a new job-pay off. �8 INTERNATIONAL Sept. 28-Oct.11, 2012 World Record Attempts REUTERS Staff writer Four hundred and eighty-five children from the Training Resource and Care for Kids (T.R.A.C.K.S), a charity for single mothers and children, took part in a peace march in an attempt to create a Guinness World Record for being the largest gathering of people dressed as Mahatma Gandhi. Photo: REUTERS/Rupak De Chowdhuri Children hug trees as they attempt a Guinness World Record for the most number of people hugging trees for two minutes in Kathmandu 2011. 879 people took part in the event, which was held on World Environment Day to spread the message of saving the environment. Photo: REUTERS/Navesh Chitrakar A total of 3,110 students from Nanjing Agricultural University broke the Guinness World Record for World Largest Smiley Face in April 2012, overtaking the last world record of 2,961 volunteers in Canada on July 2011, local media reported. Photo: REUTERS/Sean Yong The highest number of riders on a single wave at Muizenberg in Cape Town, 2010. Surfers posted an unofficial tally of 95 riders standing on a single wave for more than five seconds but failed to beat the record of 110. Photo: REUTERS/Mike Hutchings December 17, 2011, Fifty thousand candles were lit in Praca do Comercio, Lisbon’s downtown square, as part of an attempt by non-governmental organization Terra dos Sonhos (Land of Dreams) Photo: REUTERS/Hugo Correia �Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2012 POLITICS 9 Chicago teachers fight for kids MIKE CANNON Contributing Writer Earlier this month, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) launched its first strike in 25 years. At a time when strikes seems more like a historical throwback than a modern tactic of a weak labor movement, their showdown with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanual sparked a heated debate over the future of public education. Faced with imminent school closures and layoffs after a summer of stalled negotiations, on September 10th teachers decided to walk-off the job. The source of the frustration felt by teachers, and many parents and students, is an aggressive school “reform” agenda championed by both Republicans and Democrats. One of the key features of this plan is increasing the number of “charter” schools (schools which are privately managed, but with public funds). Teachers argued that not only are charter schools no more effective than traditional public schools, but putting education in the hands of private corporations reduces community oversight and accountability. The city has also been pushing for “standardized tests” to be used as measures for a teacher’s performance. CTU responded that, not only are these tests not good measures of learning, but student performance cannot be the sole responsibility of teachers. Many children in Chicago suffer from malnutrition, domestic abuse, and neighborhood violence, no doubt affected their school performance. Chicago’s unelected school board (CPS) and their allies sought to paint CTU as greedy and lazy, concerned only with increasing their salaries and protecting bad teachers. Faced with this PR smear campaign, the union mobilized its members to forge ties with communities and neighborhoods throughout Chicago, both to express their own message, but to also hear the concerns of parents and students. Through grassroots organizing, the teachers and their community Photo: Mike Cannon partners were able to put forward a broader vision of quality education for all. While state law prohibits the union from striking over many issues, the union leadership made it clear that the strike was also about smaller classes sizes, more art and music classes for kids, more social workers to council troubled students, and air conditioners in classrooms. As one fifth grade teacher put it, “Our struggle has not just been about simply a contract...This has been about returning power to where it belongs: amongst the working people and the communities they serve.” During the seven-day strike, it was hard to walk two blocks without running into a crowd of red-shirted union supporters cheering and passing cars honking with approval. Polls showed a clear majority of Chicagoans supported the teachers in their fight. This was despite media portrayals of teachers as incompetent and over-paid. After over a week, the city finally agreed to negotiate in good faith and teachers were able to sign-off on a deal filled with many small victories. Although the union did not win all of its demands, important concessions were won. CTU was able to secure “recall rights” for many laid-off teachers. This means when new teaching positions open up, jobless teachers get priority. CPS will also be investing funds into AC units for classrooms and standardized test scores will no longer be the major factor in teaching performance evaluations. As several union officials have said, “this strike is not the end, but the beginning”. A number of schools are slated to close in November and CTU aims to build on the strike momentum and force the Mayor to back down yet again. At a time when labor unions are weaker than ever and wages for working class Americans have been stagnate for decades, this strike victory could mark a turning point for the American labor movement. The teachers of Chicago remind us that when communities band together and fight, they win. Photo: Mike Cannon CCM Drama students celebrate the Occupy Movement on OWS’s anniversary Photo: Justin Jeffre Photo: Justin Jeffre JUSTIN JEFFRE Streetvibes Editor O n September 17th drama students at CCM marked the anniversary of Occupy Wall Street by acting out the words of people that have been a part of the movement. Some of the students participated in the movement in NY and in other cities including right here in Cincinnati. The students conducted interviews with people that were a part of Occupy Wall Street and off shoots like Occupy Cincinnati. They say they want to conduct more interviews and have more performances of the evolving piece they are creating. They say there are plans in the works to do another performance of the piece in Piatt Park, possibly on an anniversary of arrests in the park. As part of its educational mission, CCM Drama encourages community engagement by actors in the program. They train artists to ask big questions while searching for larger answers. The show was a partnership with CCM Drama and The Civilians for #S17 Occupy. Occupy Cincinnati kicked off on October 8th in Lytle Park. The work of these students is proof that the spirit of the occupy movement is still very much alive here in Cincinnati even if it now takes a different forms of expression. �10 INTERNATIONAL Sept. 28-Oct.11, 2012 In Greece, People Demand Dignity There’s another reason too. Some politicians tell you that the cause of our economic problems in America is that “jobs are going to China.” Not many seem to worry about who buys the stuff that American workers produce. Europe is an important American trading partner. If European workers can’t buy American goods, then who will? China? Most Chinese generally live at a lower standard of living, so that’s not a good answer. Think about it. If Europe continues on its current road, let’s say that a serious financial crisis develops, that would affect America. The people of Greece have put up a stop sign. Enough is enough, in America, Europe, Latin America and Africa. Streetvibes: What is it like for the common person to be a Greek today? Taki Manolakos speaks at Clifton Cultural Arts Center Sunday September 23, 2012. Photo: Justin Jeffre Streetvibes: What is the importance of the Greek situation for Americans? Taki: An important aspect of daily life for many is the tyranny of loneliness and poverty. Our rulers and the governments they control have imposed this tyranny in order to preserve institutions that serve their economic interests. We must break out of our isolation and reestablish our basic dignity as people and we cannot do it alone. Winning the fight for dignity depends on understanding events beyond our shores. It’s a fundamental idea that has a noble genealogy in America going back to Thomas Paine and W.E.B. Du Bois, who I consider great American thinkers. Taki: Greeks live in difficult times. The country has always been poor when compared to the other nations of Europe. Today the situation is unbearable. Consider that unemployment is roughly the same as it was in America during the Great Depression of the 1930s. That gives you an idea of problem and suffering of the Greek people. Many Greeks simply don’t have jobs. The country is facing an economic catastrophe. Every day is just a battle for survival. Will I have enough money to buy food? Will my kids be hungry? Many people are leaving the country in search of work. Others move in with their parents to cut down on rent. For these and other reasons, working class folk have reached their breaking point and started to defend themselves. Even the “middle class” is suffering. I don’t mean rich people that live in wealthy areas, closed off from the rest of the world. These are people who may run a small business selling not much more than laundry detergent and cigarettes. The result has been social unrest. This spirit of rebellion takes many forms. Recently, the government decided it was going to levy a new tax. It decided to use the electricity company as a collection agency. A new charge appeared on everyone’s electric bill. If you couldn’t pay, then the government would shut off your electricity. Lots of people simply refused to pay. When the electric company showed up and attempted to turn off their power, people refused to let them into their homes. There was nothing that the power company could do about it. There were and are lots of strikes by the unions. Workers of the Greek equivalent of the New York Times have been on strike for a long time now and the paper has not printed a single edition in months. {Continued on page 11} Social media gives voice to Berlin’s homeless After 26 years of sporadically living on the streets, Helmut Richard Brox chose to share his experience through a website, which offers advice, help and hope to Germany’s homeless. Four years on, its success has won him a nomination for the ‘Deutschen Engagement Preis’ (German Prize for Civic Engagement). He reflects on the nomination, Berlin and how the internet can help people in need. ANNE JULIANE WIRTH Staff Writer Strassenfeger (Germany) www.streetnewsservice.org H elmut Richard Brox is homeless - and dedicated. The computer in the internet cafe is buzzing; the sound of monotone typing is occasionally punctuated by mouse clicks. A man with glasses, light grey hair and three-day stubble sits hypnotised by a computer screen. His fingers fly over the keyboard. Skilfully, he uses search engines, answers e-mails, blogs, updates information on his three websites, sends links and generally greets the digital world. Helmut Richard Brox is well connected. He has a proud 31 Facebook subscribers and 119 follow him on Twitter. The fact that this media man is homeless is not something the other customers probably realise. Yet, Helmut Richard Brox has lived for over 26 years - with sporadic intermissions - on the street. Helmut Richard Brox has been nominated for the ‘Deutschen Engagement Preis’ (German Prize for Civic Engagement) for his work with fellow homeless people in Germany. Photo: Helmut Richard Brox The 48-year-old identifies himself as someone who has intentionally opted to be homelessness be there during the day.” On a rainy day in NoFrom then on Brox saved money for visits to and moves from place to place. The Mannheimer vember, Brox sought refuge in an internet cafe on the internet cafe. Later he began to expand his was also on the move in Berlin. “The capital is Kurfürstendamm. There he met a pair from ‘The website to include an information portal. “I got a the friendliest city in Germany,” he assures. Good Chaos Computer Club,’ who introduced the long kick out of it. After a while it began to look more friends and a “fling in Hellersdorf” as well as visits term homeless man to the digital world by creating professional,” he says proudly. At www.ohnewohto the internet cafe has shaped his residence there. an e-mail address and website for him. nung-wasnun.de and www.woundwie.blog.de he “So many people are living on the poverty identifies safe homeless spaces throughout the “I got a kick out of it” line, are isolated and feel embarrassed - I want to whole of Germany, blogs about his life and offers give them a voice. With my website everyone should advice to fellow homeless people. Over 900 ad“In 1999 I learnt how to use a computer and the be able to find a way back into civic life.” dresses are available World Wide Web. I slept in a shelter but couldn’t {Continued on page 12} �Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2012 INTERNATIONAL 11 From In Greece {Continued from page 10} The entire society has been gripped by a new common sense that the current situation can’t continue. It’s everywhere. Streetvibes: Do you see the European Union and Greece being able to reconcile their differences and bring about an end to the crisis? Streetvibes: The European Union’s financial institutions have imposed budget cuts on Greece, how have the Greek people responded? Taki: The road out of the crisis will not be found in financial and political negotiations between Greek politicos and European technocrats. Greece must refuse to pay the usurers. The people have rejected supposedly progressive political parties that sold them out and the rotten political system. But it is not enough for political parties that actually have the people’s interests at their core to win the elections, like the Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA), although that is a must. What is now needed is a democratic alliance of patriots, leftists and people of character to take the country off the road to catastrophe. Those who sold the country to the EU technocrats, the International Monetary Fund, that great credit bureau of the international banking system have no place on this new road. Taki: People have responded with individual initiatives like the “we won’t pay” movement. But they realize that there is no individual solution to what is basically a national problem. They have organized in new and old ways geared towards defending the people’s interests. The Greek island of Crete is a good example. The island is one of Greece’s largest and sits between Greece and Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea. The island has a rich history of resistance to occupation by foreign forces. During the Second World War, it was a hotbed of Greek resistance against the Nazis. I visited a small village that was the site of a notable massacre by the Germans during WWII. A neo-Nazi party called Golden Dawn attempted to enter the village during election season to campaign for their candidates. The villagers would have nothing to do with it. The idea that neo-Nazis might enter the village was treasonous to the locals. Everyone knows about the Nazi occupation; everyone knows a story about someone’s grandfather who died during the resistance. Old folk tell these stories to their grandchildren. The general sentiment was clear: my grandfather died fighting Nazis, and you fools have the nerve to try to enter my village. The outcome was that virtually the entire village gathered when Golden Dawn attempted to enter the main square and forbade them from proceeding. They departed with their tails between their legs. “The Global Frackdown” in Piatt Park There also has to be productive reconstruction. The European Union has destroyed Greece economically. There must be a nationwide discussion on such reconstruction. All must participate in this discussion: Greek and foreign scientists, government agencies, trade unions, cooperatives, small businesses, on a nationwide scale, assemblies of the people and workers. Their findings can be placed before the voters in a referendum. But we need to move quickly. If we merely wait for the great day to come, all we will get are tanks in the wee hours of the morning. Streetvibes: Thanks for your time and for giving us your insights on what is happening in Greece. In order to extract the gas they drill holes thouan On September 22nd sands of feet about 40 people gathered down into at Piatt Park for an antithe ground. fracking rally. Greenpeace Then the along with Food and Water Watch drilling goes and Southwest Ohio No Frack Forum horizontally organized the event which was part of for thousands the first international demonstration of feet more. against fracking. Millions of At the beginning of the rally gallons of organizers instructed people to call water are their representatives on the Gas and mixed with Energy Committee and demand a toxic chemipublic hearing on a Bill related to cals and silica fracking. “I put in the number and at sand. These September 22, 2012 Environmentalist march from Piatt Park to City Hall. Photo: Anna Bentley. first I heard a recorded message from high pressure someone from the Global Frackdown fluids along repeating the instructions. And then I with explosive the fluids, but Ohio hasn’t. Now Ohio Council members Wendell was connected to the voice mail of my charges fracture the shale which has become a dumping ground for Young, Laurie Quinlivan and Vice representative,” said Ellen Beirhorst a releases the gas and it bubbles up to their wastewater. Half of the fracking Mayor Roxanne Qualls spoke at the local activist. wastewater being injected into Ohio’s rally. City Council passed an ordithe surface. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) well sites comes from out of state, innance banning the injection of waste They use as many as 750 chemiis a technique used to extract natural cluding Pennsylvania and as far away on any land in the city. The city’s cals which are “trade secrets” but shale-gas from below the Earth’s suras Texas. lawyers cleverly got around a 2004 the ones we know about are known face. The Marcellus Shale is a massive carcinogens. Where the toxic fracking Food and Water Watch coordiState law prohibiting municipalities underground geological formation nator Alison Auciello spoke about from keeping wastewater injection fluids go isn’t entirely known. States that stretches from parts of New York like Pennsylvania and New York a “Haliburton Loophole” which wells out by making no mention of through Pennsylvania, Ohio, West exempted power companies from gas. Other municipalities are now folhave banned wastewater injection Virginia, Tennessee and Virginia. regulations from the Safe Drinking lowing Cincinnati’s lead. wells which are used to dispose of Water Act and Clean Air Act. She said Wendell Young, who sponsored the Ohio Department of National the ordinance, said he did for selfish Resources was given sole power to reasons. “I want clean air, water and determine policies related to oil and soil,” he said. “When you gather, it gas and, “They are totally on the side makes it easy for elected representaof the industry.” tives to champion this cause.” Auciello said the state of Ohio According to the Ohio Departwants to frack on public lands like ment of Natural Resources, the injecstate parks in order to generate tion of fracking waste into a disposal revenue. “Governor Kasich’s recent well Youngstown caused 11 recent energy bill rolls out the red carpet for earthquakes here in Ohio. And in July the oil and gas industry,” she said. 19 year old Paul Sherman was killed Cincinnati’s geology isn’t suited in an explosion at a fracking well in for fracking, but it does make us a Bolivar, Ohio. prime location for waste wells. The Father Neil Pezzulo, the Vicar majority of Cincinnati’s water comes General of the Glenmary Home from the Ohio River, but the CincinMissioners said, “God said care for nati Water Works does have a plant creation.” Adding, “We who are on the Great Miami Aquifer which privileged must speak up for the rural is highly vulnerable to waste water poor who are too busy just surviving injection. to speak up for themselves.” Wendell Young speaks at Global Frack Down Rally in Piatt Park, September 22, 2012. Photo: Anna Bentley. JUSTIN JEFFRE Streetvibes Editor D �12 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE Sept. 28-Oct.11, 2012 Remembering Larry Gibson When I visited in 2010 it stood as the tallest mountain in the area, but 20 years before, it was the opposite. The mining executives made good on a only met Larry Gibson once. promise one of them made to Larry It was on his mountain, in his in the early 90s: that if you don’t sell, little cabin, huddled close to a Kayford will become “like an island” wood burning stove. We were visiting coal country, and preparing to in an ocean. That’s not a good way to put bring the knowledge we learned back it. Below the surface of oceans, the to school, so we could fight against waters are teeming with life, with the coal plant on Miami University’s intricate cosmos of organisms well campus. He explained to us his story, suited to their environment, where a indelibly intertwined with the story precarious balance of nature is like of the Appalachian mountains. And an intimate ballet. The water in the he gave us an ultimatum, Larry, executive’s metaphor is today, more nicknames “keeper of the mountains,” like the surface of the moon. Barren didn’t want to talk to us if we weren’t and grey, the only indication of life is going to do something about the the human footprint left behind in the mountains; we had to promise we form of mining machines and their weren’t wasting his time. When he Larry Gibson showing the damage to the landscape. Photo: Ben Stockwell. died in early September, it was a blow tracks. Larry didn’t want any of that, not for his mountain, and not for any to the environmental movement that to the “Gates of Hell”, where his that can also, incidentally, grow on of the others. seems almost impossible to recover property ended and the mines began, concrete. Driving up to Larry’s Place, you from. we were finally able to appreciate the But this isn’t happening without Kayford mountain, the homestead wouldn’t know that there was any devastation caused by mountaintop a fight, and Larry was a monolith in mining taking place, with the worst of Larry’s family, and where he had removal coal mining. environmental activism. His motto, offenders hidden behind untouched a small cabin appropriately named The process occurs in three “Love Them or Leave Them, Just mountains along the highways and “Larry’s Place,” stood at the center stages. First, the mountain is cleared Don’t Destroy Them,” is a reminder gulch roads. When Larry took us of the mountaintop removal debate. of all vegetation. Usually trees that that we’re not just fighting against would be harvested and sold the horrible practices of the mining elsewhere are bulldozed into the companies, but that we’re fighting to valleys. When the brush is all preserve a kind of nature that today cleared, and all that’s left is a lifeless is commodified and missing from mound of dirt, and core sample our daily experience, probably for drilling has determined the depth of the worse. Larry lived in the middle the coal seams, the layers of earth of the best and worst of all of this. As are peeled away one by one until the steward of Kayford, he lived in a a seam of coal is extracted. Once sublime wilderness, and just a half that seam is mined, the process is mile or so in any direction was his repeated over and over until the reminder of just how far capitalism costs (monetarily) are too great. Of was willing to go to reap enormous course, the environmental costs are profits. huge. When the coal is exhausted Though he stood just over 5 feet the mountain is supposed to be tall, his presence was remarkable. returned to its “approximate His courageousness in the face of original contour.” This means immense pressure has inspired a taking the mixture of rocks and dirt whole generation of young activists and waste generated along the way, to always stand up for what is right, and packing down the mountain, I know it did it for me. There was no if it can still be called that. Entire way I could go home and do nothing, ecosystems are destroyed, the and I still haven’t shaken the question topsoil is gone, and nothing can live “who has to suffer so we can keep the there except for the invasive turf Larry Gibson taking a stand on his land. Photo: Ben Stockwell. lights on?” We all stand BEN STOCKWELL Contributing Writer I From Social Media {Continued from page 10} and he has personally visited most of the establishments. The maintenance of his website is paid for through donations and out of his own pocket. Robbed and beaten Estimations by the Federal Association for the Homeless in 2010 show that around 248,000 people in Germany are homeless. The fact that life on the street is dangerous is something Helmut Richard Brox has personally experienced. He grew up in a children’s home before he choose the streets and fell into drug addiction. The vicious cycle of theft, drug crime and violence can only be avoided by the few. Yet, Brox made it through his addiction. In 2009 when he was on a street in Alsace he was robbed by youths, beaten up and badly injured. As a result of the attack Brox sustained a locomotor disorder, which still affects him. Furthermore, he has been affected by Morbus Scheuermann, a growth disorder of the spine: “My friend had it a lot worse. After a knife attack he had to have an emergency operation.” Brox has learned from this: he no longer chooses to sleep on a park bench. Despite all this, it’s clear to him that, “In the many years that I have lived on the streets, many people have helped me.” “An exemplary role model” The internet has changed his life. And now he wants to give something back with his website. “Finally I have a mission and can utilise other people. Brox is online daily for 1 to 2 hours and receives up to 40 e-mails. “A short while ago a young man called me wanting to know what was going to become of him in the future.” Brox likes to give tips and on this occasion he gave the advice, “See that you give out as little as possible. The less the outside world sees, the greater your protection.” Nothing on the streets is more important that total anonymity. Brox has to thank Klaus-Dieter May, the founder of the citizen initiative in Berlin ‘For Fairness against harassment,’ for nominating him for the 2012 ‘Deutschen Engagement Preis’ in May. The distinction appreciates people, organisations and businesses as well as administrations that show they are dedicated to civic causes. “Brox is a good and exemplary role model,” says May. “He deserves recognition, attention and support for his selfless dedication. “ The prize winners will be announced on the 5 December 2012, but Helmut Richard Brox is already profiting from the award. He gives interviews and has more site views than ever before. “The nomination means far more to me,” he says. “So many people are living on the poverty line, are isolated and feel embarrassed - I want to give them a voice. With my website everyone should be able to find a way back into civic life.” Translated from German into English by Nina Smith. �Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2012 LOCAL 13 Cyclists Own The Road Too! was a ghost bike that had been painted all white that served as a memorial. There they shared a moment of silence and a touching n September 4th about 550 moment of remembrance with his cyclists rode on what they family. called a ghost ride to pay The ghost ride and ghost bike their respects to the life of ceremony were organized by the fellow cyclist, Andrew Gast, and to Cincinnati Cycle Club, MoBo Bicycle raise awareness about safety. Gast Co-op and Queen City Bike. The was an Over-the-Rhine resident that Cincinnati Cycle Club president, was fatally struck by a motorists near John Chester, told the family and Lunken Airport on Wilmer Ave on the crowd that he had seen troubling August 28th. He was only 27 years comments on the internet that old. blamed Gast for the accident because The ghost ride began at 6:30PM he was riding in the road and not on at Lunken airport and went along the bike trail. ““He had every single Eastern Ave all the way to Gast’s right in the world to do what he was Memorial to Andrew Gast, killed while riding his bike on August 28th. home in OTR. As they rode back to doing,” he said. And, “God bless Photo: Justin Jeffre Wilmer Ave the weather was nice and you, Andrew.” as the sun was beginning to set there The bike trail gets rough was a light mist. Unfortunately many motorists don’t along that section and cyclists are When they arrived where the know that cyclists are supposed legally allowed to ride on the road. tragic accident had occurred there to ride on the road and not on sidewalks. Many cyclists say they encounter angry motorists that come dangerously close to them and yell at them for being on the roads. Chester mentioned that on the for a long time to raise awareness ride back from OTR there was an for motorists and cyclists that they elderly lady that had a sign that said, need to share the roads and be extra “I hope you enjoy your ride on God’s cautious because too often accidents bike path.” Then another cyclist can be fatal. An emotional Chester nearby said, “It’s all downhill in said, “I hope I don’t need to attend heaven.” another one of these ever again.” The Gast’s family thanked the crowd bike remained locked to a sign with a for being there to show their support helmet on it. and told them that it was helping Cincinnati has been adding bike them heal. Gast’s father said that if trails and signage in an effort to make it had happened to somebody else he the city more bicycle-friendly. A lot would have been at the rally for them. more work needs to be done so that Organizers said they hoped we don’t see more tragedies. the ghost bike would remain there More than 500 cyclists turned out for the Ghost Ride. Photo: Justin Jeffre JUSTIN JEFFRE Streetvibes Editor O �14 STREET VOICE Michael’s gone His fans felt all alone, When the world heard Michael was gone. The greatest entertainer in the world, I will always be his girl. Michael should never had been alone, Too bad he couldn’t pick up the phone, Too bad Michael’s gone. His big heart, that one and only voice His smile that always dazzled the crowd. His footwork and spins, no one could touch him, He would always win. The world has lost his wonderful songs. He would always make us feel we were never alone when he would sing his songs. Music history has lost its place Without Michael’s special face His beautiful eyes could make you cry. Too bad Michael had to die. He died so sad, OD’d in his bed. It all started when he got burned on his head. Looks like Mike lost that fight, that night. When I heard he had died, I just cried, cried, cried He really was like a family member Growing up with him I’ll always remember. He was like a songbird with outreach from a far We have lost a shining star He is finally back with the Lord. God watched over his humming bird. Sept. 28-Oct.11, 2012 Appreciation is a word that can be reckoned with Appreciation is something we often times consider a myth Appreciation is something I give to God each day for my living above ground And for his blessing of putting people in my life so stable and sound To understand just what it is that I as a person need to honestly appreciate And to know that my mission of appreciation will not be a simple piece of cake Through being jailed and being homeless, not to mention in the world all by myself I’ve learned to appreciate the hand that God to me has gracefully dealt I’ve learn to never forget the past and look forward to each day even though not promised I’ve learned to forgive but not forget and stop being a doubting Thomas I recognize and therefore appreciate the changes my life has ultimately taken I’ve learned to appreciate my faults, for without them there would be no lesson I’ve learned to recognize my short comings and now I appreciate God’s Almighty Blessings By Willa Denise Jones, Streetvibes Distributor STREETVIBES CROSSWORD PUZZLE #001 From: puzzlechoice.com By Kim Green, Streetvibes Distributor Across 37. Bill of fare 1. Snakelike fish 38. Napkin 4. Assist in crime 39. Quartz used in cameos 8. Particle 66. Halo 49. Infer 4. Simian 67. Defamation 50. Tree with conelike fruit 5. Pandemonium 12. Imitate 40. Used to control a horse 13. Fruit 41. As well 14. Pulsate 42. High mountain 70. Medieval land worker 16. Bad time for Julius 43. Fraud 71. Hinge joint 54. Chew 17. Border 45. Each 72. Conifer 55. Buddy 18. Wipe out 47. Cereal grass seeds 56. Wading bird 19. Laconic 48. Paddle 33. Woodwind instrument 21. Sediment 49. Aromatic herb 23. Additional to or different from 50. Fitting 24. Attempt 25. Slightly open 27. Cut down 29. Form of transport 30. Vitality 31. Fuss 34. Study of plants 51. Champion 52. Droop 55. Tablet 58. Aspersion 60. Languish 62. Residence 64. In the middle 68. Shade of blue 69. Pack tightly 34. Male hog 35. Merely 36. Variety 37. Coalesce 40. Saloon 41. Be unwell 43. Jump 44. Annual grass seeds 45. Melody 46. Gambit 51. Person 52. Fry quickly in fat 53. Pointer 57. Part of the ear 59. Long and thin 61. Facile 63. Mischievous fairy 65. Staining substance Down 1. Type of duck 6. Avid 7. Woody plant 8. Consumed 9. Tossed 10. Unwritten exam 11. Flowerless plant 12. Glove 15. Insect 20. Yield 22. Tibia 26. Crested bird 28. Flightless bird 29. Charge 2. Mineral used as 30. Animal doctor, in short an abrasive 31. Fit 3. Not as great 32. Saucer �Shelter: Women and Children Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Bethany House 557-2873 FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 1841 Fairmount Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45214 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 6037 Cary Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45224 Salvation Army 762-5660 131 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 Shelter: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 15 RESOURCES Sept. 28-Oct. 11, 2012 5 E. Liberty St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 112 E. Liberty Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 4600 Erie Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Mercy Franciscan at St. John 981-5800 1125 Bank Street, Cinti, Ohio 45214 NAMI of Hamilton County 458-6670 PATH Outreach 977-4489 4230 Hamilton Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45223 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 Treatment: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Other Resources Prospect House 921-1613 Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Emmanuel Community Center 241-2563 Starting Over 961-2256 Peaslee Neighborhood Center Mt. Airy Shelter 661-4620 Treatment: Women Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart 381-0111 Shelter: Both First Step Home 961-4663 Goodwill industries 771-4800 Healing Connections 751-0600 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 1419 Elm Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Justice Watch 241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 1437 Walnut Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Lighthouse on Highland 961-4080 2522 Highland Ave., Cinti., OH. 45219 Caracole (HIV/AIDS) 569-9500 1821 Summit Road, Cinti, Ohio 45237 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 217 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Interfaith Hospitality Network 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Youth) 221-3350 3330 Jefferson, Cinti, Ohio 45220 Housing: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 114 W. 14th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tender Mercies 721-8666 27 W. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services 751-0643 Volunteers of America 381-1954 Anna Louise Inn 421-5211 Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 300 Lytle Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Food/Clothing Lord’s Pantry 621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry 961-1983 OTR: 1620 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert, Cinti, Ohio 45206 2121 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 682 Hawthorne Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45205 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Treatment: Both AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. Cinti, Ohio 45214 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 1522 Republic Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Hamilton County ADAS Board 946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 641-4300 Advocacy 1800 Logan St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 The Caring Place 631-1114 United Way 211 Women Helping Women 977-5541 Off The Streets 421-5211 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Catholic Social Action 421-3131 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Northern Kentucky Franciscan JPIC 721-4700 Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 ECHO/Hosea House 859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission 859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth 859-581-1111 Mathews House 859-261-8009 Homeless & Housing Coalition 859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen 859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic 859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY 859-431-8717 1227 Vine Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. 579-8547 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 Faces Without Places 363-3300 Stop AIDS 421-2437 Health Brighton Center 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Center for Respite Care 621-1868 St. Francis Soup Kitchen Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 535-2719 621-5514 214 E. 14th St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 1223 Main St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 1308 Race St. Cinti, Ohio 45202 3550 Washington Ave, Cinti, Ohio 45229 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 PainterStreetNew:Layout 1 4/17/2012 11:10 AM Page 1 Compliments of Judge Mark Painter United Nations Appeals Tribunal 2009–2012 Ohio Court of Appeals 1995–2009 Hamilton County Municipal Court 1982–1995 Judging strictly on merit for 30 years www.judgepainter.org �16 Sept. 28-Oct.11, 2012 CODE OF CONDUCT STREETVIBES IS DISTRIBUTED BY INDIVIDUALS WHO PURCHASE THE PAPER FOR 50 CENTS PER COPY AND SELL IT FOR A $1.50 DONATION, KEEPING THE PROFIT THEY HAVE EARNED. BECOMING A DISTRIBUTOR IS A GREAT WAY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE FINANCIALLY POOR TO GET BACK ON (OR STAY ON) THEIR FEET. THIS PROGRAM PROVIDES SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME FOR THOSE UNABLE TO SECURE OTHER EMPLOYMENT. MONEY EARNED HELPS MEET BASIC HOUSING, FOOD AND HEALTH CARE NEEDS. THE PROGRAM IS A HAND UP FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE OFTEN IN A PLACE OF GETTING ONLY A HAND OUT, OR EVEN NO HAND AT ALL. ALL DISTRIBUTORS WEAR A BADGE AND CAN BE FOUND SELLING THE PAPER IN DOWNTOWN CINCINNATI, CLIFTON, NORTHERN KENTUCKY AND AREA CHURCHES. CURRENT DISTRIBUTORS ASRES AYENAW SINCE 2012 DOUGLAS JONES SINCE 5/2012 BERTA LAMBERT SINCE 1997 GRADY COOK SINCE 2/2002 BRANDON NELSON SINCE 4/2008 JAMES BROWN SINCE 3/2009 CLEO WOMBLES SINCE 10/2003 JAMES DAVIS SINCE 8/2003 CRANDALL COBB SINCE 2004 JERRY DAVIS SINCE 5/2011 All Streetvibes Distributors must abide by the following rules. They are made aware that any infraction of the rules may result in suspension of their privilege to distribute Streetvibes and possible termination from the program. Streetvibes will be distributed for a dollar fifty ($1.50). Distributors agree not to ask for more than $1.50 or solicit donations for Streetvibes by any other means. If a customer donates more than $1.50 for a paper, distributors are allowed to keep the donation. Distributors only purchase papers from the Homeless Coalition. Each paper can be purchased for a cost of 50 cents. Distributors must show their badge when buying papers. Distributors will never buy papers from and/ or distribute papers to other distributors. Distributors agree to treat all others – customers, staff, and other distributors – respectfully. Distributors will not use abusive language or force someone to buy a paper. Distributors will not give a “hard sell” or be aggressive. Distributors will not continue to ask someone if they want a Streetvibes after they have verbally or non-verbally said no and they will not make someone feel threatened. Distributors will not panhandle while distributing Streetvibes. JIMMIE GIPSON SINCE 2001 KEITH EUTSEY SINCE 2/2011 JON DARBY SINCE 2/2006 KENNETH STONITSCH SINCE 12/2007 JOSEPHINE BASKERVILLE SINCE 9/2008 KIM GREEN SINCE 1/2010 JULIE WALKER SINCE 6/2007 LARRY BROWN SINCE 10/2007 KAREN COLLETTE SINCE 7/2008 LEE MCCOY SINCE 7/2009 Distributors agree to stay off private property when distributing Streetvibes. Distributors will not distribute Streetvibes door to door. Distributors will not stand in front of doorways, walkways, crosswalks or parking meters nor will I impede traffic or sit down while distributing Streetvibes. Distributors understand they are not employees of Streetvibes or the Homeless Coalition but a contract worker responsible for their own well-being and income. Distributors agree not to distribute additional goods or products when distributing Streetvibes. Distributors will not distribute Streetvibes or purchase Streetvibes under the influence of drugs or alcohol. LEONARD JACKSON SINCE 2/2005 MARK ANTHONY SHEARS SINCE 12/2007 MARY MUELLER SINCE 5/2005 MICHAEL BEHYMER SINCE 2/2012 RAESHAWN GIPSON SINCE 3/2009 There are no territories among distributors. However, distributors must respect the space of other distributors, particularly the space of distributors who have been at a spot longer. It is unacceptable for any distributor to persuade or ask customers not to purchase Streetvibes from other distributors. Coercion will not be tolerated. If a customer prefers to purchase from certain distributors that is up to them. RAYNARD JONES SINCE 10/2008 RICCARDO TAYLOR SINCE 2001 RICHARD WIGGINS SINCE 2012 RONNIE PHILLIPS SINCE 10/2009 SAMUEL JACKSON SINCE 10/2006 TERRY RANSON SINCE10/2008 TIM NEUMANN NEW 7/2011 TOMMY THOMPSON SINCE 2/2009 WILLA JONES SINCE 1/2010 W. KENNETH BUSSELL SINCE 10/2009 WILLIAM BURDINE SINCE 8/2009 For questions or comments pertaining to the distributor program contact: Jeni Jenkins, Distributor Program Manager. Ph:513.421.7803 Ext. 14 jenijenkins@cincihomeless.org Distributors will not deceive the public by saying they are collecting for a nonprofit charity or collecting for the “homeless” in general. Distributors will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes go to the distributor. Distributors will only use the word “donation” when referring to themselves, not the Coalition. There are special rules for distributing at Findlay Market. Only distributors with approval may distribute at Findlay Market at a time. Other rules as established by Streetvibes and Findlay Market. Distributors will attend monthly meetings. Monthly meetings occur every 4 weeks on Fridays at 1PM, (dates are posted in the lobby) these meetings are mandatory. Anyone who cannot make the meeting must talk with the Distributor Program Coordinator, before distributing Streetvibes for that month. Ten papers will be given to those who attend the meeting. It is the responsibility of each distributor to police fellow distributors or former distributors. Distributors will report violators of the rules to the Homeless Coalition. The value of the paper depends on keeping it credible. � 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 2012 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 28-October 11, 2012 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: Improperly Charged Pg 3: Tavis Smiley and Cornell West’s Poverty Tour 2.0 Standin’ on the Corner Watching all the Girls Suits Go By Pg 4: Natalie Portman Campaigns for Obama at Union Terminal Pg 5: 4-Year Councilors Could Be More focused, or Could Lose Touch League of Women Voters: Vote Yes on Issue 2 Pg 6: For Homeless, Mobiles are a Life Line Pg 7: Ohio Justice & Police center Celebrates its 5th Anniversary Pg 8: World record Attempts Pg 9: Chicago Teachers Fight for Kids Pg 10: In Greece, People Demand Dignity Social Media Gives Voice to Berlin’s Homeless Pg 11: Greece Continued Pg 12: Remembering Larry Gibson Pg 13: Cyclists Own the Road Too! Pg 14: Street Voice Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 28-October 11, 2012 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Justin Jeffre Josh Spring Jeni Jenkins Jason Dean Leslie Moorhead Jeff Kelly Jerry Davis Pete Roper Jim Luken Willa D. Jones Ben Stockwell Jason Haap Laurence Baibak Kim Green Mike Cannon Jesse Call Reuters Staff Writer Anne Juliana Wirth Anna Bently Rupak De Chowdhuri Navesh Chitraker Sean Young Mike Hutchings Hugo Correia Helmut Richard Brox Raven Lintu Briggsandtort.com Sodancapassion.blogsport.com Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Anna Bently Anna Louise Inn Anne Juliana Wirth Barack Obama Ben Stockwell Briggsandtort.com Chicago Cincinnati Cornell West Cyclists Fracking Greece Helmut Richard Brox Hugo Correia Jason Dean Jason Haap Jeff Kelly Jeni Jenkins Jerry Davis Jesse Call Jim Luken Josh Spring Justin Jeffre Kim Green Larry Gibson Laurence Baibak Leslie Moorhead Mike Cannon Mike Hutchings Natalie Portman Navesh Chitraker Ohio Ohio Justice & Policy Center Pete Roper police brutality poverty Protests Raven Lintu Reuters Staff Writer Rupak De Chowdhuri Sean Young Social Media Sodancapassion.blogsport.com Tavis Smiley Teachers Union Terminal Vote Voters Willa D. Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/81d36752fafe2a3f400e81293cdfc432.pdf 65f378d5a6ae96695dfedefb1a8d611e PDF Text Text September 22nd - October 5th 2017 | Vol. 20 Issue 46 (No. 365) advocating justice | Building community Don Sherman - Teaching Others to Lead with Humility, Compassion, Tenacity | 3 This issue sponsored by The Economics of Compassion Initiative INSIDE THIS ISSUE Change | 9 Duke Pipeline Delayed | 7 Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center Peace Builder Award | 3 Religious Peacemakers: Listening to the Spirit | 8 Find previous issues of Streetvibes online at: cincistreetvibes.org Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvoice | 13 �2 LOCAL From The Director: What Goes Up Must Come Down (Unless You’re in Outer Space) I nsanity has been described as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Or as Albert Einstein put it, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”. Despite these logical perspectives, to which most people would probably agree, as a society we tend to repeat the same ill-producing behaviors over and over again. Think about it just in the past sixty years. We went to war with the Viet Mihn, occupied their land for at least thirteen years and after millions of individuals died, we left. Many people at the time organized against this war. Afterward an increasing JOSH SPRING Executive Director number of people have identified that what we did was wrong. But guess what, we have been openly at war in the middle east for sixteen years, the longest commonly known war in this country’s history. In the 1980’s we cut taxes to the super-wealthy and in turn cut spending on basic needs such as food, child-care and housing. The result was an exponential increase in homelessness. We have never really stopped this pattern, but now are on track to build greater wealth for the already super-wealthy on the backs of people without access to basic human needs. In this city, we look back at how interstate 75 cut through S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 | N o . 36 5 the West End, displacing individuals and families, splitting up community, killing neighborhood-serving businesses and all predominately on the backs of Black People. Yet today the displacement of predominately Black People and the routing of neighborhoods predominately inhabited by People with low incomes is called progress, development, a renaissance, etc. So, are we just so ignorant that we haven’t taken to heart these basic cause and affect patterns or are we too careless to systematically change or are we satisfied with the ill-results or do we just think we cannot be any (Continued on page 6) A Local Affordable Housing Trust Fund - Its Time is Now T he case was made to establish a local affordable housing trust fund at the Community Issues Forum kick off on September 14th. Speakers Katy Heins and Josh Spring portrayed a project that is long overdue in Greater Cincinnati. The reality of this areas affordable housing crisis, means "the time is now" for the creation of such an entity. Katy Heins, who serves as a Midwestern organizer for the Center for Community Change, discussed how her outfit has worked with cities across the country to set up affordable housing trust funds. Currently 770 local trust funds exist in cities such as Denver, Colorado, Kalamazoo, Michigan, and Vancouver, Washington, and they work with different organizational models and funding sources. Possessing well defined purposes and functions are key elements said Heins, and she also stressed the importance of citizen oversight and public control. Sufficient and steady funding, she noted, is another must. Josh Spring, Executive Director of the Homeless Coalition, then described the trust fund proposal drafted by Cincinnati Advocates For Affordable Housing. He declared that A-HA's year-long effort to create a trust fund was driven by startling recent statistics showing the Cincinnati area currently short of affordable housing by at least BILL WOODS Contributing Writer 40,000 units. Assisted by Heins and the Center For Community Change, A-HA's planning committee incorporated in its proposal the key elements that make other local housing trust funds successful. First of all, the purpose of the fund is to provide revenue for both new or rehabbed units of affordable housing for low-income families and 61-percent of the area's median income. At least 50-percent of trust fund revenue must assist residents earning between zero and 30-percent of the area median income. One key element to success is the administration and operation of the fund. The A-HA proposal envisions a governmental body such as the City's Department of Economic and Community Development managing 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, Alice Skirtz, Brennan Grayson, Magda Orlander, Manuel Perez, Dr. Mark Mussman, Micahael Earl Patton, Saad Ghosn, Rev. Rich Jones, Steve Sunderland, Tuezday Henson, Shannon Murray, Kim Green, Willa Denise Jones ----------------------------------------------- Josh Spring explains the benefits of Affordable Housing Trust Fund Credit: Alice Schneider individuals. Although both rental and home-ownership projects could receive funding, the people qualifying for occupancy of trust fund supported housing must not exceed earning its day to day operations. A ninemember Oversight Board, comprised of diverse citizens, will be responsible for working with the Department in (Continued on page 7) THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Photography/ Artwork: Peaslee Neighborhoood Center, Alice Schneider, Cincinnati Interfaith Worker Center, Dr. Mark Mussman, Michael Earl Patton, Duke Energy, Saad Ghosn, Rev. Rich Jones, Bill Woods --------------------------------------------------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. �LOCAL Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center Peace Builder Award No. 36 5 | S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 W hen the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center announced that the Bob Maxwell Peace Builder Award will recognize Bonnie Neumeier at “Pursuing Peace in Cincinnati: Nonviolent Cincinnati Launch” event on September 20, that hearty cheer originating in heaven but sufficiently robust to be heard here on earth was no doubt organized and led by an ad hoc committee of angels co-chaired by Carrie Johnson, Everlene Leary, Nannie Hinkston, Vivian Kinebrew, and Sr. Mary Graf with unabashed joy, hugs, and celebratory high fives! Now departed, those sisters who walked with Bonnie and a host of other sisters and brothers still here in Overthe-Rhine working for peace and justice in the community also affirm the Award! Bonnie came to Overthe-Rhine as a college student and remained to join with many others to combat poverty, discrimination, homelessness, oppression, and the more recent scourges of gentrification and economic development that have ravaged the community and displaced hundreds of residents. She is recognized as a leader in many of the endeavors of the People’s Movement, her work driven by activism and advocacy for the disenfranchised and the larger community, now with the well-deserved recognition with the Peace Builder Award. While Bonnie is widely recognized as an activist and community D ALICE SKIRTZ Contributing Writer Bonnie Neumeier Credit: Peaslee Neighborhood Center organizer, those who work with her know that Bonnie is rarely but a step away from writing - not only her own powerful, heartwarming prose and poetry, but also helping others write and reflect on their personal struggles and joys. She organizes and facilitates writing for groups as diverse as women who experience homelessness, neighborhood children and youth, and adults who have stories to tell from lived experience. Bonnie’s own writing was first known to the Over-the-Rhine community when she wrote for and edited the community’s Voices Community Newspaper. Later when the community confronted the City of Cincinnati Planning Department on the adoption of the OTR Comprehensive Plan (1985) advocating for preservation of 5,520 units of affordable housing in Over-the-Rhine, Bonnie was the author of the community’s plan eventually adopted by the City. She did the tedious work of analyzing and critiquing the exclusionary plan as proposed by developers and business interests to prepare an inclusive plan to retain housing for all residents no matter how economically poor. 3 At the adoption of the 5,520 Plan a prominent scholar, whose position on the Plan was not adopted, called out Bonnie and our fellow activists as “separatists victorious.” At Council’s adoption of the 5,520 Plan community members packed the hallways chanting “5,520! 5,520!” In addition to facilitating writing groups with beloved community associates including Peaslee Neighborhood Center, Rothenberg School, and the Women’s DropInn Center, Bonnie guides students in the Miami University Engagement Center in Over-the-Rhine Residency Program during their semester living in the community. And yes, she facilitates weekly writing groups using the euphemism of “journaling” enabling undergraduates to write and share their stories, stretch their minds and hearts to new experiences living in the community and servicelearning in community agencies of the People’s Movement - opening their hearts to residents, their heads to the frustrations of gentrification and to the realities of exclusions brought by economic development, modeling advocacy for social justice and peacemaking. Heartiest congratulations to Bonnie Neumeier for the IJCP Bob Maxwell Peace Builder Award and to Don Sherman for the IJCP Margaret Fuller Peace Award both presented September 20, 2017. http://ijpccincinnati.org/pp/ for details. Don Sherman - Teaching Others to Lead with Humility, Compassion, Tenacity on Sherman is known in Cincinnati as the founding director of the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center. His unassuming presence, humility and selflessness often disguise the powerful advocate and fiercely loyal friend he has been to so many. This year, the Intercommunity Justice and BRENNAN GRAYSON MAGDA ORLANDER MANUEL PÉREZ Contributing Writers Peace Center is honoring him with the Margaret Fuller Peace Award at their Pursuing Peace in Cincinnati event. This occasion has many of us reflecting on all they’ve learned from Don as an example for others to 2010 trabajadores unidos meeting Credit: Cincinnati Interfaith Worker Center follow. “I have learned a lot from Don. From his humble manner to his fiery commitment to the struggle for justice, his example was a beacon that trained me. The first time I met Don he told me a story about his personal reasons for being so dedicated to the movement, his ability to trust someone he just met with such deeply personal information struck me as the most exemplary way to trust humanity.” - Jose Oliva, CoDirector of the Food Chain Workers Alliance “About Don - being a leader is putting in the work, not talking about putting in the work. It's not glamorous. It's just years of being there for people, being an ally, being a friend, being an advocate. And knowing where to get help when you've reached your limits of knowledge or capacity. I admire Don so much, and am grateful to him for THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED his humble, steady, compassionate work.” - Lynn Tramonte, Deputy Director of America's Voice and America's Voice Education Fund “I have known Don Sherman as a good friend for 30 years. Throughout that time what stands out for me is his integrity and commitment to doing what is right, frequently at a personal cost. Moreover, he is one of the kindest people I have ever known. His fills his life with compassion for others, especially when they are at their lowest and in most need. This kind of selflessness in service to the most vulnerable people in our society is a model for all of us.”-Tim Kraus, Past President of Cincinnati Federation of Teachers “I met Don Sherman some years back about 15 or so I was working as a business agent for the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers. It has always been my belief that organized labor has always been the tide that raises the conditions and (Continued on page 12) �4 LOCAL THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 | N o . 36 5 �LOCAL Double Trouble: Double Standards No. 36 5 Y 5 | S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 DR. MARK MUSSMAN ou probably already know how to recognize double standards when you see them, especially pertaining to things like someone’s sex or gender or even race. When a woman is paid less than her male counterpart, that is a double standard. Hopefully, when you recognize a double standard you act or speak out to prevent this oppressive behavior from continuing. When it comes to homelessness, the double standards don’t ever stop. We have a different standard for someone who is housed versus someone who is living without a home. We see this all the time in Over-the-Rhine. 3CDC, Cincinnati Center Development Corporation, which has poured hundreds of millions of our taxpayer dollars into inequitable development (market rate housing and offices), will gladly herald their efforts to close the corner stores that sold beer and liquor in the neighborhood. They will, of course, Staff Writer cite the number of 911 calls to corner stores, then say that by closing them, they have helped remove alcohol from the hands of people who are living in poverty. For them, they see it as a moral choice, and they believe they chose the “right” side. The double standard isn’t complete by removing the corner liquor stores: this is only half of the standard. The other half is what replaced the liquor stores – high end boutique bars, with more on the way. Loud, beer-laden peddle wagons traversing the streets add to the atmosphere of “we can drink in public, but you can’t!” Recently, the neighborhood split into two entertainment districts to accommodate more bars, but from what I heard, one of the last bars from before the surge of gentrification is closing soon, leaving very few vestiges of Over-the-Rhine left. Hopefully, you can recognize the double standard by now. When it comes to housing, 3CDC is the champion of double standards. When they kicked out the residents on through Over-the-Rhine Housing Network and ReStoc, they worked with countless people to update and maintain many units of affordable housing – within the last decade, we have lost more than 70% of the lowest income housing units. Woman Walks her Dog Without a Leash Past Privatized Sidewalk Seating Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman 3CDC rehabbed this building on 13th and Walnut St., after the neighboring Columbia Building residents were displaced from their homes. Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman 3CDC, who has leased out Imagination Alley, seeks to privatize Imagination Alley for private outdoor seating Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman Another example (of many) single bedroom, high cost housing Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman the 1400 block of Race St., they said they were doing the residents a favor because the housing wasn’t in good condition. Did they ask the residents what they wanted fixed? No, they just moved them aside for high-end condos and apartments (and their old office, by the way.) The double standard here might not be obvious, but let’s look a little deeper and make some historical comparisons. buddy gray, who helped found many social service organizations in Over-the-Rhine was attacked on many occasions by developers who criticized him for “stockpiling” buildings in the neighborhood. They accused him of keeping the neighborhood poor, and holding development hostage. They lampooned his character and many believe eventually assassinated him for this work. buddy and his collaborators intended for every building to be rehabbed for the people in the neighborhood by allowing the residents to maintain their home here, in Over-the-Rhine. They intended to create and sustain affordable housing. That was the purpose of acquiring the land. And THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Today, 3CDC holds hundreds of properties in their portfolio. They are literally doing the same thing that developers accused buddy and others of doing back in the 80’s and 90’s. You can’t find, nor will they tell, what buildings are owned by 3CDC, because their buildings are registered under LLC’s, so as to not let people know who owns them. They have sat on buildings for over a decade without redeveloping them – after they forced, whether directly or indirectly, the residents out onto the streets. Their plan for Over-the-Rhine does not include any independently-created affordable housing. Today, they have 1 or 2 bedroom condominiums for over $250,000. 3CDC also leased Washington Park from the City of Cincinnati for 95 years for $1. They revamped the park by removing people who are experiencing homelessness with 24/7 private security. They have created a park full of hostile design elements like benches you can’t lay down on and walls that you can’t sit on. They made rules that prohibit laying in the park, giving out food or (Continued on page 12) �6 LOCAL JOSH SPRING (Continued from page 2) better? The answer to this question depends on who the “we” is. But in the case of the “we” which is the Homeless Coalition and other such organizations, our job is to empower people to see that the larger “we” can and must stop taking the same actions which cause the same problems. And then “we” must empower ourselves to combine strength and activate/force healthy and just societal behaviors and actions. We must not allow our communities to be run at the behest of the money-grubbing corporations and businesses. We must not allow the pursuit of more and more cash to establish policy and decision-making. The argument that “we must move YOU CAN SUPPORT THE S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 | N o . 36 5 forward with this decision or the company will lose their opportunity to get the financing they need to develop the expensive housing” is not a reason to decide to support such a development. We must not allow ourselves to believe the lie that a new expensive business or residence by default means the surrounding neighborhood will benefit. The idea that a business opening in a neighborhood automatically is positive for the people in the neighborhood, is terribly illogical and short-sighted to say the least. We have to do all we can to not support the same old bad things and we must do all we can to organize ourselves to decide and cause justice. --------------------------------------- • Donate by texting the word “Homeless” to 444999 • Join Community Shares Workplace Giving • Donate on our website through PayPal at www.cincihomeless.org/donate-2/ • Send us a check to show your support. 117 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 We receive NO public funding. We rely on the generosity of people like you. Log in to Kroger Rewards and search for the Homeless Coalition, or use our NPO 82944. Every time you use your Kroger Plus card, you will be supporting us. It will NOT affect your gas points! When you shop online at Amazon, sign up for Amazon Smile program at www.smile.amazon.com and select “Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless” as your non-profit. A portion of your smile.amazon.com purchase will be donated to us each time you shop at no additional cost to you! Participate in a 30 Day Challenge or book a speaker or activity. Learn more about homelessness, our speakers, and how to become a better advocate for people experiencing homelessness! Download a printable PDF on our website: cincihomeless.org/30-day-challenge Write a letter of support for the Coalition, affordable housing, or livable wages to City Council: CityCouncil@Cincinnati-OH.gov Donate NOW! GC_HomelessCoal THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED GCHomelessCoalition �No. 36 5 7 LOCAL Duke’s Pipeline Delayed | S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 D MICHAEL EARL PATTON uke Energy filed a motion to suspend the procedural schedule in its application to extend a high-pressure natural gas distribution pipeline through several communities in the northern Cincinnati area. They did this just two days before the deadline by when testimony in the Central Corridor Pipeline Extension project was supposed to be submitted to the Ohio Power Siting Board. On August 24, the day after their motion, their request was granted. For now there is no new date. The reason Duke gave for requesting the suspension was that it became aware of “additional details and information concerning site-specific matters.” The one specific concern that it mentioned was property on which environmental remediation is taking place. N.O.P.E, Neighbors Opposing Pipeline Extension, is the grass-roots organization fighting this project. According to their press release, the project to which Duke is referring is the Pristine, Inc. superfund site in Reading. One of the two proposed routes comes within 150 feet of this site. Apparently the concern is the inadvertent release of toxic chemicals that had leaked into the site and has contaminated the ground water in the area. The EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency, says that a liquid waste disposal facility operated on site from 1974 to 1981 and before that, the facility was used to make sulfuric acid. For a while a hazardous waste incinerator operated. Due to numerous permit violations, Ohio EPA closed the facility in 1981. Beyond storing thousands of drums of hazardous waste at the site, the operations contaminated soil and groundwater. The Pristine company site (an ironic name for a superfund operation if there ever was one) is still being cleaned up. Part of the cleanup involves pumping out the groundwater and treating it to remove volatile organic compounds, BILL WOODS (Continued from page 2) terms of establishing goals, policies, and standards, and this body will be charged with insuring that the fund remains faithful to its purpose and goals. Because of the importance of the Oversight Board, a percentage of its members will be both affordable housing clients and non-profit housing developers. Adequate funding is absolutely Contributing Writer or VOCs. Currently the pumps are removing and treating 150 gallons per minutes. With the groundwater contaminated, the effect of digging a large, long, deep trench near the site on the nearby residents and pipeline construction workers is obviously something that needs to be addressed. There may be other concerns, too, that are not as obvious to this writer. Hamilton County and several local governments such as Cincinnati, Evendale, Reading, and Blue Ash had and traffic during construction. Others are very specific. Blue Ash, for example, asked about impacts to future roadway improvements to Glendale-Milford Road and Pfeiffer Road. It is impossible to predict where this is going. Concentrate on the other route? Propose a new route? Because Duke did not just propose a new date right away it appears that they might not know themselves. Certainly overlooking a superfund site is a major failing and calls into question Duke’s due diligence in Pipeline Marker Credit: Michael Earl Patton Duke Route Map Credit: Duke Energy given lists of issues that concerned them to the Ohio Power Siting Board. These governments intended to crossexamine witnesses in support of the pipeline during the hearing which had been set for September 11 but is now postponed. Some of the issues are ones that opponents had been asking about from the beginning, such as impacts to property values essential, and Spring noted that the proposal calls for an annual income of $30-million. Multiple sources of funding from a variety of public and private sources are envisioned, and the proposal lists many of them. Allocations from the City's General Fund, a percentage of the earning's tax, a percentage of the hotel tax, proceeds from the sale of public land, a possible entertainment tax, and payments into the fund by receivers of tax abatements comprise some of them. Spring assured Forum “Breakdown Stereotypes” proposing the pipeline routes. And if this preparatory work was shoddy, what about their promised due diligence in monitoring the pipeline safety into the far future? In addition, my concern about whether there will be sufficient natural gas supplies for major new pipelines remains. Drilling for new gas supplies is below the rate needed to maintain attendees that trust fund proponents were well aware of the necessity of adequate and steady funding if the proposed entity is to make a difference. Spring talked about current negotiations with Cincinnati City Council members and the Mayor. He believes that a majority on Council supports a trust fund, and he noted that Vice Mayor David Mann is working on a possible ordinance. He acknowledged, however, that much still needs to be thrashed out before production while exports of gas is increasing. Not surprisingly, supplies of gas being saved in storage caverns for winter use is not growing at its usual rate. There is only so much natural gas available. The emphasis needs to be placed on conservation, not on increased distribution of gas that will not be there when we need it most. an acceptable plan is agreed upon. Upcoming Forums focus on Cincinnati's mayoral race. Mayor Cranley speaks on Thursday September 21st followed by Council member Yvette Simpson on the 28th. [AIR, Inc. enables people, organizations and governments to make well-informed decisions regarding policies, human services, and organizational change in response to changing needs and resources.] “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 Dr. Mark Mussman at MarkMussman@cincihomeless.org. THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �8 RELIGIOUS PEACEMAKERS Listening to the Spirit, Deborah Jordan & Bill Cahalan Work toward a Sustainable Peaceful Earth & Holistic Mental Health D S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 | N o . 36 5 eborah Jordan and Bill Cahalan are partners in life and in faith; they complement each other and their actions for a peaceful, natural and just world. Raised Christians, Jordan with no particular denomination, Bill in rigid Catholicism, both, as adults, drifted and joined The Religious Society of Friends, aka Quakers. "What I love about Quakerism is its combination of mystical and activist traditions," says Jordan. "Bringing them together is very powerful, the spiritual informing the activism and vice versa." "The beliefs of the Quakers met my interest in mystical traditions such as Buddhism, Daoism, Native Americanism," says Cahalan. "They invited a shift from the image of God as a loving but punitive distant patriarch presented to me by Catholicism, toward that of a divine Spirit living equally in nature, humans and all creation." He adds: "I always had, since a child, a very strong spiritual connection with the natural world." The peace, social justice and equality teachings of the Quakers resonated also very strongly with both of them, already exposed to these values through their upbringing. Growing up, Jordan always spoke up for the underdogs; and Cahalan was inspired by the ethical and moral values of Catholicism, mainly charity, love and compassion. It is in college, however, that their activist involvement clearly materialized. Jordan, then at Ohio University, protested actively the Vietnam War going on at that time, and was jailed as a result; and Cahalan, at Xavier University, demonstrated with other students against the scheduled talk on campus of George Wallace, segregationist Governor of Alabama, and succeeded at getting his invitation cancelled. SAAD GHOSN Contributing Writer Jordan's journey took her since on many paths. She dropped out of college and became the coordinator for the Nuclear Freeze local chapter in Cincinnati; participated in antinuclear protests at the Nevada Test Site and was arrested; wanting to counter violence, got a master's degree in education and took a job at the Center for Peace Education (CPE) providing peace education, conflict resolution and mediation services to Cincinnati public and private schools; provided mediation to the juvenile courts; and, interested in healing, had become an R.N. and practiced as such for many years. Cahalan graduated with a master's and PhD degrees in psychology and worked as a clinical psychologist. After being inspired by the anti-Vietnam war movement, the Counterculture Revolution, Black Power and Women's movements, he became actively involved in ecological activism in the 80's, protesting the damage that our economy and current culture were causing the natural world. In 2011, he went to Washington DC to participate in the march and direct actions against the Keystone XL Pipeline which would increase reliance on fossil fuels and negatively affect climate change. He also protested the Dakota Access Pipeline, a threat to the Standing Rock Indian Reservation's clean water and ancient burial grounds. On December 8, 2014 rallying a protest movement launched by EQAT (Earth Quaker Action Team), he and Jordan joined 27 other groups in 8 different states for a sit-in at PNC bank branches demanding an end to the Bank's financing of mountaintop removal coal mining in Appalachia. As a result of this, culminating five years of action, PNC Bank announced March 2015 its divestment from such Who Are the QUAKERS The Religious Society of Friends, aka Quakers, is an Alternative Christianity which emphasizes the personal experience of God in one's life. Quakers understand the necessity of first listening to God before working in the world. They affirm the equality of all people before God regardless of race, station in life, or sex; this belief informs their social concerns. Quakers find recourse to violence intolerable. Quaker thought is both mystical (waiting upon God) and prophetic (speaking truth to power). Friends believe that God's revelation is still continuing, that God is not absent or unknowable but that we can find God ourselves and that the search for a closer relationship with God is the Way. They maintain that the teaching of Jesus is a practical method for the guidance of the world today and that religion is concerned with the whole of life. - from “Facts about Friends” by Ted Hoare projects. Both Jordan and Cahalan became very involved in the local food movement. They are part of a neighborhood community supported agricultural group, or CSA, in their neighborhood of East Price Hill where they contribute to organic gardening, building a healthy soil, protecting the environment, and sharing food and camaraderie with other participants. They are also members of 'Imago', a Deborah Jordan and Bill Cahalan grassroots environmental education organization located in Price Hill as well and which aims to promote living in concert with the natural world, reconnecting people and planet, building a human community that sees the Earth as sacred. "One of the slogans of 'Quaker Earthcare Witness', a national network of Friends who seek to address the ecological and social crises of the world from a spiritual perspective, is 'Peace on earth, Peace with earth'," says Cahalan. "If we do not protect the earth we will continue destroying the matrix of life, and, as a result, will continue eroding peace among people." Ten years ago, Jordan started the publication of CORV (Central Ohio River Valley) Local Food Guide, a grassroots yearly magazine with the mission to connect community members with local growers and fresh, healthy local food. "We aim to promote self-sufficiency, sustainability and the wise use of resources in the building of our local food system," she states. "We want also to educate our readers on the importance of eating local." Another area that strongly connects Jordan and Cahalan in both their interests and activism is the field of mental health. As a clinical psychologist Cahalan chose from the start to help individuals suffering from serious breakdowns in their personality and life. He sees, however, mental problems as disordered ways of relating with others and with self, and not as brain diseases, and deviates in this respect from mainstream mental health which relies heavily on hospitalization and medication, often against the Credit: Saad Ghosn patient's own will, for alleviation of the most disordered states, such as those labelled psychotic. "Forced hospitalization, medication and community probate are violations of human rights," he says. "Worse, they have often proven ineffective, keeping the individual dependent on medication for life. More humane psychosocial alternatives are needed." In fact, alternatives, such as 'Open Dialogue', for instance, have been used successfully and for decades in Finland. They provide psychotherapy and social network support to the individual at home or in open households, and have resulted in more than 80% recovery on 5 year follow ups. "Unfortunately, the mental health field, strongly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry, resists a more relational, empowering and human approach that does not focus on disorders as illnesses and is not medicationcentered." Two years ago, Cahalan helped Jordan and Valerie Chronis Bickett founded the ‘Greater Cincinnati (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. 36 5 9 JUBILEE CAMPAIGN | S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 Change REV. RICH JONES W Contributing Writer hen my son was 10, he was having a hard time understanding why things change. My son likes the idea of change, loves new challenges, but he also wants stability and to know that there are things and people he can count on. All of us, no matter how old we are, can relate. Change happens. It causes disruption, which can be extremely uncomfortable, and good. It leads to questions, sometimes answers, and growth oftentimes when we embrace change and remember that we are not alone. We have each other, and when we pause for a moment in the midst of change, we begin to sense something of the divine that connects us to something deeply personal beyond ourselves. Our country has experienced a lot of change, a divisive election, hate crimes on the rise, open racism and sexism, heated political rhetoric, the lament of “Black Lives Matter”, and the violence that begets violence, we can either react in anger, retreat, or we face it and work towards deeper understanding and awareness. It’s important to note that the changes in culture cause us to reflect personally and in our communities, but also in our institutions, businesses, professions, etc. Yes, change can bring anxiety, fear, and even a deep sense of unrest. In those times, we can have a desire to try and control things, to try to go back to the “way things were”. Deep down, we know we can’t, that life continues to move forward whether anxious, exciting, energizing, and good for the world. The Economics of Compassion Initiative (ECI) that I am involved with is a risk taking, exciting, and energizing movement of good people. Our desire is to see neighborhoods change and grow into all that they were intended to be: places of community, of friendship, of cooperation, and of equal access to an economy that can sometimes be a barrier to reaching our God-given potential. At ECI (https://www. econofcompassion.org), we believe that transformational growth is the best kind of change. We can see transactional growth in the form of new developments that can be prohibitive for many. But, transformational growth starts and ends with authentic relationship. One of our Economics of Compassion board members, Rev. Daniel Hughes, is a great example of a transformational change agent. He is involved intimately in his Price Hill neighborhood, building friendships, listening to folks, asking questions, and doing “experiments” that can lead to a further sense of deep community. He’s willing to take risks; he may fail or succeed; but the energy he brings into a conversation or project always leads to something good. I have also seen the neighborhood that I live in, Finneytown, experience deep cultural change. Over the past 17 years that we’ve lived here, we have seen our community become more of a “melting pot” creating a dynamic Campers learn to work together and empower themselves Credit: Rev. Rich Jones we like it or not. We see and experience change happening throughout our neighborhoods in Cincinnati. If there wasn’t change, then there would be status quo, which leads eventually to decline and death. An argument can be made that any change is good change, but I would say one should anticipate change and insert one’s self into the conversation around any change for it to be beneficial for all persons affected by that change. Trying to anticipate change and being a change agent can be a risky, blend of persons who have lived here for generations, with persons moving in from the city core and refugees from all over the world. They are drawn to cheap housing and a good school district, as well as a group of neighbors that have self-organized around the school, churches, nonprofits, and other groups to figure out ways to build community. Some efforts have gone well, others have not. One organization that I have been involved with is Oasis, which started in London (http://oasisuk. org). We have had a desire to build a community hub for people in our neighborhood to come together for opportunities of relationship. We have used the principles of Asset Based Community Development to create opportunities such as our summer camp for Finneytown students to have academic and social enrichment, as well as some amazing adventures and opportunities to engage parents, guardians, and others in community. I have found that same spirit in everyone that I’ve had the privilege can develop. That trust leads us into deeper places within ourselves and our relationships with others. I know that we have issues to confront in Cincinnati, but there are stories of immense goodness in every neighborhood of our great city! If we can listen to those stories, learn and grow from them, we can confront almost anything that we face, especially as we do that together in community with others. In my faith tradition as a Jesus follower, we draw upon the richness of a shared history with Judaism. I "At ECI, we believe transformational groth is the best kind of change," Rev. Rich Jones Credit: Rev. Rich Jones to work with at ECI and Oasis. These are folks who are simply committed to practicing goodness. I’ve also seen that same spirit in so many other organizations across this city. It is truly an exciting time of change- of transformation. In times of change, the practice of being rooted in a place where relationships can flourish is important. I believe that neighborhood living, being in community with others, can help us move through change and come out stronger. There is something deeper at work in our neighborhoods. If we follow the practice of Daniel and so many others by listening to our neighbors, staying curious and patient, asking questions, and looking for opportunities to build bridges, not walls, we can begin to see authentic community arise where we can find cooperation and real progress on some of the issues that surround us. A friend of mine, Cormac Russell, reminded me recently that it’s far more important to stay connected rather than correct. Relationships “trump” everything. That doesn't mean that we don’t make a stand at times for what is right, but it does mean that we must remember the humanity of every person. If we can practice authentic empathy and friendship, then trust THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED especially enjoy some of the multiple meanings of words in Hebrew. The Hebrew word “hesed” is found throughout Scripture describing God. It means unfailing love, compassion, and intense loyalty to community. Campers work with mentors Credit: Rev. Rich Jones May we trust God’s “hesed” and live in community/relationship with each other as we grow and live into changing times. [Rev. Rich Jones is a Board Member of the Economics of Compassion Initiative Oasis Cincinnati Pastor at Immanuel Presbyterian Church] �10 LOCAL THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 | N o . 36 5 �No. 36 5 LOCAL | S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 SAAD GHOSN (Continued from page 8) Holistic Mental Health Network'. It came out of Bickett and Jordan's personal experience with mental disorders in friends, family members and juveniles Jordan met through her mediation work. "It felt like a calling, a leading," Jordan says. "There was a need to bring awareness to people suffering from mental health distress, that holistic, bio-psycho-social approaches to treatment, with no stigma and expected full recovery, were available to them." The 'Network', a grassroots effort, provides education, support, advocacy and outreach, all focused on propelling to the forefront the whole person, whole community, and alternative approaches to mental health care. It achieves this through open meetings, expert speakers, and public events. Jordan and Cahalan find strength and inspiration for their work and activism in the Quakers' testimonies and practices of peace, justice, equality, integrity, earth care and community. "In Quakerism, there is no pastor," says Jordan. "We're all considered ministers and get to do all the work. When meeting ends, service begins; our service to the world, that is..." As to how they view their service to the world in the years to come, Cahalan sees it in helping build a local resilient community and a sustainable, grounded life, connecting to local neighbors and STANDING UP FOR LOVE 1 3-year-old Tuezday Henson, a first year student at Oak Hills High School, stood with a group of fellow students in protest of the Westboro Baptist Church's visit. She was there to support her friends and other citizens that believe that "hate does not overpower love." Henson and a small group of students from a gay/straight alliance group, their faculty member, were joined by a larger protest group, many carrying signs that communicated their beliefs about freedom of thought and action. Protesting for social justice has frightening implications: it is a short time from the brutality of Charlottesville and the biased statements of the president. Very recently, DACA immigrants were placed in jeopardy by the president's executive order. Despite these very serious threats to social justice, these students stood bravely opposite the STEVE SUNDERLAND TUEZDAY HENSON SHANNON MURRAY Contributing Writers representatives of the Westboro Baptist Church as church members chanted and waved their posters with clear messages of hate. Standing with them, I saw many cars and trucks driving by us as we stood on the curb in front of the school, many people making obscene gestures, or caring signs with ugly posters. These drive by bullies missed the essence of what the counter protest was all about. Here is how one of the students described her reactions to the event: "My personal experiences with hate have been rare (including this counter-protest), but many of my friends have dealt with this kind of oppression and injustice ever since they came out. I personally know that telling someone you are gay or bisexual can go one of three ways- a long lecture about why it’s wrong and why you “can’t” be who you are, or maybe the person you’re telling doesn’t really agree but accepts you, and maybe they’re proud of you. But saying something like that is a very stressful thing to do. So even though after something like that, it’s hard to walk out of somewhere and be beaten down emotionally because of it. “The counter-protest against Westboro Baptists has been what some could call a blessing because it brought out feelings of love and togetherness inside our community. But in other ways, it could be viewed as hostile amongst the people. The way the people reacted overall seemed very well organized and there was a sense of fellowship within the crowd. Each person counter-protested for their community, their people, or maybe even a personal feeling of dislike for the Westboro Baptists.” THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED 11 friends, living in harmony with the earth; also in more political activism, taking a stand on issues of social justice importance, getting out to the streets, marching, protesting, sittingin, getting arrested... For Jordan, building resilience within herself and others is of paramount importance. She will continue her current involvements. Faithful, however, to the Quakers' process, she will keep a space inside for silence and deep listening; will keep doing what she knows and is able to do; and leave the end result to the Spirit. “People in the crowd of counterprotesters seemed to feel confident in their position on this particular topic. I felt like the younger members of the community handled this hatred in a very superior and principled way. No fights broke out, and safety was one of the top priorities of a lot of people, which I think brought the people together for a greater purpose- to unify. And I think the younger people got the feeling that they could finally be in a safe place because they are protected and supported. Security can be hard to come by when there are people who do hate you for your practices and beliefs, but when something like this happens, people can’t sit by and watch others continue to be hostile to people they know or love. Essentially, the community handled this situation very well, and I am proud to be in such a supportive, concerned, and encouraging citizenry." We can wonder just what young (Continued on page 12) �12 LOCAL GRAYSON, ORLANDER & PÉREZ (Continued from page 3) wages for all working folks. Don, I saw right away believed that as well. Don was always willing to help me with any workers issues that I came across. We worked together on some major wage theft issues and had some wins all thanks to Don’s experience and his hard work. Don truly cares about workers’ rights and is highly respected throughout the Cincinnati Building Trades Unions. Don is most deserving of recognition for his fighting for workers’ rights.” - Fred Hubbard, Retired Business “Don is a master listener, practicing the act and art of listening intently, compassionately and empathetically; he has won the love, trust and confidence of many. His method is always to emphasize and amplify the voices in the community; he truly exemplifies what it means to be an ally and an advocate.” Magda Orlander, Organizer for Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center “It's a blessing being able to share a few words of how honorable Don Sherman was to us by showing his compassion and letting us know his heart. He really did his best. He helped us all, leading us to the right S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 | N o . 36 5 2008 Membership Meeting, Vine Street Credit: Cincinnati Interfaith Worker Center Workers Center Member Meeting July 2011, Immingration Reform Rally, D.C., (Cincinnati Caucus Photo) Credit: Cincinnati Interfaith Worker Center Credit: Cincinnati Interfaith Worker Center Agent and Past President of the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers DR. MARK MUSSMAN (Continued from page 5) clothing, or eating out of the garbage cans – all demonstrably aimed at people experiencing homelessness. The double standard here is easy to see as they sell high end liquor and craft beer in the park, but one cannot bring a can of cheap beer into the park. “Buy our beer or else we’ll call the cops on you!” One last double standard is obvious, but you might have just accepted it as normal. This is the cutouts that bars and restaurants use on the sidewalks. Leaving merely 3 feet of space to pass through, these railed off areas allow bars to serve alcohol on the sidewalks – this is why they SUNDERLAND ET AL (Continued from page 11) people make of violent statements and actions as they observe members of the adult community present themselves with so little respect. The "counter-protest," as the young people called it, showed both courage to be present and courage to present themselves as agents of compassion and integrity. Bullying, hate speech, arbitrary punishments, and isolation are too much a part of young people's lives in and out of schools. Seeing a group of young people, many of them carrying rainbow flags, or wearing rainbow colors on their faces, arms, and shirts, walking together with people and to the right decision, giving us the support we needed to not be afraid. It took years, but we did it. We helped get thousands in wages and earned U-Visas for me and the other campaign leaders who came forward. Thank you “Don The must be permanent, to allow alcohol on the sidewalk. So, here we have a privatized sidewalk area where people can drink, but if someone drinks outside of the barricade, especially if they are experiencing homelessness or “not the right class for the new ‘OTR’,” they may get the police called on them, or at least judged and told that they need to get a job. We must remember that most people who are experiencing homelessness actually have jobs, but the wages are too low and the cost of housing is rising faster than wages. Whether or not the development is sustainable in Over-the-Rhine is a real concern. But without effort put into creating and sustaining affordable housing, things won’t change on the whim of the market. Study after study has shown the need for affordable housing in Cincinnati and we need the big players, like 3CDC, to step up for people in the lowest income brackets. Your bank account does not determine your worth in a just society. Income inequality and housing affordability is a real problem, and if we don’t get a handle on it, “OTR” will truly only stand for “Only the Rich.” If you'd like to learn more about gentrification, displacement, and affordable housing, please sign up for a tour of Over-the-Rhine under our Education section, on our website: http://cincihomeless.org. obvious strong feelings of affection was a powerful message of hope for a different world, a place of caring and inclusion. Standing with these young people was their faculty advisor, teaching by his presence just how important ideas are in the creating of an adulthood of principle. He felt: "I saw yesterday a small but heartening display of good people rejecting ignorance in a manner consistent with those who fight hatred and bigotry with love and rationalism. On a side of town that gets stereotyped for being 13th century in its social attitudes, I was pleased at the positive display of support that our students were subjected to; if they learned from the experience, my hope would be they learned that they are loved and supported by many, that there are ways to counter hatred with dignity, and that the good (once awoken) usually outnumber the bad. I know that our students still encounter, at school, ignorance and intolerance; but perhaps with every Westboro-type incident, the number of such incidents will continue to wither (I have been doing this for 20 years at Oak Hills - the atmosphere has gradually shifted to greater acceptance of our LGBT community). But yesterday, I hope, proved to them that they are capable of coming together in their own self-interest, --------------------------------------- THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Bomb”.”   - Salvador Martinez, Member - Leader of the Animal Hospital Campaign, Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center Man passes Craft Brew sign at Washington Park Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman and with that confidence, they will continue to advocate for themselves and their community. With that in mind, "thank you" Westboro Baptist for helping our youth develop agency! I would also celebrate the fact that this incident marks the first time that the Oak Hills administration has publicly supported the GSA; this is commendable progress and greatly appreciated." What is left after a protest? In this case, a group of students became citizens in a way that has transformed their minds and hearts. A baton of justice and peace was passed into the hands of some able people. We are lucky to have such citizens. �No. 36 5 | S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 CRYING RAIN 13 STREET VOICE Looking out the window The rain is falling hard, and fast There are intervals of thunder Slashing ever so often TIGER, TIGER SHAKE UP CONGRESS (With apologies to William Blake.) Tiger, tiger burning bright. Politics now is such a fright. Could you or else a grouchy lion, Go put a scare in Speaker Ryan? We'd ask you then to quickly switch, And then it suddenly stops And do the same to Senator Mitch. Until the next thunder slash appears The times require some feline force It lets you know that God is, near So take heed To get our Congress back on course. BILL WOODS Contributing Writer Listen to his might Because thunder and rain, Will, be coming KIM GREEN Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer WHAT’S GOING ON What’s going on asked singer Marvin Gaye What’s going on in our world of today Stealing from each other, killing one another Lying, cheating and still calling each other brother Disillusioned by what our lives should really be Misunderstanding that we’re all born in sin, you and me Forgetting each day to let live and let love Forgetting to give all praises due to God up above Everyone needs to take time out to pray And ask God to forgive our sins each and everyday To replace hate with peace and love where ever we can Only then can we see what’s going on all over the land So for me this is what’s really going on We as a people must come together before all life is gone!!! WILLA DENISE JONES Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �14 PUZZLES CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 134 Across 1. Part of a book 5. An aggressive remark 9. Restaurant bill 12. Underneath 13. Chills and fever 14. Kind of starch 16. Publish 17. Transmitted 18. An instinctive motive 19. Entranceway 20. Writing tablet 21. Part of a stable 22. Watch face 24. Number of items in a brace 26. Up to now 27. Back muscle 30. Mouthpiece used to control a horse 31. Ecstatic 33. Combined 35. Levy 36. Particle 40. Unwind 41. Sauce made of fermented beans 42. Kinship group 43. Water jug 44. Writing implement 45. Large seabird 46. Long narrative poem 48. A small drink 49. Oculus 50. Male sheep 53. Allow 54. Finished 56. Lament 58. Maven 59. Untie 63. Exchange for money 64. Chop 66. Extraterrestrial being 67. Large woody plant 68. Fiend 69. Palisade 70. Golf peg 71. Bard 72. Make a long and difficult journey Down 1. Currency of Cuba 2. In addition 3. Any of numerous fruits with hard rinds 4. Female sheep 5. Volcanic rock 6. Elderly 7. Operate 8. Wager 9. Drawn tight 10. Impressive display 11. Brass instrument 12. Tender 15. Thaw 20. Discharged a debt 21. Concession given to placate 23. Type of wild goat 24. Serving dish 25. Increase in phase 27. Tempt 28. Afresh 29. Thin flat slab of fired clay 32. Mountain lake 34. Counterweight used to obtain net weight 35. Unit of weight 37. Prong 38. Take orders 39. Boundary line 41. Faction 42. Finishing line for a foot race 44. Pastry item 45. Donate 47. Travel a route regularly 48. Kind of receptacle 50. Remainder 51. Awake 52. Scrimmage 55. Measuring stick 57. Mirth 58. Unit of area 60. Square root of eighty-one 61. Pack of cards 62. Single 64. Jump lightly 65. In the past 66. Astern PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ISSUE 350 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 133 S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 | N o . 36 5 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 264 - MEDIUM SODOKU PUZZLE NO 263- MEDIUM PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �No. 36 5 RESOURCES | S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Shelter: Women and Children Bethany House 1841 Fairmount Ave. 45214 557-2873 The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women 2499 Reading Road 562-1980 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 6037 Cary Ave. 45224 1730 Race Street 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 621-7265 1528 Race St. 45202 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 241-1064 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 Other Resources 562-8841 215 E. 14th St. 45202 4230 Hamilton Ave. 45223 112 E. Liberty Street 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 St. Vincent de Paul 721-0643 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Men Shelterhouse 411 Gest St. 45203 4600 Erie Ave. 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 1125 Bank Street 45214 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 1437 Walnut Street 45202 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Parkway Center 661-4620 1805 Dalton Ave. 45214 Interfaith Hospitality Network Housing: 471-1100 Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 421-0065 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 OTR: 1620 Vine Street 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert Ave. 45206 351-0422 381-6672 Joseph House (Veterans) 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 Advocacy Catholic Social Action Community Action Agency Contact Center Franciscan JPIC Gr. Cinti Coalition for the Homeless 421-3131 569-1840 381-4242 721-4700 421-7803 Legal Aid Society Ohio Justice & Policy Center UpSpring 241-9400 421-1108 363-3300 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 977-6800 859-572-6226 First Lutheran Church 1208 Race St. Food - Last Monday 12-1 Clothing - second Monday 12-1 Lord’s Pantry OTR/Walnut Hills Kitchen & Pantry AA Hotline CCAT 1522 Republic Street 45202 961-4555 381-1954 421-5211 Food/Clothing 961-4663 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. 45214 Tom Geiger House Volunteers of America Anna Louise Inn VA VA Homeless 961-2256 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Both 221-HELP 721-8666 2401 Reading Rd. 45202 Starting Over 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 Talbert House Tender Mercies 2401-2411 Reading Rd. 45202 921-1613 First Step Home 761-1480 721-4580 632-7149 381-1171 27 W. 12th Street 45202 Prospect House Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Women Caracole (HIV/AIDS) CMHA Excel Development OTR Community Housing 114 W. 14th Street 45202 784-1853 682 Hawthorne Ave. 45205 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 Charlie’s 3/4 House 2121 Vine Street 45202 Shelter: Youth Health 961-0600 Center for Respite Care 621-1868 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 3550 Washington Ave. 45229 5 E. Liberty St. 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 McMicken Integrated Care Clinic and Mobile $100 for 26 issues Center Independent Living Options Peaslee Neighborhood Center 241-2600 621-5514 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart Goodwill Industries Intercommunity Justice & Peace Cr. Mary Magdalen House 381-0111 771-4800 579-8547 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 Salvation Army Serenity House Day Center Open Door Pantry 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 981-4200 863-1445 422-8555 868-3276 859-491-8303 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 Want to advertise in Streetvibes? Cincinnati Health Network 2825 Burnet Ave. 45219 621-5300 961-1983 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio FreeStore/FoodBank 762-5660 Shelter: Men Medical Van 352-6364 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 Salvation Army 131 E. 12th Street 45202 15 $150 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED 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 for 26 issues and a $50 donation �16 S e p t 2 2 - O c t 5 , 2 0 17 | N o . 36 5 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 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 2/2015 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 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED QUEENACELASTINE SINCE 7/2017 � 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 2017 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 22-October 5, 2017 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: From the Director A Local Affordable Housing Trust Fund Pg 3: Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center Peace Builder Award Pg 4: How to Respond to Panhandling Pg 5: Double Trouble Pg 6: GCHC Pg 7: Duke’s Pipeline Delayed Pg 8: Religious Peacemakers Pg 9: Change Pg 10: GCHC Pg 11: Standing Up for Love Pg 12: Grayson, Orlander & Perez Continued Dr. Mark Mussman Continued Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 22-October 5, 2017 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Bill Woods Alice Skirtz Brennan Grayson Magda Orlander Manuel Perez Dr. Mark Mussman Micahael Earl Patton Saad Ghosn Rev. Rich Jones Steve Sunderland Tuezday Henson Shannon Murray Kim Green Willa Denise Jones Peaslee Neighborhoood Center Alice Schneider Cincinnati Interfaith Worker Center Duke Energy Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alice Schneider Alice Skirtz Bill Woods Brennan Grayson Cincinnati Interfaith Worker Center Don Sherman Dr. Mark Mussman Duke Energy Josh Spring Jubilee Campaign Kim Green Magda Orlander Manuel Perez Micahael Earl Patton Peaslee Neighborhoood Center Pipeline Religion Rev. Rich Jones Saad Ghosn Shannon Murray Steve Sunderland Tuezday Henson Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/9ac0e8259fc06f03192403c8c5ecc5e5.pdf 25b1cd42b5ef5b8fb81ce2a5eb2e6643 PDF Text Text September 21st - October 4th 2018 | Vol. 21 Issue 17 (No. 390) advocating justice | building community Educational Opportunities Abound | 3 This Issue is sponsored by Cecilia and Tom Kloecker INSIDE THIS ISSUE Dismal News About Growing Poverty | 2 Religious Peacemakers: Bakhtavar & Fred Desai | 8 SunWatch Village | 9 When Things Go Broke | 12 Find previous issues of Streetvibes online at: cincistreetvibes.org Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition 113 E. 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 streetvoice | 13 �2 LOCAL From The Director: Time for Action W e need action that results in strategic change. Not “change” in a cliché sense, but we need to operate in a way that actually accomplishes what people need. In terms of homelessness and housing, we know what the problems are, and we know what causes those problems. We know that vast amounts of people are losing their homes. We know that people are unjustly being evicted from their homes. We know companies who receive city development incentives are displacing people from their homes. We know we don’t have anywhere near the amount of affordable housing that we need and we know that daily housing is getting only more expensive as significant numbers of affordable homes become threatened and are decreasing in quality. We know that shelters and other existing “homelessness services” can’t possibly keep up and we know that in reality we should be preventing these problems before they even happen. We also know that we could S e p t 2 1 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 | N o . 390 JOSH SPRING Executive Director Josh Spring Credit: Homeless Coalition create and fund an affordable housing trust fund, legislate protections for people against unjust evictions and provide resources to keep people in their homes. We cannot disburse development incentives to companies that displace and instead require that such incentives must be coupled with the development of affordable housing and living wage employment. We can end the governmental criminalization of homelessness by protecting peoples’ basic human rights. We can create legislation that supports the right of tenants to organize themselves and would prevent housing discrimination based on one’s source of income. We can stop giving millions of tax dollars to wealthy people and wealthy companies and instead invest those dollars into the well being of people who really need it. We know the problems, we know the causes of the problems, we know the results of the problems and we know the solutions. In fact, we have known all of this; we have not recently learned these things. Yet we are in the same situations we have been in, except they are getting worse. Our organization and our partners are acting, we are organizing people, advocating, researching and presenting solutions. The people who can pass these legislative items and policy changes need to also act. We have to get beyond discussions and accomplish what we know needs to happen. Dismal News About Growing Poverty T he news media reported last week about growing poverty in Cincinnati. According to data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of residents living in poverty increased by more than 10,000 from 2007 to 2017. Translated into percentages, the city's poverty rate during that decade grew by 4.2 percent to climb to 27.7 percent of its total population. Consequently, Cincinnati has the dubious distinction to be included with four other cities that possess the highest poverty rates among U.S. communities with populations of over 250,000. Although Cincinnati ranked third behind New Orleans and Mesa, Arizona in terms of the poverty growth rate from 2007 to 2017, very few middle size to large cities in the U.S. fared very well during this time frame. In fact, the poverty percentages in half of the country's eighty-one largest cities have not declined to their pre-recession levels. During this decade, the poverty rate in both Ohio and the nation also grew. What are we to make of these dismal numbers that don't seem to jibe with rosy current reports about the U.S. economy? Certainly, they come as no surprise to members of the Homeless Coalition or Advocates For Affordable Housing who work BILL WOODS Contributing Writer with people in economic distress on a daily basis. The recent LISCstudy that shows Cincinnati to have an affordable housing deficit of 40,000 units also provided evidence to prepare us for the grim poverty statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. Why is poverty in Cincinnati and in the nation as a whole continuing to grow at a time when traditional economic indicators indicate a successful economy? For those who are able to connect the dots like former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, the reasons are obvious. They see the direct connection between government policy and economic inequality. Since the 1980s, the influence of "big money" and corporate lobbyists have grown at a rapid rate. It is no coincidence that the tradition launched by the New Deal of government policies that promoted a more equitable economy and pieced together a safety net of programs and services has waned. Ronald Reagan as (Continued on page 3) 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, Maria Funcheon, Bob Brown, Jim Luken, Saad Ghosn, Michael Earl Patton, Cleo Wombles, Kim Green, Willa Denise Jones ----------------------------------------------Photography/ Artwork: Homeless Coalition, Dr. Mark Mussman, Saad Ghosn, Michael Earl Patton, Aimee Willhoite, Bill Woods --------------------------------------------------Thank You For Reading Streetvibes And Supporting Our Mission To Build Community And Advocate Justice. Bill Woods accepting last year's buddy gray award Credit: Homeless Coalition THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED Streetvibes and The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless do not endorse candidates for public office. �LOCAL Educational Opportunities Abound 3 No. 39 0 | Sept 21 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 DR. MARK MUSSMAN E ducation is one of the best ways for people to gain a new perspective. Whether you take a Over-the-Rhine People's Movement Walking Tour with the Homeless Coalition, take in a Speaker, or participate in a Streetvibes Shadow Activity, you will undoubtedly gain a new perspective on homelessness. We intend for this work to increase your knowledge about statistics regarding poverty and homelessness in the city but also gaining that perspective to increase your empathy that you have towards people who you might interact with on a daily basis. Understanding the different types of homelessness including living in a car, a shelter, on the street, couch-surfing, or even “homeless at home” where you might have a roof over your head, but there is no food on the table or any support, is the difference of supporting people who need help and becoming an advocate. The walking tour is an opportunity for you to learn about the history of Cincinnati, and of the neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine. This opportunity takes place on your schedule, we do these during the Staff Writer Willa Jones, Streetvibes Distributor and Author, shared her poetry with groups Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman completed by going out onto the street and distributing the paper yourself. We do this in groups, so it is a very supportive environment. People get a new perspective on panhandling through this activity, and it also helps them understand how they can respond to panhandling in their own lives. We offer other educational activities, including one called Shelter Seekers. Shelter Seekers puts yourself in the shoes of somebody who runs a shelter. You are tasked with determining who can stay in the shelter for the night, and who has to find somewhere else to go. Can you make a decision between an older person and a family? This activity is beneficial because all of our shelters are over capacity and so many people, most people, are turned away from the shelter. This is not because the shelters don't work all the time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, but because the need is so great. Participating in one or all of these housing, and what currently is available in the neighborhood. This is also an opportunity to learn about what is affordable housing and what does it actually looks like. The speaking engagement is an opportunity to hear from somebody who has experienced homelessness. By putting a face on to the issue, we Cleo Wombles, Homeless Coalition Speakers Bureau Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman are more likely to understand how we can get involved to eradicate homelessness. We have several different speakers who all have an amazing story. Their stories illustrate the ways in which people end up without a home, the ways that they struggled during their homelessness, and hopefully how they're doing today. Each speaker is paid for their time, this ensures that they know that we value them. Just like our educational events, we are available to do these on nights and during the weekends. During the Streetvibes Shadow activity you will be able to learn about how Streetvibes works what goes into making the paper, and who sells the paper, and why. You also hear an individual's story who benefits from the work of Streetvibes, and to put in the work to become a distributor of the paper. This opportunity is dollars. This year, after Congress passed a huge tax cut for corporations and the very rich, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposes raising the rents for occupants of Public Housing. These connected trends of a Congress that is a captive of "big money," and the continual government neglect of growing income inequality and poverty, led a scholar of economics, Robert Reich, to chair the reform group Common Cause in recent years. Reich believes that before we can ever forge new policies to bring about a more equitable economy, we will need to repair our battered democratic process. So, the data released last week on Cincinnati's increased poverty rate is more understandable when seen in the context of political and governmental systems that no longer have an interest in controlling corporate or financial excesses or in Sam Jackson, Homeless Coalition Speakers Bureau, shared his story with CUE students Credit: Dr. Mark Mussman weekend and at night as well. If you get together a group of people, we can do a tour up to about 25 people at a time. Each tour only cost $80. There is also an opportunity to learn about gentrification, displacement, and hostile design. Learn about buddy gray, the struggle for affordable BILL WOODS (Continued from page 3) President even articulated an ideology that blames the poor for their poverty and dismisses anti-poverty programs as counterproductive. From Reagan till today, we have witnessed a steady erosion of funding for programs that assist low income individual and families. For instance, as early as 1987, federal funds for various affordable housing programs had been slashed by $7.8-billion THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED programs through the Homeless Coalition will give you a new perspective on poverty, as well as, how we work to eradicate homelessness. We must work to create and sustain affordable housing, livable wages, and housing protections. Only through structural change will we be able to ensure everyone has access to safe and affordable housing. Please visit our website to request an educational event. --------------------------------------maintaining an adequate safety net. Reforming these systems is going to take time and monumental citizen organizing. Nevertheless, the process starts now by convincing potential voters that their vote still counts, and that the upcoming midterm elections could be a first step in reestablishing a government that at least partially believes it exists to serve "we the people." --------------------------------------- �4 OPINION S e p t 2 1 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 | N o . 390 SHELTERHOUSE (Greater Cincinnati largest homeless shelter) The David and Rebecca Barron Center for Men 411 Gest Street Cincinnati, OH 45203 513-721-0643 Wednesday October 17, 2018 9:00 – 11:30 am Shelterhouse is seeking employers to participate in our job fair! Areas of interest. • • • • Entry level Customer Service Skilled labor Dishwasher and more…. *11:15 a.m. - RAFFLE DRAWING *Qualified Participants- Unhoused RRH clients, housed RRH clients, and those who once participated in the Rapid Re-Housing Program. Shelterhouse Contact: Lavelle Horne: lhorne@shelterhousecincy.org or (513) 614-6018 Are stereotypes good? W hat if I told you the local library had a new program for your kids? Would you be interested in having someone read your children stories while madeup in blackface? I think you might rightfully be horrified at the notion. Why, then, are we encouraged to celebrate when men read stories to kids while made-up in girlface? If you've not heard of "girlface," it is the more accurate term for what otherwise gets called "drag." "Drag Queen Story Hours" are popping up in several cities, and proponents claim this is a good way to teach children about gender fluidity. JASON HAAP Contributing Writer First, let me make some things clear: I have no problems with the concept of "gender fluidity," and I don't have a problem teaching children about it. I do question, however, the wisdom of promoting gross stereotypes of half the population under the guise of education. I am aware that drag queens have a long history in gay and lesbian culture. Blackface also had a history in American culture, but that doesn't make it right. This parallel, though (which is not a criticism original to me), is not based merely on the fact that people are painting their faces to look differently. Instead, it's the fact that girlface, like blackface, takes all the worst stereotypes, and then exaggerates them to a grotesque extreme. What are some hallmarks of "girlface"? Portraying women as self-absorbed, overly sexualized, and behaving in a way most traditionally described as "bitchy." Why would anyone want young girls to look up to such a twisted portrayal? If a character in blackface wanted to teach kids about how to overcome racism, I'd oppose the notion. The righteousness of the message THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED would not excuse the portrayal. Honestly, I feel like this nasty portrayal of femininity is bad for all women - straight, gay, cis, trans, etc. Womanhood is not enriched by portraying it in offensive and cartoonish ways. Trans women do not look like drag queens, and that's because, in their attempt to live as their true selves, they are not tapping into the worst stereotypes we have about females. So, I'm sorry, but I just can't get on board with "Drag Queen Story Hours," though for reasons markedly different from what I imagine are the common objections from our conservative neighbors. [Editor’s note: You can contact Jason Haap at jasonhaap@gmail. com or send letters to the editor at streetvibes@cincihomeless.org] �OPINION Young Athletes: Be A Player Who Acts No. 39 0 | Sept 21 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 W MARIA FUNCHEON ith all eyes on Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who has gained considerable attention for his activism against police brutality toward people of color, it’s his collusion lawsuit against the NFL that could be the next gut punch that unveils another side America’s most profitable sport. Some fans believe Kaepernick is being punished for speaking out against racial issues, while others believe his skill level is keeping him off the field. The outspoken quarterback however, who is the new face of Nike, has similar stats to mid-range starting quarterbacks but has been unable to find a job even as a backup in the league. Teams have chosen to sign formerly retired, allegedly out of shape players over Kaepernick likely to avoid inheriting a media mayhem. Whatever the case, his lawsuit is moving forward and could shine needed light on the treatment of outspoken black players by the NFL as an organization. While talent on the field is rewarded in the form of multimillion-dollar contracts, NFL players are also expected to toe the line in H their personal lives. For players who don’t obey the rules, there are consequences. Writing in an oped in Sports Illustrated, former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive end Jared Odrick argued, “We pledge allegiance to the sport in lieu of a free market and keep our heads down. I’ve asked myself on multiple occasions, Do I want to speak the truth or do I want to make money?” Odrick, who was later released by Jacksonville, recognized that he would likely never play again in the NFL after writing additional articles stating that social injustices cannot continue to be ignored by the league. He is still in free agency. When league Commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners clashed with the NFL Players Association on the freedom to kneel during the anthem, the lines were drawn in the sand. It was clear that the league did not support players’ right to use their voices as any part of a social justice narrative. Despite the fact that 70% of NFL players are black, 74% of NFL front office staff is white. Shahid Khan, the owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, is currently the only non-white team owner in the league. A Pakistani immigrant to the United States, Khan was the only owner to participate in the player protests during the 2017 season, locking arms with his players during a game in London. In an effort to increase diversity in high level positions, the league instituted the “Rooney Rule” in 2002, which dictated that a minority candidate must be interviewed when making a new head coaching or general manager appointment. When the Rooney Rule was established, there were only two minority head coaches. Last season there were eight. Although these are promising steps to increasing diversity, the league remains painfully white off the field. In 2016, 80 of the 85 offensive coordinators, quarterback coaches, and quality control coaches were white, while all but one defensive coordinator were white. The Rooney Rule is proof that the league is capable of recognizing issues of diversity within their own organization and taking action where it is needed, at least with their upper level staff. The league, however, has not shown this Cincinnati has solved the Homeless crisis… BOB BROWN ardly. When the city issued the initial 72-hour eviction notice to the homeless encampment at 3rd and Plum, I imagined it was due to embarrassment if not abject shame. “Welcome to Cincinnati, here are our citizens”. How, pray tell, can people be evicted from nowhere? The city’s compromise solution only provided a five-day reprieve, a few more trash cans and a couple of portalets. When that encampment was relocated, the primary achievement was reclaiming tail-gating real estate for Bengals fans many of whom break all the city’s open container laws and some of whom get drunk and disorderly in public – all with impunity! What’s more, the inference has been D Contributing Writer Staff Writer advanced that the “campers” refused to go to perfectly good shelter spaces, when, in fact, the shelters are, by and large, overcrowded, under-resourced and are life-sized petri dishes for the cultivation of diseases, including but not limited to hepatitis A, B and C, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, lice, scabies and bed bugs. One might argue that the public crisis we are witnessing is positive in that it elevates the conversation we should be having. Prior to engaging in the dialogue, we must dispel the stereotypes often attached to people experiencing homelessness and other marginalized populations. When I engaged the people in the 3rd Street encampment,nowdubbedtheColony, I was struck by the sheer strength of their community. They appear to care for and about one another, they protect one another, provide for one another and defend their rules and standards. They have literally saved the lives of community members through Narcan interventions and have successfully persuaded others to enter rehabilitation programs. Other Cincinnati neighborhoods would welcome such a strong sense of community. Surely there are substance abusers in the community, people with mental/behavioral health issues, even lazy people in the population, but it is arguable that the Letter to the Editor ear Editor: Last issue, I sent in a story to Streetvibes about the social situation in the semi-rural community to which I have retired. I mentioned having joined a friendly creative-writing group in my adopted town (Peace Dale, RI). For our most recent weekly JIM LUKEN Contributing Writer meeting, I read an old Streetvibes essay (which was republished last issue) I had written about racism (“White Like Me,” May 2015) in rural communites (Hillsboro, OH and Northeastern VT) where I had once lived. I promised a brief report on the reaction of my writing group to this essay. Well, my new friends greeted the story with a good deal of interest, even some enthusiasm. I fielded quite a few intelligent responses and questions. These folks seem to clearly understand that their environs near THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED 5 same gusto in supporting diversity and inclusion of thought for players -- their main source of revenue. Jackie Robinson, known for breaking the color barrier in American baseball, was known by many for going about his politics “the right way”: keeping his mouth shut and doing his job in the face of horrible racism. What people may not know was that Robinson was, in fact, very politically active and outspoken. He chose, however, to mainly share his beliefs with the black community, or only after he was no longer playing major league baseball. In 2018, over 70 years after Jackie Robinson took first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers, it’s a shame that major league sports are still bullying their black players into choosing between sacrificing their careers, their livelihoods, and their chance to play the sport they love to advocate for what they believe. Sadly, Odrick is right: Right now, the NFL only wants players who play, not players who act – but times are changing. Kaepernick’s activism, his lawsuit, and his commercials are inspiring millions of motivated young athletes around world to be athletes who act. In ten years, professional sports will be full of athletes who grew up idolizing Colin Kaepernick. --------------------------------------- numbers are proportionally higher than in the general population. The simple fact is that Hamilton County is short about 40,000 housing units. What people experiencing homelessness need is permanent, affordable and supportive housing along with appropriate job training and behavioral health counselling. We appear to be disinclined to invest in this actual and affirmative solution, but are willing to devote resources to projects and endeavors that will actually exacerbate the problem. Stop chasing unicorns! There is little shame in this spectacle and even less empathy. the seashore do not provide much opportunity for interaction with black folks. Some mentioned that this was their loss. A number of those gathered had worked in bigger cities and knew the problems first hand. As an outsider, I am pleased to have become a part of a new (for me) group of people who, like most of us, struggle to understand the world around them, as well as the world at large. Sincerely, Jim Luken �6 LOCAL THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED S e p t 2 1 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 | N o . 390 �OPINION The Seventeen Year-long Lie or Fool me Once No. 39 0 | Sept 21 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 JIM LUKEN Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle s most people today believe, the CIA, in 1963, pulled off the crime of the century. Once they got away with killing JFK (and Oswald), the spooks knew that they could pull off just about anything. So, in 2001, this century had barely begun, and they provided us with another one. At minimum the most sophisticated and mammothlyfunded intelligence community in the world, did absolutely nothing to prevent 19 partying, bungling Arabs from creating nationwide havoc and fear, by purportedly using box cutters to bring down three buildings and put a hole in the most secure government building, the Pentagon. I have been writing essays, interviews, investigative pieces, and even a movie (non)-review [American Sniper] for this newspaper for more than seven years. At the request of the retiring editor, I sent in numerous articles over the past year from my new home in Rhode Island. I am very proud of this “street” paper and proud that I have been a part of its long history. This will be the last story I send…probably. About four years ago, I did a series—five issues in a row—of stories related to various famous (and infamous) conspiracies, including the Kennedy assassination. As a serious writer, I do my best to unearth the honest-to-God truth regarding anything I write. The conspiracy that has occupied most of my time and energy for the past 17 years is the one surrounding what really happened on (and before and after) the so-called “terrorist attacks” on this country that occurred on September 11, 2001. I don't hesitate to state, up front, that I am convinced that the primary terrorists on that day, “the day that changed everything,” were our own government, its military, its intelligence agencies, aided and abetted by money and espionage from several foreign governments. If any of you find this notion unpatriotic or crazy, feel free to write letters to the editor. I promise to read them and respond with my own letter. In addition to my Streetvibes pieces about 9/11, I also wrote a satirical one act play about it (“Photoop”, or “My Intrusting Day at Skule”) in which George W. Bush is famously sitting in a classroom in Florida listening to 2nd graders recite a story about a pet goat, all the while our country is clearly “under attack.” As he sits there thinking about what is going on up north, W is visited by his dad, his wife, the CIA, even Jesus, who he has invoked through several A Contributing Writer “Oh-dear-God-what-am-I-doinghere?” prayers. [Interestingly, Dick Croy, a close friend and also a contributor to this newspaper, wrote his own screenplay (now a novella) entitled “False Flag,” and dealing with painful human fallout from 9/11. It can be read for free online at Scribd.com.  https:// www.scribd.com/doc/142983438/ FALSE-FLAG-Novella ] Owning an MA in theater, I also wrote a full-length play (Special Eddy) about an Iraq vet with PTSD, who has soured on his involvement in that war, and who now teaches special education at an inner-city school. The teacher, Eddy, debunks the conspiracy theory at first, but—after some on-line research— becomes a true believer. He decides to use YouTube evidence in hopes of convincing his pet student, a fiery black 17-year-old, to give up on his plan of becoming a Marine and “killing ragheads in Iraq. No theater in Cincy would take on my play. On the tenth anniversary of 9/11/01, when I was 64, I took an overnight bus ride to Manhattan and made my way to Ground Zero. There, among thousands of demonstrators, I carried a tri-fold sign that I had made back in Cincy. The sign read: “We honor the victims by learning the truth.” A Canadian radio station interviewed me about the sign. I also talked to an on-duty NYPD cop who had lost friends in the collapse of the Towers. He told me that many cops on the force, as well as many firemen, know that this had to have been an inside job, but were forbidden to say a word publicly about their convictions. I used a fake name in quoting this angry policeman. Over the years I have helped convince many people to take a long look at the official government story, and at the mountain of contradictory evidence compiled by (literally) thousands of people all over the world who believe that 9/11 was an inside job. That the Arabs were patsies. That WE did it! In this my swan song for Streetvibes, I will simply set out a list of factoids (mostly from memory) indicating that the events of that day did not happen the way the 9/11 Commission report said they did. You are free to totally disagree, or to do some research yourself. Your favorite search engine will provide tons of articles and videos. My intention here is to simply provide a concise list of inconsistencies, oddities, lies and impossibilities. To see long lists of professionals who agree with me, please check out (on-line): Patriots for 9/11 Truth, Pilots for 9/11Truth, Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth (3000 + of them). Many academics and celebrities are on board as well. So here goes: About the 9/11 Commission: Bush tried his best to keep the commission from ever happening. After the Commission’s report was released, the two head guys, Gov. Tom Kean and Sen. Lee Hamilton (in their book, Without Precedent) stated outright that “we were set up to fail.” They wrote that they had been underfunded and lied to by Norad (North American Aerospace Command), the FAA, the Defense Department and the CIA, and given insufficient time to do a thorough job. In the lame attempt at uncovering the truth, the 9/11 Commission failed to even mention World Trade Center 7, a 47-story skyscraper that collapsed into its own footprint late that fateful afternoon at Ground Zero. The 19 Terrorists, the alleged hijackers: 1) Several of them took flight training (in small Cessna prop planes). One flunked. 2) We have been shown no video evidence of them boarding the planes. 3) All of those named as hijackers were from Egypt and Saudi Arabia, seven of these are alive today, living in those countries, the apparent victims of identity theft. 4) After 9/11, the US did not choose to attack Egypt or Saudi Arabia. Instead, we attacked Afghanistan (where as of now we have been at war for 17 years). [Later, we all-but destroyed (Iraq) a sovereign country that is proven to have had nothing whatsoever to do with the 9/11 attacks]. The planes: Most of the worldwide conspiracy community believes that drone technology (available at that time) had been secretly installed in each of the planes. Thus, shortly after take-off, the planes could no longer be controlled from the cockpits (by either the pilots or the patsy hijackers). They flew into the buildings at such speed, and—in the case of the Pentagon—using an incredibly difficult flight maneuver. Dozens of pilots have avowed that such a maneuver would have been possible for only the most skilled professionals. Supposedly only one flight recorder was recovered from the four planes. These are almost always located after a crash. What happened to them? Only one video exists of United Flight 77 hitting the Pentagon. It is impossible to identify an actual aircraft in the explosion. Footage from dozens of other surveillance cameras was confiscated and never released by the Pentagon. The small hole in the building and the absence of any large pieces of wreckage at the scene, have led many researchers to believe that a missile hit the Pentagon, not a giant aircraft. [I find THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED 7 myself on the side of it having been a 757 (controlled by a computer or drone pilot) rather than a “missile.”] United Flight 93 famously was said to have “crashed” in remote Shanksville, PA, because brave passengers stormed the cockpit and deliberately prevented it from it doing further damage in Washington, DC. Maybe some readers saw the “Let's Roll” movie. It is a fact however that debris from that plane was found as far as eight miles away from the purported crash site. If you Google “Flight 93 crash site,” you will see an incredibly small hole in the ground, and almost none of the horrible wreckage we associate with giant plane crashes. Many conspiracy researchers believe that an unmarked (government?) plane, seen flying near flight 93, shot the plane down in mid-flight. Probably the most incredible fact regarding the four jetliners is that they flew erratically over the east coast for nearly two hours without ever being intercepted by the most world's most sophisticated air defense system, and that this occurred in the most heavily defended air corridor (Boston to DC) in the world. Sixty-seven times during the previous year, planes had gone off course and were dutifully intercepted by our fighter jets. Another mystery: there were at least five war games being conducted by the US military that day in that air corridor. This apparently resulted in enormous confusion among flight controllers, pilots and commanders, making it difficult for them to distinguish the reality of what was going on in real time from this strange set of exercises. Could this be a coincidence? If so, it is seldom mentioned by those who support the official account. George W. Bush and the pet goat story. This has received a great deal of attention, perhaps because “W” has always been considered something of a buffoon, a Keystone Kop, a member of “the gang that couldn't shoot straight.” The worst president ever, before you know whom. In the midst of this second-grade “photo op” event, the President's press secretary, Andy Card, came up to W, whispering in his ear, “A second building has been hit. America is under attack.” Bush then sits there, a strange quizzical look on his face, instead of—one would hope— jumping into action as, you know, Commander in Chief. Even more incredible is the fact that all the Secret Service protocols involving “a clear and present danger” to the President were ignored that day. No one knew if there were other terrorist planes heading for the school where Bush dallied for 20 + minutes, theoretically putting students and staff, and all the others who were present into imminent hazard. As one who has lampooned this Pet Goat situation, I still shake my (Continued on page 11) �8 RELIGIOUS PEACEMAKERS "Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds" Has Been the Constant Motto of Bakhtavar & Fred Desai Throughout Their Life and One of the Essential Teachings of Their Zoroastrian Faith S e p t 2 1 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 | N o . 390 "W e were taught all of our life to think good, speak good and do good," say in unison Bakhtavar and Fred Desai, both Indian descendants of Parsi Zoroastrian priests, ancient Iranians who fled Iran after the Arab Invasion and the subsequent Islamic conquest of Persia in the mid-7th century, and who resettled in India. "India is a melting pot; and we grew up with people of all religions, free and respectful of each other, in good relations with all," they add. Partners in life and in faith, both Bakhtavar and Fred, growing up, were nurtured by their peaceful religion and by the Non-Violence ideals of Gandhi, also taught by their parents, at school, and through society to live peacefully together and to never look down at anyone else because of their different appearance, religion, race, socio-economic status... Bakhtavar grew up in Nagpur, Central India, and attended a private secular school for girls founded more than a hundred years ago by a group of philanthropic Zoroastrian industrialists, the Tata family, at the request of the wife of one of their founding members, as she wanted to provide education and literacy to women equal to men. The school was open to all girls, irrespective of their SAAD GHOSN Contributing Writer religion, and they all had to attend classes on moral standing which taught them general values and good principles on which to base their life. Fred attended a similar school for boys but in Mumbai where he was raised. Growing up, both celebrated with their family Zoroastrian religious events and festivals, and participated also in feasts and holidays of the other religions of their city, in particular Hindu, Christian and Muslim. Nowruz, the Persian new year celebrated every 21st of March, was a Holy Day for them and marked the respect of their religious community for the creation of God, the birth of the spiritual and material world, the elements of earth, sky, water, air, plants and animals. The festivities included visits to the Zoroastrian fire temple, prayers, reunions and meals with family and friends. They also participated, among others, in "gahambars", festivals that marked seasonal changes centered around agriculture and farming activities, and that expressed their appreciation to God. The Desai's childhood and teen age were quiet and with no strife. Both, however, were critical of the Hindu cast system prevalent in their society and which gave less importance to the low cast poor "servants", the "Untouchables", than to the Brahman priests. "We were revolting among ourselves why would someone be called "Untouchable" and we would not miss an opportunity to befriend Bakhtavar and Fred Desai What is the ZOROASTRIAN religion (aka ZOROASTRIANISM) Zoroastrianism is one of the world's oldest existing religions, with roots possibly dating back to the second millennium BCE. Zoroastrianism which entered recorded history in the 5thcentury BCE, served as the state religion of the pre-Islamic Iranian empires for more than a millennium, from around 600 BCE to 650 CE. It was suppressed from the 7th century onwards following the Muslim conquest of Persia of 633–654. Zoroastrianism is ascribed to the teachings of the Iranian speaking prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra), and exalts a deity of wisdom, Ahura Mazda (Wise Lord), as its Supreme Being. It is monotheistic, with a single creator god, dualistic in cosmology with the concept of good and evil, and eschatological, predicting the ultimate destruction of evil. Some of its major features such as messianism, judgment after death, heaven and hell, and free will have influenced other religious systems, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Zoroastrianism's purpose in life is to "be among those who renew the world... to make the world progress towards perfection". Its basic tenets include: • Humata, Hukhta, Huvarshta, which mean: Good Thoughts, Good Words, Good Deeds. • The existence of only one path which is the path of Truth. • The need to do the right thing because it is the right thing to do, and that all beneficial rewards will follow. Central to Zoroastrianism is the emphasis on moral choice, to choose the responsibility and duty for which one is in the mortal world. Predestination is rejected, and humans bear responsibility for all situations they are in, and in the way they act toward one another. Reward, punishment, happiness, and grief all depend on how individuals live their lives. The number of Zoroastrians in the world is low and in decline. It is currently estimated at around 200,000, with most living in India and in Iran. In the Greater Cincinnati area they are close to 150. the workers at school, in residential settings, in public areas," says Bakhtavar. "And my parents would pay for the education of our maid's children and facilitate employment for her relatives, in order to help them climb the ladder," adds Fred. After High School, Bakhtavar joined the local university of her town and studied business graduating with a bachelor’s degree. And after working for a while and earning some money, she put it toward her personal interest pursuing degrees in English Literature. Fred graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Mumbai, then with a PhD from the University of Akron, OH, in the US. In the meantime, and according to the religious tradition of his family he had also studied to become a Zoroastrian priest, a function he practices until now, leading prayers and officiating at weddings and christenings. While a student Fred would also participate in various activities helping others, such as, for instance, raising money for earthquake victims, helping fellow Indian students adjust to their new conditions in the US and insuring some of their basic needs, meeting with congressmen in Columbus in support of minority rights... After obtaining his doctorate degree Fred returned to India, married Bakhtavar and both resettled right after in Ann Arbor for 4 years, Fred pursuing a post-doctoral Credit: Saad Ghosn research fellowship. "Ann Arbor was very multicultural. We interacted with people from all over the world, learned about their culture and developed friendships," they say. "People in Ann Arbor also had strong concerns for the environment, for nature and the earth, and this resonated with us and our religion," they add. The Desai's started recycling, reusing, avoiding disposable and nonrecyclable materials such as plastic bags and bottles, aluminum products, etc. They continue doing so now, and have engrained this ecological notion in their three daughters and in the youth they interact with. Recently, in an effort to reduce their reliance of fossil fuels, they installed solar panels on the roof of their house. In 1993, the Desai's moved to Cincinnati where Fred had secured a job at Procter and Gamble. This prompted Bakhtavar's regular involvement with the Fairfield City Schools system that her daughters attended. For many years she volunteered her time every day from 9am to noon helping elementary level (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 �9 LOCAL SunWatch Village No. 39 0 | Sept 21 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 T MICHAEL EARL PATTON he Indians who lived in Ohio before the settlers of European descent arrived at the end of the 18th century are rarely written about. Or shown in movies and television programs. Hollywood has made hundreds of movies and television episodes about the Indians to the west and the conflicts there, but virtually nothing Contributing Writer about the Indians -- and conflicts -here. Here was quite different and if one’s “education” about their culture comes from watching old movies and programs, it will badly lead you astray if you try to apply it to Ohio. We are coming upon the 225th anniversary of General Anthony Wayne’s campaign against the Indians. His march north towards their stronghold began from Fort Washington in Cincinnati. He defeated the alliance of tribes at the Battle of Fallen Timbers which lead to the Indians signing the Treaty of Greenville, ceding southern Ohio to the new United States. This is what allowed Cincinnati and other communities in southern Ohio to expand. But the Indians were here first and I have wanted to write about them first. My last couple articles were about the site we now call Fort Ancient; recently I went to Dayton to visit a partial reconstruction of an Indian village from roughly the year 1200 that we now call SunWatch Village. (Continued on page 12) SunWatch - Reconstructed Dwelling SunWatch - Harvesting Corn Credit: Michael Earl Patton Credit: Michael Earl Patton (clockwise) Top: SunWatch - Village Model Right: SunWatch - Storage Pit Left: SunWatch - Reconstructed Village Credit: Michael Earl Patton SunWatch - Prarie Grass and Museum Credit: Michael Earl Patton SunWatch - Reconstructed Interior Credit: Michael Earl Patton THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED SunWatch - Gravesite Credit: Michael Earl Patton �10 LOCAL S e p t 2 1 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 | N o . 390 September 7 - 29, 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. 39 0 | Sept 21 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 JIM LUKEN (Continued from page 7) head in disbelief, not that “W” would be a part of such a travesty. His whole presidency was a kind of travesty. But that his handlers and protectors would ignore their responsibilities and their extensive training rituals. Finally, World Trade Center Building #7. Those of us who are part of the “9/11 Truth Community” believe that, of all the incredible anomalies of that day, this is “the smoking gun.” Building 7 was almost as tall as the Carew Tower. Like Towers 1 and 2, it was built to withstand the impact of a large jetliner. Seven hours after the implosions of Buildings 1 and 2, Building 7—which had been hit by small pieces of burning debris igniting numerous “office fires,” suddenly collapsed, the upper floors falling to the ground at freefall speed. [Engineers inform us that it is impossible for a building to come down at free-fall speed unless all resistance has been eliminated through the use carefully timed explosives.] SAAD GHOSN (Continued from page 8) kids improve their reading, writing and math skills, raising their general literacy. To increase cultural awareness and foster understanding and tolerance the Desai's also contributed to the creation of a yearly "Celebration of Diversity" day at the various schools of Fairfield, at which more than 20 different nationalities and spoken languages are generally represented. For the past 10 years, both also have been volunteering as Girl Scout Troop Leaders, helping girls discover their strengths and empowering them to change the world. To raise funds, the girls would sell cookies; they would then be encouraged to use part of the money they earned to benefit others and local organizations. They have bought, for instance, a refrigerator for a local homeless shelter; contributed money to "Global Giving," the non-profit organization that provides crowdfunding MICHAEL EARL PATTON (Continued from page 9) What the Indians themselves called it, or called Fort Ancient for that matter, we do not know. Confusingly we call the Indians who lived here at that time “Fort Ancient” Indians because researchers first thought that people from their culture had built the earthworks at Fort Ancient. Now we know the earthworks were built by earlier Indian cultures that we call the Adena and Hopewell, but the name stuck. (Columbus, as is well known, thought he had discovered a new route to India and called the people he met “Indians.” And Fort Ancient was not a fort. Early researchers, by LOCAL 11 At first, the National Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) denied the “free-fall speed” argument when researchers pointed it out. Then a high school physics teacher proved that the top floors had indeed gone at that speed. NIST had to admit the fact, but it has never posited an argument for how this could have occurred. It cannot be stressed enough that no steel-frame building in the history of modern architecture (or since) has ever collapsed due to fire. Buildings that burned for a much longer time (and at higher temperatures) have sagged and bent, but never collapsed into their own “footprint.” Only buildings that have been carefully wired for controlled demolition do that. This of course would require that the three WTC towers be wired for demolition in the weeks and months prior to that tragic day. On that day, three huge buildings, all showing the signs of carefully controlled demolition, went down. This is why so many architects and engineers have risked their careers by calling these obvious implosions into question. The BBC and Building 7 (please Google it). If WTC 7 is the smoking gun of 9/11, this video from the BBC is the silver bullet that blows a deadly hole in the government's official account of the events of that awful day. It's right there for all the world to see. At 5 o'clock in the afternoon, BBC reporter Jane Stanley is being filmed live inside a room on an upper floor of a nearby building. A smoke-shrouded Ground Zero can be seen behind her through a large window. Stanley is telling her viewing audience that Building 7 has already collapsed, 20 minutes before that collapse actually takes place. It has been verified that the structure behind her is indeed Building 7. The precise time of this televised report has been authenticated. How could this have happened? This question has never been adequately answered. The BBC is the most respected news source in the world. As such it blames the mistake on the chaos of the day. The owner of the WTC buildings, Larry Silverstein said (again famously) of Building 7, “We had to pull it.” “Pull it” is the exact phrase used when referring to a controlled demolition. If this video verifies what it seems to verify, everything we know about our geo-political world-view, as well as the media that reports on it, would be called into question. I leave it do you, Reader, to determine for yourself whether or not it is past time for such questioning to begin in earnest. The 9/11 Truth Community has for many years called for an independent investigation. Rumsfeld and the missing 2.3 trillion. Here is a relevant footnote: On the afternoon of Sept. 10, 2001, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld held a press conference announcing that the Pentagon had been found to have misplaced 2.3 trillion dollars. [The 17-year Afghan war has cost US taxpayers $1 trillion.] The following day, something blew up that area of the Pentagon where civilian accountants were working to find out if the money was really missing and if so where had it gone. This bombshell report was totally lost in the deluge of noise resulting from the “terrorist” attacks the following day. platforms for grassroots charitable projects worldwide. They have also collected to be-thrown-away aluminum products and sold them to an aluminum recycler, instead of seeing them in landfills polluting the earth. Bakhtavar serves as a trustee on the board of the local Fairfield food pantry and, thanks to her experience as a CPA acquired in the US, helps find/raise funds for its operation. Each year, the pantry provides food to close to 10,000 residents of the city, out of a population of 45 000. Prompted by questions from their children about their religion and their cultural heritage, the Desai's founded the nonprofit Zoroastrian Association of KY, OH and IN in order to share knowledge about their religion and keep it and its ancient history alive in the region. They lead their tri-state community through various activities, including regional gatherings, teachings, social encounters and community building, summer camps for the children... Bakhtavar presides the association. Learning about the Amos Project's efforts for Criminal Justice Reform in Ohio, the Desai's collected signatures to put the proposal on the ballot. In doing this, they talked personally to potential voters, raised their awareness about the issue, explained how a needed Criminal Justice Reform would bring more justice and peace in our society. For Fred two issues are of great importance: the protection of the environment; and righteousness and truthfulness. He engages all his friends and colleagues on these issues, providing educational information when appropriate and correcting false news and wrong data whenever he encounters them. "We need to counter the negative and rely on correct information that leads to the right choice," he states, "and education, especially of the youth, in that respect, is primordial." In fact, the Desai's would like to remain involved in promoting the literacy of young children and to continue serving as mentors in their city schools. They also want to get more involved in the Cincinnati community at large, expand their encounters and work for secular issues. "I am an activist by heart," says Bakhtavar. "I strive to do every day what I think is right for my family, my community and the world." And they both add: "Our religion is a constant reminder and an inspiration to us to be the best possible persons we can be, to lead selfless lives and help advance the efforts of others who want to make our world a better place for all." Zoroastrianism, the Desai's religion, teaches them the brotherhood of mankind, and both Bakhtavar and Fred realize that in order to achieve it they need to be peacemakers and activists for a more just and fair society. And this is what dictates their daily actions and intentions. calling the people of this culture “Fort Ancient Indians,” completed the string of misnomers.) This was the last pre-contact Indian culture to inhabit the Ohio River valley. The village site was temporary, it appears to have been inhabited about 20 - 30 years. This is typical of the Fort Ancient culture. It is likely that they farmed the area and moved on when soil nutrients became depleted. Where the SunWatch villagers moved to, we do not know. Sometimes village sites were reinhabited after the soil had a chance to recover. There are indications that this was a second occupation. Being made of natural materials which decay, there was nothing above ground. Importantly, there were several inches of soil deposited during floods of the nearby Great Miami River which protected the archaeological layer from the modern plow. Wooden posts leave a discoloration in the soil when they decay. Based on those marks, other clues, and comparisons to historical records of other villages, researchers discovered that the village was about 3 acres, surrounded by a kind of stockade with posts about 2 feet apart and which almost certainly had horizontal branches woven in amongst them. Dwellings for families were just inside the stockade; probably 250 – 300 people lived in the village. Then there was a ring of pits for food storage and trash, then a work area, and then an area for burials. The center had some posts, the tallest of which appeared to function as a kind of solar calendar. The shadow from the tall center post would mark important times as the position of the sunrises changed with the seasons. Most importantly, it probably marked the time when to plant the corn. The villagers had a diet that was heavily based on corn with at least half of the calories coming from that one food. Andy Sawyer, the site THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED (Continued on page 12) �12 STREET VOICE What I want to see in OTR S e p t 2 1 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 | N o . 390 CLEO WOMBLES W hat do we want to see in Over-the-Rhine in the future? I like that there are new businesses, especially on Vine Street. I hope that from 15th Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Contributor Street and passed Liberty Street gets upgraded from housing that hasn’t been rebuilt. I also hope that more people higher neighborhood people for employment. I hope that there are still places where people with low income can still get help for food and vouchers for rent etc. I hope that crime also keeps going down more and more. When Things Go Broke Y ou know how you feel when you go broke. I think we all know that feeling, huh. Nobody around and nobody to lend a hand. But the kind of broke I’m talking about is not about money. At least I don’t think so, but you never know do you? Let me take you back a whole lot of years to 1968. I was 18 years young at the time and being like a lot of teenagers I was wild and crazy, that end of that being 6 months in Juvenile detention. I broke my elbow and forearm in two places and my wrist, half of my ligaments and tendons were messed up. I got a surgical pin from my wrist up to my forearm and was in a cast for 6 months. I had no therapy. It was not a pretty picture. Did I mention the machine broke my arm bone which never healed right? But let me bring you back to the now, August 5 I was coming down the stairs off of East Clifton. I was five steps away from the landing, I lost my balance and went down. I was so hurt I thought I had bruised my leg. I laid there for about 15 minutes thinking I MICHAEL EARL PATTON (Continued from page 11) manager at SunWatch, thinks it may have been as much as 75%. Although they ate game (primarily deer) and had other foods, the heavy reliance on corn led to a nutrient deficiency and shortened life span. The oldest seemed to have lived to their 50’s. Indians of earlier cultures, which did not grow corn, would sometimes live to their 70’s. There is little indication of violence. The purpose of the stockade is unknown, but does not appear to have been primarily for defense. It LEE MCCOY Contributing Writer and Streetvibes Contributor could get up. That didn’t happen, so I asked some people could they help me. And when they did, oh my God, the pain just shot through me, but they got me off the ground anyway. Thank the Lord the set me on the steps and yet I thought I was going to get up and walk away. Boy was I wrong. I called 911 and when they arrived here came more pain and they were as gentle as can be. But with anything that is broke, any movement will bring pain. I was in denial, but I believe somewhere in the back of my mind I knew it was broken. When the x-ray came back reality set in. It’s broke. The next surgery they inserted a plate, a pin and a couple of screws. Three days later I was off to therapy. I’m not going to mention the places where I was just because of the unhappy time there. Here’s an example that made me leave before my time was up. I pushed the call light and it took forever to get help. My prescription ran out. It took them 20 hours to get me a pain pill. After I do all of the bitching I can do, they go in the energy box. They gave me two Percocet. Now I admit some of their workers were truly God sent and not may have had more than one use. One could be to keep wild animals from the stored food. Another suggestion is that the stockade was to keep the Indians’ dogs and small children from wandering off. Their society appears to have been matriarchal. This conclusion was teased out from the pottery shards recovered from the trash pits. Researchers noted that different decorative patterns were found in pits near different clusters of houses. Similar patterns tended to be in pits by the same cluster. Since pottery making and use is associated with women, and girls learned their skills from their mothers, this implies that a man moved to the woman’s family dwelling house when they mated and not the other way around. Articles associated with men did not show this pattern. There is a nice little museum at SunWatch which includes a scale model of the site and several diorama and displays. Outside is a partial reconstruction of the village with the center poles, a section of the stockade, four reconstructed houses (one gently decomposing), and some graves. The poles for the stockade and houses are in the exact locations of the originals. I hope that more heroin addicts get more opportunities where they can go and get help. And that these places always get funding, so they can stay open to help those in need. I think progress is always good, as long as it doesn’t bring harm to low income people. And I hope that there will be a place even downtown that they can afford. about a paycheck. And last, but not least I’d like to thank my sister, my brother in law, my son and my daughter for their support as well as all the people that stop me and ask me what happened. God bless you and maybe by the time you read this I’ll be using a walker instead of this wheelchair. Just keep me in your prayers and I’ll do the same. Lee McCoy, Streetvibes Distributor and Contributor Credit: Aimee Willhoite Outside there is a large area that has been replanted in prairie grass. Of course there would have been a large field of planted corn and more houses when the village was occupied, but funds limit the amount that can be done. Nonetheless, this is the best place nearby to get to get a sense of what daily life would have been like for pre-contact Indians. SunWatch Indian Village and Archaeological Park is off exit 51 on I-75. Admission is $7, and $6 for seniors and students. Children under 6 are free. Go to www.SunWatch.org for hours and directions. Streetvibes Writing Circle THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �13 STREET VOICE No. 39 0 | Sept 21 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 IF I COULD THE ANONYMOUS OFFICIAL'S MOTHER GOOSE If I could be everything good "Prez Trump is unfit to lead, Unfit to lead, unfit to lead. Prez Trump is unfit to lead," Writes an anonymous official. I would be so peaceful So loving, so great I would be like Jesus So strong, so clean So pure BILL WOODS Doing right, doing good If only I could be everything good KIM GREEN Contributing Writer MY FRIENDS AND ME I wish Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer Trump responds with nasty tweets, With nasty tweets, with nasty tweets. Trump responds with nasty tweets, Tweeting, "fake news and treason!" In today’s world it’s hard to be able to call anyone a true friend But I was blessed with two in my life and that’s the way it’s always been I was blessed in grade school with these two people who never left my side In good times, bad times, sad or happy times my friends they didn’t mind We became close by sharing our differences about people, places and things Before long we invented a club called “LADIES ONLY” in our hearts we sang We recruited a few to the club but their friendship only lasted for a little while Ten years later the club is still open, my friends and me are in for long the mile We began to trust, believe and share our belief only to each other from our heart Never knowing that God had our friendship, God had us three right from the start Today we still come together periodically for club meetings “LADIES ONLY” And it’s open to only us for to be without the club we’d truly be lonely So, we keep in touch and we talk about men, stress and all kinds of attitudes We talk about what’s the right way, the wrong way and how to stop the blues Being older now with the understanding of women’s needs are everyday To have someone you can confide in is a God sent all of the way Yes, I have been blessed with two friends and to God I will always thank you Thank you for your so many blessings, thank you for me, Vee and Bratty too! WILLA DENISE JONES Streetvibes Distributor & Contributing Writer THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �PUZZLES 14 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 158 Across 1. Boast 5. One time 9. Blocking vote 13. Acquire by efforts or actions 14. Rural area 16. Iniquity 17. Chills and fever 18. Toil 19. Transmit 20. Send money in payment 22. Textile with a woven design 24. Weep 26. Jump 27. Scuffle 30. Shellfish 35. Crib 36. Drench 39. Terpsichore 40. Motor vehicle 42. Visual representation of data 44. Young elephant 45. Fragrance 47. Addictive narcotic 49. Rodent 50. Menace 52. Red Bordeaux wine 54. Food 57. Prevarication 58. Recall 62. Exact duplicate 66. Small inlet 67. Danger 69. Being the only one 70. Kind of tournament 71. One of the senses 72. Smell 73. Curve 74. Encounter 75. Short letter Down 1. Bruin 2. Fury 3. Starch 4. Laminated metamorphic rock 5. Nocturnal bird 6. Orderly 7. Faction 8. Run away together to marry 9. Waistcoat 10. At any time 11. Diminutive 12. Of long duration 15. A cherished desire 21. Flip 23. Sharp hand shovel 25. Online journal 27. One of the senses 28. Express audibly 29. Currency unit 31. Pouch 32. Trap 33. Enthusiastic approval 34. Remaining 35. Actors in a play 37. Deplete 38. Long narrative poem 41. Single 43. Frame or body of a ship 46. Domesticated 48. Injure or wound seriously 51. Entice 53. Think logically 55. At right angles to the length of a ship 56. Laconic 58. A strong line 59. Fifty-fifty 60. Repair 61. Customary observance or practice 63. Commotion 64. Coagulate 65. This place 66. Adult male swan 68. Allow PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ISSUE 389 CROSSWORD PUZZLE NO. 157 S e p t 2 1 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 | N o . 390 SODOKU PUZZLE NO 288 - MEDIUM SODOKU PUZZLE NO 287- MEDIUM PUZZLES from puzzlechoice.com and puzzles.ca THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED �RESOURCES No. 39 0 | Sept 21 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 Central Access Point 381-SAFE Shelter: Women and Children Bethany House 557-2873 St. George Food Pantry 751-8771 2554 Dennis St. 45219 Prince of Peace Lutheran Church 621-7265 1528 Race St. 45202 Churches Active in Northside 1841 Fairmount Ave. 45214 The Esther Marie Hatton Center for Women 2499 Reading Road 562-1980 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 Other Resources FreeStore/FoodBank 241-1064 Center Independent Living Options 241-2600 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 112 E. Liberty Street 45202 Madisonville Ed & Assistance Center 271-5501 Salvation Army 762-5660 4600 Erie Ave. 45227 Serves area codes: 45226, 45227, 45208, 45209 131 E. 12th Street 45202 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 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 St. Vincent de Paul 562-8841 1125 Bank Street 45214 Shelter: Men Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Men Shelterhouse 721-0643 1223 Main St. 45202 Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 411 Gest St. 45203 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Work. House 381-4941 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 2121 Vine Street 45202 1437 Walnut Street 45202 Prospect House 921-1613 1805 Dalton Ave. 45214 Starting Over 961-2256 City Gospel Mission 241-5525 682 Hawthorne Ave. 45205 Parkway Center 661-4620 Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Women 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 Interfaith Hospitality Network 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 591-2246 4230 Hamilton Ave. 45223 6037 Cary Ave. 45224 Shelter: Family 15 First Step Home 961-4663 Hamilton/Middletown 2203 Fulton, Cinti, Ohio 45206 AA Hotline 351-0422 CCAT 381-6672 St. Raephaels 981-4200 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 Joseph House (Veterans) Northern Kentucky Treatment or Supportive Recovery: Both 471-1100 830 Ezzard Charles Dr. 45214 Housing: 241-2965 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 2401-2411 Reading Rd. 45202 Cincinnati Union Bethel 768-6907 Hamilton County Mental Health and Recovery Services Board 946-8000 Recovery Health Access Center 281-7422 Sober Living 681-0324 Talbert House 221-HELP 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 Food/Clothing Health 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 859-261-5857 859-491-1027 859-581-1111 859-261-8009 859-727-0926 859-581-7745 859-291-9321 859-491-4435 859-431-8717 205 West Pike Street, Covington, KY 41011 Want to advertise in Streetvibes? Cincinnati Health Network 2825 Burnet Ave. 45219 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 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary 859-572-6202 Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky 634 Scott St. 41011 859-291-4555 117 E. 12th Street, Cinti, Ohio 45202 VA 977-6800 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 859-491-8303 799 Ann St. Newport, KY Advocacy Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center 421-1108 UpSpring 363-3300 2401 Reading Rd. 45202 Brighton Center (11-17 y/o) 961-0600 Center for Respite Care 621-1868 3550 Washington Ave. 45229 You can support our mission and spread the word about your business. For more information contact Justin Jeffre at 513-421-70803 x 12 or email streetvibes@cincihomeless.org Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 OTR: 1620 Vine Street 45202 Walnut Hills: 2631 Gilbert Ave. 45206 5 E. Liberty St. 45202 Health Resource Center 357-4602 McMicken Integrated Care Clinic and Mobile Medical Van 386-7899 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 1730 Race Street 45202 St. Francis Soup Kitchen 535-2719 40 E. McMicken Ave, Cinti, Ohio $100 for 26 issues $150 THE VOICE OF THE STREET...UNSILENCED for 26 issues and a $50 donation �16 S e p t 2 1 - O c t 4 , 2 0 18 | N o . 390 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 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 September 21-October 4, 2018 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cover Page Pg 2: From the Director Dismal News About Growing Poverty Pg 3: Educational Opportunities Abound Pg 4: GCHC Are Stereotypes Good? Pg 5: Young Athletes Pg 6: How to Respond to Panhandling Pg 7: The Seventeen Year-Long Lie or Fool Me Once Pg 8: Religious Peacemakers Pg 9: SunWatch Village Pg 10: GCHC Pg 11: Jim Luken Continued Saad Ghosn Continued Michael Earl Patton Continued Pg 12: What I Want to see in OTR When Things. Go Broke Pg 13: Street Voice Pg 14: Puzzles Pg 15: Resources Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 21-October 4, 2018 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Josh Spring Bill Woods Dr. Mark Mussman Jason Haap Maria Funcheon Bob Brown Jim Luken Saad Ghosn Michael Earl Patton Cleo Wombles Kim Green Willa Denise Jones Homeless Coalition Aimee Willhoite Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Aimee Willhoite Athletes Bill Woods Bob Brown Cincinnati Cleo Wombles Dr. Mark Mussman education Homeless Coalition Jason Haap Jim Luken Josh Spring Kim Green Maria Funcheon Michael Earl Patton Over-the-Rhine Religion Saad Ghosn Stereotypes SunWatch Village Willa Denise Jones https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/f2641fd0dd68d21d26e84eee6bad287c.pdf eb71476728569eeb94d004fa708c8f7e PDF Text Text Writing Their Way p.4 Addict’s Almanac p.12 Check out the Streetvibes blog @ streetvibes. wordpress.com STREETVIBES $1 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 0 8 • I s s u e 1 4 6 • 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 A Sweeping Change No Place to Lay Their Heads Police and homeless advocates work together By Andrew Freeze Staff Writer ive years after the Cincinnati Police, the mayor, the Ohio Department of Transportation and Downtown Cincinnati Inc. developed a plan to remove homeless camps from underneath downtown bridges, both police and advocates for the homeless say the plan is working – and helping homeless people. At issue was the right of people to sleep in public places, as well as a city ordinance requiring registration of panhandlers. A lawsuit filed by Don Henry, a homeless For more man sleepbackground on the bridge ing under sweeps, check out a bridge cincihomeless.org in 2003, and look under helped to “In the News” change police policy for sweeping homeless camps and eliminated the registration of panhandlers. F Survey counts homeless outdoors In the five years since, relations between the police and homeless advocates have im- By Gregory Flannery Editor “Police contact me when they run into someone needing services downtown. They try not to arrest or ticket them, and allow me and other outreach workers to help them.” - Chico A Lockhart, outreach worker proved. “Before the sweeps took place, police officers would find a camp and decide to clear it out,” says Sgt. Steve Saunders, neighborhood liaison for District One. “They would bring in a crew from the jail to clean out the encampments under bridges so there was less blight and people would not crash their cars while looking at the homeless encampments.” Don Henry speaks to reporters during the bridge sweeps in the summer of 2003. As a result of his lawsuit, police policies changed and the city’s panhandling registration was dropped. Photo by Jimmy Heath. In December 2003, in response to Henry’s lawsuit, police changed the policy to “allow 72 hours notice of trespass prior to arrest and removal of personal possessions from a homeless encampment, provided the homeless person properly identifies himself (or herself), is not violating any other laws, and exigent circumstances do not exist.” “This policy also led to better communication between social service agencies and See SWEEPS p.6 The Best Justice You Can Afford By Gregory Flannery Editor hese are signs that don’t inspire confidence in an attorney: You have to empty your pockets when you get to her office. She doesn’t have a room for a private conversation. She doesn’t have her own computer. She doesn’t have enough filing cabinets. She plans to spend less than two hours on your case, including the trial. That’s what the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office is like, according to a study by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA). The report, Taking Gideon’s Pulse: An Assessment of the Right to Counsel in Hamilton County, Ohio, T Blistering report on public defender ’s office concludes that poor people facing jail are systematically denied the constitutional right to effective legal counsel. “There is little doubt that poor people charged with crimes facing a potential loss of liberty are not afforded the constitutional protections demanded by the United States Constitution,” the report says. “However, NLADA finds that the majority of the responsibility for this failure lies with the state of Ohio and not with Hamilton County.” If that conclusion – poor people get screwed -- isn’t so surprising, some of the details are. That welcome feeling The problems start the moment a client walks in the door. The public defender’s office is in the same building downtown as the county prosecutor’s office. “Defendants, defense attorneys, prosecutors, victims, and witnesses should not be confined together in the small spaces of entry ways and elevators, and public defender clients should not pass through metal detectors manned by law enforcement to meet with their attorneys,” the report says. Conditions in the office itself are inadequate, NLADA man sitting at Seventh and Broadway at 5:45 a.m. says he isn’t homeless. He doesn’t want to answer questions from a social worker. “I draw a good income,” he says. “I ain’t homeless. I don’t want to sign no papers.” Brad Roberts, an outreach worker with Projects, Assistance and Transitions from Homelessness (PATH) says he has no papers that need signing, just a few questions for a survey. “I draw a good income,” the man says. Then he asks for change. Roberts gives him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich instead. “I ain’t trying to be rude,” the man says. “I draw a good income. It’s a long story why I’m homeless.” The quarterly homeless survey by social-service agencies is a kind of downtown scavenger hunt – that is, a hunt for people reduced to scaveng- “It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. The cops heckle them all night. The business people come in the morning and heckle them. I try to respect their space.” - Brad Roberts, found. “The physical layout of the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office is totally unsuitable for the work that needs to be done on behalf of clients,” the report says. “Public-defender misdemeanor staff sits in cubicles within a single large room. The office layout does not allow for confidential conversation with a client or witness or prosecutor. This forces many attorneys to speak with clients in the courtroom instead of in advance of a court date.” The issue isn’t esthetic – it’s a matter of justice denied, ing for a place to sleep outdoors. Participants spread out at 4 a.m. Aug. 27, visiting the banks of the Ohio River, parking garages, benches and other places for people who have no See DEFENDER p.7 See COUNT p.6 outreach worker �2 News Briefs Homeless Man Killed While Sleeping Dayton, OH -- A homeless man died due to bluntforce trauma to the head in Dayton. Floyd E. Drummond, age 57, was found dead Aug. 16 in downtown Dayton. Drummond’s niece says he was hit in the head with a brick while he slept on a bench just off Interstate 75. She says Drummond had gotten into an argument with Kevin Alsup, who is being held on charges of murder and felonious assault. Alsup was scheduled to appear in court Aug. 26. Hospitals Use Homeless in Scheme Los Angeles, CA -- Outrage greeted reports in 2006 that hospitals in the Los Angeles area were dumping homeless patients in Skid Row, an area with a large street population. Now the same hospitals are being charged with fraud and using homeless people as pawns in a financial scam. Federal agents raided three private, for-profit hospitals in the Los Angeles area Aug. 6 and arrested the CEO of City of Angels Medical Center. The scam involved runners who would go to Skid Row and search out people who had Medi-Cal eligibility cards and those with Medicaid. Some people allegedly received medical treatment, whether they needed it or not. Residents of Skid Row said the practice was common and some individuals were able to make $150 to $200 if they were picked up. (Information compiled from The New York Times and San Francisco Gate) Teens accused of killing homeless man Pontiac, MI -- Three teenagers, ages 14 and 15, are suspects in the death of a homeless man. Police say the trio beat to death Wilford “Frenchie” Hamilton. The 61-year-old man died Aug. 26 of internal injuries, police said. Hamilton underwent surgery for wounds to the face and head and was on life support before he died. The teenagers who allegedly killed him also face charges for other assaults, including a 65-year-old man found unconscious from a beating. After surgery he was in critical condition. (Information compiled from The Detroit News) The Vibe Streetwise By Gregory Flannery My Big Fat Arrest The night before the jury reached the verdict in our trial over a peace protest, I spoke with a young man headed for Iraq. He didn’t want to go. In fact, he’d gone AWOL rather than fight in Iraq. But now he was going. A year and a half later, my fellow protesters and I have finally lost our legal struggle. My young friend has fared far worse: He lost his eye and other bits of flesh to a roadside bomb. He’s still physically recovering. The recovery that happens within the heart and mind will likely take much longer. In September 2006 seven people plopped their asses in U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot’s office and refused to move unless he agreed to sign the Declaration of Peace. We were part of a nationwide series of rallies, petitions, marches and civil disobedience. The local effort was coordinated by the InterCommunity Justice and Peace Center. While inside, we received moral support -- and snacks! -- from people opposed to the war. Over the past two years a whole team of volunteer lawyers has donated hundreds of hours to represent and advocate for us. Chabot didn’t sign the Declaration of Peace. For seven hours we sang about peace and justice and read aloud the names of American invaders and Iraqi citizens killed in the war. After we repeatedly refused invitations to leave, dozens of police officers swarmed into Chabot’s office. Some were in masks, some in riot gear. They were grossly overdressed: They had come to arrest two 15-year-old girls, a 78-year-old nun, a minister in clerical garb, a young woman working as a community organizer, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and a fat news editor. It’s Right to Annoy the State Our trial on a misdemeanor charge of criminal trespassing stretched over six days. We tried to put Chabot on the witness stand; we failed. We tried to put former U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld on the witness stand; we failed. We tried to convince the jury to convict the war instead of us; we failed. We tried to convince a three-judge appeals court to overturn the conviction; we failed. We tried to get the Ohio Supreme Court to overturn it; we failed. What we achieved is this. We made people think about the war – Chabot, his staff, the police officers, the jury, judges, newspaper readers, TV and radio audiences. The invasion and occupation of Iraq is too seldom on our minds. We find it too easy not to think of the slaughter being waged in our names, with our money. To the extent that we caused inconvenience with our little protest and the long legal struggle that followed, I’m glad. It is sometimes useful to slow down the forces of order. With a little imagination, anyone can take little steps to impede or at least discourage the process of making war: Next time you’re in a post office, pick up a few dozen Selective Service registration cards. Take them home and fill them out, registering Donald Duck and the Bush twins for the draft. Or simply recycle the registration cards. Encourage your neighbors to do the same. Make it just a little bit harder for the state to fight future wars. The reason the war in Iraq has lasted so long and so many have died is very simple: We, the people, have let it happen. If it’s going to stop, we, the people, will have to make that happen. The Curriculum is Deadly The military is still looking for more people to kill Iraqis. The latest initiative is the Army Preparatory School. This is an opportunity for people who dropped out of high school to earn their general equivalency diplomas. The good news is the federal government seems finally to being taking seriously the need for more funding for education. The bad news is that those who receive their GEDS at the Army Preparatory School move on to basic combat training. This is, of course, merely a variation on old practices: It is always the poor who do the bulk of the killing and dying in war. And don’t believe that crap about it being a volunteer military because there is no draft in effect. Serving in the U.S. military is voluntary only until you take the oath. Once you’re in, there’s nothing voluntary about it. Ask the hundreds of deserters who have fled to Canada rather than go back to Iraq. Ask my young friend with the missing eye. STREETVIBES September 2008 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 Margo Pierce, Angela Pancella, Andrew Freeze, Michael Henson, Stephanie Dunlap, Larry Gross, Steve Sunderland, Antonio Hodge, Bill Haigh, Mack Russell, Tye Doudy, JP Gritton Photography/Artwork Andrew Anderson, Andrew Freeze, Anthony Williams, Jimmy Heath, Lonnel, DJ 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 September 2008 Community News Eight Minutes with a Screamer 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. Below: “We will conquer, we will rule” print by Saad Ghosn. Provided by Saad Ghosn. Saad Ghosn screams his political and social concerns for all to see By Margo Pierce Contributing Writer ometimes you just want to scream. Whether out of frustration or anger or something else, the pressure of the desperation you feel craves a release. It no longer matters if screaming is rude or might upset others – you just have to do it. That is the essence of the woodcut exhibit by artist Saad Ghosn, now on display at Clay Street Press Gallery in Over-The-Rhine. “I really felt like there were so many things that needed to be said, things that were going wrong, things that I disagreed with,” Ghosn says. “I really felt like I wanted to shout certain things. I felt by screaming what I believe, I would be heard, I would make a statement.” His statement is in the form of woodcuts: images made by applying black ink to a piece of wood carved to create a picture, then pressing it against white paper, leaving a stark image. The details can be simple, almost childlike drawings, or detailed and sophisticated. This contrast can be as fascinating as it is confusing, an apt description of the themes portrayed by the artist. “Where I am coming from is not really only me; it’s values oriented,” Ghosn says. “Freedom, democracy, profiling, destruction of religion at the purpose of politics, use of power to solve issues, imposing peace on individuals even if it’s a peace not really based on justice, using force to bully, sanctioning corporations at the expense of the individuals, the illusion of being free while in reality we’re living with a lack of freedom because of the lack of basic human rights and values –- all of these are really important values that transpire in every one of my drawings.” In Ode to Freedom, 11 figures are contained in boxes –- standing, kneeling, crouching, sitting –- surrounded by S barbed wire against a backdrop of chain-link fence. This isolation is individualism at the expense of human community, Ghosn says. “It comes back (to where) our society and where our culture is going,” he says. “Frequently the connectedness is going away. There is more isolation of the individual by many things, not only by politics but also by the increasing values in the society which are really based on individual achievement, individual success. “You can really see this going on a lot in society coming from a culture that is much more tribal, much more grouporiented. It’s very much like an individual builds barriers around himself or herself because society demands it. “You end up being trapped. Yes, you want to succeed, you want to live well, you want to be self-sufficient and individual but this by itself isolates you and takes you away from your essence … what you really as a human being aspire to, which is much more connectedness. Materialism prevails and, yes, you become kind of a prisoner of it.” His upbringing in Lebanon included a focus on relation- ships “where the values (are) based on the connectedness to others.” “All the time to care for the other, this was really the most important thing,” he says. “My “...I would really like people to scream like me about these issues: ‘Enough is enough! Don’t hijack good values to serve your self-interest.’ ” parents never raised me to, ‘You need to achieve this. You need to make money.’ They all the time said, ‘You need to be kind. You need to protect the others.’ If there was a person who was mentally deranged, this was the first person all the time you need to respect and care for.” In addition to being director of pathology and laboratory medicine service at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a professor at the University of Cincinnati, Ghosn is a grassroots activist. He’s a fixture in the peace activities led by the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center, and he provides an outlet for artists to express their political views in their work through the annual S.O.S. (Save Our Souls) art exhibition he founded. Politics is something that bothers Ghosn enough to make him want to scream. “In the name of freedom, in the name of democracy, we are really eliminating a lot of people’s human rights and destroying democracy and freedom and religions, and I would really like people to scream like me about these issues: ‘Enough is enough! Don’t hijack good values to serve your self-interest.’ ” In the print we will conquer we will rule, a massive boot bearing the words “New world order,” “We will rule,” “With us or against us” and other volatile phrases is surrounded by a field of human heads -- faces under the sole and skulls above it. Ghosn says his work is intended to illustrate positive alternatives. One is spirituality. “There is one particular writing that comes back that really has a different connection,” he says. “I use frequently ‘La ilaha illallah,’ which is, ‘There is no God but Allah,” which is the slogan of Islam. But for me, I use it in many ways. “I use it because it’s Ara- bic, so it’s my background. It’s spiritual, religious. ‘There is no God but one God’ is a uniting … theme of many religions. I don’t want to make a distinction between Muslim and Christian. I use it when it comes to spirituality, when it comes to values. Christian versus Muslim versus Jews versus Buddhists -- it doesn’t really make a difference.” Ghosn is a Christian but his complexion and accent are more likely to be used to define him than anything else. “With the profiling, especially after 9/11 and up to now, we do not value people by who they are but frequently we make quick judgments about what they look like and what they may be,” he says. “It’s not limited to Arabs. It can easily be black, women, Hispanic, religious –- it can be anything.” That is one of the many things Ghosn would like to see change -- and why he’ll keep screaming. To view Scream, which runs through Sept. 13, visit the Clay Street Press Gallery from 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Saturdays. To schedule a weekday visit, call 513-2413232. �4 Community News Writing Their Way STREETVIBES September 2008 Homeless teens take up camera and pen By Stephanie Dunlap Contributing Writer When Melody Smith was 15, her family was evicted, and their occasional brushes with homelessness turned full-time. So she wrote. Writing was healthy therapy “for someone who couldn’t afford any other form of therapy,” she says. In 1996 writing became Smith’s ticket out of poverty and homelessness when she won a real life essay contest for YM teen magazine. “That was the first time that even my friends knew I was homeless,” she says. “Writing actually got me not homeless anymore.” Morning shows interviewed her. The teachers and other students at school grew protective of her. Smith wrote more essays and won scholarships to college. Now 28, living in Northside and working in marketing and graphic design, Smith looked at the teens’ transitional home across her street and saw a repository for what some of her neighbors seemed to consider lost causes. Transplanted lost causes, no less -- out-of-town teens shuttled to Cincinnati, getting into trouble, getting themselves arrested. “There’s a lot of disgruntled neighbors here in Northside,” Smith says. “I guess for some people it can feel like they’re not even Cincinnatians, so why are they here?” Instead of lost causes, Smith saw young people in need of the same community support that had made such a difference to her through her own difficult youth. “I want to get to know who these kids are that everyone has decided they don’t like -- find their real personal side and share that through stories,” she says. “I like taking on the cases that no one is willing to take on.” So Smith set out to bring to those young men across her street the same therapeutic art form that had changed the course of her life. She teamed up with InkTank and Project Connect to fashion a joint writing/photography project that she calls “The Clique Click: A Storytelling Project.” According to the project timeline, each week for eight weeks homeless and disenfranchised teens will explore aspects of writing and digital photography. The project culminates in an exhibit of the youths’ work in the Cincinnati Museum Center lobby. InkTank, which is still securing funding for the full project, is a community-based writing collective that brings writing to nontraditional populations. Project Connect works to keep young people experiencing homelessness Melody Smith saw the need for those on the edge to be able to express themselves, so she formed “The Clique Click: Storytelling Project.” Photo by Lonell, participant in the project. Lonell takes pictures of a spider web in Mount Airy Forest as part of “The Clique Click: A Storytelling Project.” This photo was taken by DJ, another participant in the writing and photography group. connected to education. Smith and her partner, the project’s photography coach Wil Jones, are now about two-thirds through a scaleddown Clique Click pilot project. Two Dayton teens living in the Northside transitional “I try to tell people you don’t have to be a teacher or be a social worker to change the lives of these kids.” -Melody Smith home have learned to study the world through a camera lens and to record it in journals Smith gave them. Because Streetvibes was unable to get permission to interview the boys by deadline, their names have been changed to TJ and Donnell. They are both juniors in high school. Donnell reported that he’s in the group home because his grandmother didn’t want him anymore, Smith says. Smith and Jones decided that the general theme of the pilot program would be the environment and its impact on self. They discovered early that it was important to pose questions that offered no “yes” or “no” answers but Missed an Issue? Check out the Streetvibes archive at www.cincihomeless.org/content/ streetvibes had enough direction to focus the youths’ budding creativity. Channeling this creativity is the key to reaching so-called “lost causes,” Smith says. “Kids are not going to stop creating, they are just going to create in ways that are unhealthy,” she says. “They are not going to stop wanting to belong, they will just find a different alternative to belonging.” That’s why, in addition to the Clique Click project, Smith tries to connect troubled youth to as many healthy adults as she can. She introduced TJ and Donnell to the people at the McKie Recreation Center. She set them up with people who work in construction and auto maintenance, two fields that interested the youth. Before moving to the forprofit sector, Smith was a caseworker for juveniles on probation. She decided she could do more good if she volunteered her time, so there would be no question of her motives. In addition to Click Clique, Smith has started a Northside adults’ writing group and is organizing a mentoring program for youth. “I try to tell people you don’t have to be a teacher or be a social worker to change the lives of these kids,” she says. “And you don’t have to do it full-time.” The teens’ first Clique Click project outing was to Mt. Airy Forest. Jones gave the youth a lesson in camera operation and composition and set them loose. “The main thing that stands out is the picture of the spider web,” Jones says. “(Donnell) really stayed until he got the shot he wanted, and it really paid off. I think it was good for him to see that, even though it took a lot of time, it was worth the effort.” Smith and Jones quickly realized they’d have to recruit a number of adults for the fullsize group because their individual attention was so important to the youth. “After every single picture, they want to show you the back of the camera,” Smith says. Donnell took immediately to the camera but TJ struggled. That’s how they learned that TJ needed new glasses. He is still waiting for his eye exam. Later TJ wrote about where rivers once flowed, while Donnell wrote about a nameless boy who fell from the sky and got hurt. In Donnell’s story, a man picked the hurt boy up, said, “That’s my son,” and held him. Only purchase Streetvibes from BADGED vendors. Vendors wear their WHITE badges while they sell the paper. �STREETVIBES September 2008 Local News 5 Day Laborers Counting on Council’s Promise Organizers want reforms in Rumpke deal By Gregory Flannery Editor he end of summer finds the Day Labor Organizing Project (DLOP) with a handful of hard-won successes and a pair of political frustrations. Day laborers working for TLC, a temporary-employment agency, no longer have to pay for the use of vests, hard hats, gloves, goggles and other safety equipment at Rumpke Recycling, according to Elizabeth Byrd, a volunteer with the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center. TLC has stopped charging day laborers for rides to Rumpke. Although TLC charges $3.50 for a ride after work, that is now optional, instead of workers being required to use – and pay for – the company’s transportation, Byrd says. Third-shift workers are now receiving their paychecks at 6:45 a.m., instead of having to wait until 9 a.m. DLOP, a project of the Interfaith Workers Center and the Greater Cincinnati T Coalition for the Homeless, also succeeded in getting a promise of future support from Cincinnati City Council. Councilwoman Roxanne Qualls sponsored a motion earlier this year that requires the city’s future contract with Rumpke to include compliance with Cincinnati’s living-wage ordinance. TLC pays day laborers at Rumpke $7 an hour, Byrd says. The city’s living wage is now $10.70 an hour for jobs that don’t provide health insurance. While glad that council passed the motion, Byrd is apprehensive about its resolve. The city’s contract with Rumpke is up for renegotiation next year. “We suspect the city will cave,” she says. “I suspect we’ll have a fight on our hands.” Byrd’s skepticism is the result of two earlier proposals that seemed to have city council’s backing, but never went to a vote. The first was a proposal to regulate day-labor halls, forbidding charges for safety equipment and mandating other A D V E R T I S E M E N T Interested in Leading Street Newspapers Across the US & Canada? The North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) is seeking its first executive director who will lead efforts to strengthen and develop street papers. This new position will be located in Washington, DC and pay $36,000 annually, plus benefits. NASNA is a grassroots association of 25 street newspapers in the United States and Canada that work to raise awareness about poverty issues, while empowering homeless individuals with an income and a voice. For more information visit www.nasna.org or e-mail streetnewspapers@gmail.com. reforms. “We had for over two years worked to get city council to develop an ordinance regulating day-labor halls,” Byrd says. “Quite a lot of energy went into it.” Following a review by the city solicitor’s office, “We suspect the city will cave. I suspect we’ll have a fight on our hands.” - Elizabeth Byrd however, the proposed ordinance died. DLOP worked to get council to approve a milder measure, establishing accreditation standards for day-labor halls in the city. “The same thing happened,” Byrd says. “It got drafted, everybody loved it. It went to the city solicitor and got killed.” There’s another reason organizers are less than jubilant over council’s promise to add living-wage compliance to the next contract with Rumpke. The law already applies to the recycling contract, but the city refuses to enforce it, according to Don Sherman, director of the Interfaith Workers Center. The living-wage ordinance applies to companies and sub-contractors with contracts of $20,000 or more with the city. Rumpke’s contract with the city is for $2.1 million. But the city’s Office of Contract Compliance rejected a complaint by DLOP and the Interfaith Workers Center. The office concluded that the livingwage law doesn’t apply because day laborers don’t sort recyclable material as defined in the contract, but rather “pre-sort” it. “The Contract Compliance Office somehow decided these workers weren’t separating and sorting these materials,” Sherman says. “They didn’t give us a breakdown of why the living-wage ordinance didn’t apply. I’ve been a lawyer, and I was really dumbfounded. Basically it was a political decision. It certainly wasn’t framed in a legal argument that explains why the ordinance doesn’t apply.” DLOP has also been hampered by the effect of high turnover in the ranks of day laborers and workers’ fear of reprisals if they complain about working conditions, Byrd says. “Things have been very quiet,” she says. “After our big push, worker involvement dropped to none. The advocates felt we could not safely move forward without worker involvement, because we risked firings. We don’t want workers to lose their jobs, even if they’re bad jobs. We’ve had to step back from some of the ongoing in-your-face stuff, unfortunately. We hope to pick that back up.” DLOP is organizing a survey to see if the city’s living-wage ordinance is being applied at other companies with city contracts. “That’s a really exciting campaign, but we’re going to need a lot of help,” Byrd says. To contact DLOP, call 513-621-5991. Looking Out for the Neighbors Drop Inn Center adds arrest policy By Andrew Freeze Staff Writer In an effort to work more closely with neighbors, the Drop Inn Center has added a new behavioral expectation for those who stay at the emergency shelter. The “three strike” policy affects residents who are arrested within 500 feet of the center. The first time a resident of the Drop Inn Center is arrested within that zone, he or she will receive a warning from the shelter staff. After a second arrest, the resident will receive a warning and counseling. After a third arrest near the shelter, the person will be barred. “We hope to stop a behavior before it starts,” says Pat Clifford, executive director of the center. Each month the Cincinnati Police Department will provide a list to the Drop Inn Center about suspects who have been arrested within 500 feet. During July, the first month of the new policy, po- lice arrested 126 people within 500 feet of the Drop. 24 people who were arrested, had stayed at the Drop Inn Center during July. 55% of those arrested with the 500-foot zone had never stayed at the Drop Inn Center and 26% of the arrested had stayed at the Drop before but not in the month of July. That number accounts for only 19 percent of the arrests in the area, according to Clifford. “With 500–600 people staying at the Drop each month, 24 does not account for the majority of arrests in or around Washington Park,” he says. Clifford says the new policy is meant to help residents improve their lives. “We are for Washington Park remaining a public park and for the Drop Inn Center to remain in Over-the-Rhine,” he says. “A public park has public expectations. Before, negative behaviors were just accepted by the Drop, the police and Music Hall. We are now working together to help people.” Many of the people arrested around the Drop Inn Center are charged with nuisance or “quality of life” crimes such as loitering, public indecency due to public urination, open flask charges, littering charges, and trespassing charges. “Arresting people for nuisance crimes does not change a person’s behavior,” Clifford says. “But working together with the Cincinnati Police Department and the neighbors of the Drop Inn Center, we can help people improve their lives.” William Ross-Bey, a resident at the Drop Inn Center in late August, says the new policy doesn’t bother him. “You can’t arrest me,” he says. “I don’t smoke or drink.” He and Clifford say most of the shelter’s residents have taken the new policy in stride. “Most residents are for it because they don’t identify themselves as the problem,” Clifford says. �STREETVIBES September 2008 The Jump 6 A Sweeping Change, continued from p.1 the police,” Saunders says. Georgine Getty, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, agrees. “The bridge sweeps and the ensuing lawsuit brought us all to the table, and we started talking with each other along with the downtown business community, city officials and homeless people,” she says. “More communication is always a step in the right direction.” The new working relationship not only provides a way for the city to eliminate the camps without violating homeless people’s rights; it also provides opportunities to help them. “Providing the extra notice allows outreach workers to be contacted and helps people get connected with services before they are forced to move,” Saunders says. A home for Charlie An indirect result of the 2003 bridge sweeps was the formation of the Homeless Outreach Group (HOG), which provides a way for outreach workers to work together to get people off the streets and into housing. The police now notify HOG of an impending sweep, providing an opportunity to engage clients sleeping under bridges. Arnita Miller, an outreach worker with the PATH team, works with clients who have severe mental illness and substance abusers. “Before, we had no communication with the police Sgt. Steve Saunders, a neighborhood liaison for the Cincinnati Police Department, now works closely with homeless advocates and outreach workers to help homeless people move off the streets. Photo by Andrew Anderson. and no way of knowing what bridge camp was going to be “We have 1,100 shelter beds that are full every night but at least 1,300 homeless people nightly. I believe people have the right to be in public space...” Georgine Getty, executive director of GCCH swept next,” she says. “Now we have a good relationship with the community police officers. They let us know by e-mail if there is going to be a sweep, which allows us to engage those under the bridges in services.” Chico Lockhart is outreach coordinator for Downtown Cincinnati Inc. “Police contact me when they run into someone needing services downtown,” he says. “They try not to arrest or ticket them, and allow me and other outreach workers to help them.” Getty, a critic of the city’s old policy, applauds the cooperation of the police. “We have developed a strong relationship with District One,” she says. “We have realized that no one wants to be arresting homeless people for homeless issues such as open container and loitering. The police have been willing partners in finding alternative to arresting people. The outreach worker provided by DCI and other outreach workers have gone a long way to working with police to help Count, continued from p.1 place to go. Two people are sleeping on benches outside the Tower Place Garage. A woman sits bent over, the purse resting on her knees serving as a pillow. A man on a nearby bench is prone, a jacket over his head. Roberts makes some notes but doesn’t talk to him. “I just didn’t want to wake him up,” Roberts says. “It’s hard to get a good night’s sleep. The cops heckle them all night. The business people come in the morning and heckle them. I try to respect their space.” The survey team goes to the 10th floor of the parking garage and walks each floor, searching. When they return outside, the man on the bench is awake. The man tells Roberts he is 57 and a military veteran. “He said the main cause of his homelessness is lack of a job, and the reason he doesn’t “He said the main cause of his homelessness is lack of a job, and the reason he doesn’t have a job is because he got sick and couldn’t work.” 57 year old man sleeping outside parking garage have a job is because he got sick and couldn’t work,” Roberts says. “I think he’s mentally ill. I think that’s the illness.” At 5:30 a.m. a man is asleep on the sidewalk in front of the TJ Maxx store on West Fourth Street. A blanket covers him; his shoes are on the ground next to his head. A man nearby has a cardboard box and an open Bible on the bench where he’s resting. Roberts tries to talk to him, but the man violently shakes his head, bellowing a guttural concatenation of syllables that sound like an angry version of speaking in tongues. Roberts knows the man. “He’s religiously fixated,” Roberts says. The porch surrounding St. Peter in Chains Cathedral is surprisingly vacant at 5:40 a.m. “They’re usually lined up all the way down both sides, sleeping,” Roberts says. Timing might be the key, according to Lynne Ausman, administrative coordinator for move people off the street and into housing.” In fact, more outreach, rather than tougher enforcement, is what police want. “Hopefully DCI will continue to keep their outreach program,” Saunders says. “I see the biggest need is more outreach workers.” Saunders talks about a man named Charlie who was sleeping under a bridge at Fort Washington Way. The police posted signs in the area, warning those camping there that they had to move. The police talked to Charlie and encouraged him to get connected with PATH, an agency that helps homeless people. Staffers from PATH met him at the bridge and got him into Tender Mercies, which provides housing for people with mental illness. “Now Charlie is able to thrive, not just survive,” Saunders says. Other cities have noticed how effectively the police and homeless advocates are working together in Cincinnati and are working on creating similar policies in their own cities, Saunders says. ‘People need help’ While everyone agrees that communication has been instrumental in connecting people sleeping outside to services, all agree it’s not a perfect system. “We don’t want to sweep them, but we do have to enforce local and state ordinances,” Saunders says. “We handle camps on a complaint by complaint basis. We need the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. On a previous survey, she found the cathedral porch full of homeless people. “They were all getting up and moving; that was about 4:00 or 4:15,” she says. “I’ll make a note that we should come here first next time.” The survey involved about two dozen people from the Homeless Coalition, PATH, the Drop Inn Center, Caracole, Lighthouse Youth Services, the FreeStore FoodBank and other social-service agencies. The questions for the survey include the length of time a person has been homeless, the cause and any special needs. Davetta Lewis, a clientsupport specialist for Caracole, which serves people who have HIV/AIDS, marvels at something a teacher told her in psychology class: Homeless people want to be homeless. more beds and more outreach. A possible solution is public campgrounds where people who are homeless can pitch tents and sleep legally outside.” The larger question of why so many people have to sleep outdoors – and why it’s banned -- remains unanswered, Getty says. “The age-old question about homelessness is who owns the right to public space,” she says. “We have 1,100 shelter beds that are full every night but at least 1,300 homeless people nightly. I believe people have the right to be in public space. Downtown businesses and residents often differ. Ultimately what we need is safe, affordable housing for all city residents. The ‘housing first’ model by Over-theRhine Community Housing is a great first step in the right direction (see “Million Dollar Baby,” edition of Aug. 1). Five years after the controversy, downtown business owners are more likely to see the problem differently, Lockhart says. “Businesses are coming around and understanding that people need help,” he says. Miller says the changes in the past five years are a good start. “The community police officers do a great job,” she says. “Most clients in the camps know them. The community needs a better understanding: If they really want to improve anything, it is to understand what people’s needs are. We need housing, and we need good-paying jobs.” “I was kind of offended,” Lewis says. “Everybody has choices, but I’m pretty sure most people don’t choose to be homeless. A lot of working poor are half a paycheck away from being homeless. Georgine Getty, executive director of the Homeless Coalition, describes a couple she found sleeping at Government Square – a 20-year-old woman and a 28-year-old man. They lost their apartment to fire. “They parked their child somewhere,” she says. “They’ve been homeless for two weeks.” There are no shelters for unmarried couples in Cincinnati. “They want to stay together,” Getty says. “They were huddled up like kittens. Her head was resting on his back. It was so sweet.” Some choice: the bench or the riverbank. �STREETVIBES September 2008 Local News 7 Defenders, continued from p.1 according to Bill Gallagher, a Cincinnati civil rights attorney and chair of the Indigent Defense Committee of the Ohio Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. “When they’re under-funded, they can’t do their jobs properly,” Gallagher says. “When they can’t do their jobs properly, we end up with people staying in prison longer than necessary. We have innocent people being convicted. We have people in the Justice Center longer because their lawyers can’t get over to visit them.” The caseload for staff attorneys is more than double that recommended by national standards. “Using caseload numbers that we know to be underrepresentative, the Hamilton County misdemeanor staff attorneys are handling almost two-and-a-half times the maximum caseload recommended by nationally recognized and accepted standards,” the NLADA report says. “This equates to 30 attorney positions handling the work of 74 attorneys. “As troublesome as an excessive workload is on an attorney who must handle more than double the number of cases recommended by national workload standards, the true outcome measure of work overload is the tangible effect it has on clients. In Hamilton County, the workload means that on average a public defender can spend only one hour and 42 minutes per misdemeanor case (including trials).” For juveniles dependent on public defenders, the prospect is even more bleak. The public defender’s office uses the juvenile court as a training ground; from there attorneys move on to Hamilton County Municipal Court. But juvenile court can lock kids up much longer than municipal court does. “The Hamilton County Public Defender Office uses the Juvenile Unit as a training ground for staff attorneys who then ‘move up’ to adult misdemeanor practice,” the NLADA report says. “This is unwise. There are many more serious and life-impacting cases with direct and collateral consequences filed in the delinquency court than in the municipal court. Juvenile Unit attorneys handle serious felony acts that may result in several years’ incarceration under the jurisdiction of the Ohio Department of Youth Services.” ‘Keep the judges happy’ The person who holds the official title of Hamilton Coun- “...the complaints were not that the attorneys were incompetent, but rather that they were filing too many motions or trying too many jury trials or otherwise too vigorous in their representation.” ty Public Defender is Louis F. Strigari. NLADA’s report is not kind to Strigari, even while acknowledging that he is “a dedicated father-like figure … (who) is extremely well-liked in the Hamilton County legal community and is a kind, thoughtful man who cares deeply about indigent defense and has held a longterm, broad vision for the provision of counsel to the poor.” Strigari scheduled an interview with Streetvibes to discuss the report but missed the appointment. Subsequent efforts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful. NLADA’s report is based on interviews with more than 75 assistant public defenders, private attorneys, county officials and judges listed by name -- and “a significant number of additional attorneys who spoke with us but preferred not to give their names.” Strigari, who has been the chief public defender since 1994, is too cozy with judges, according to some of the people NLADA interviewed. “Critics of Mr. Strigari’s leadership claim that he is too beholden to the Hamilton County judiciary and unwilling or unable to rock the boat with the state and county to secure appropriate funding,” the report says. “For example, it appears that the public defender office has been historically strongly motivated to keep the judges happy. This has manifested itself in the chief agreeing to remove specific assigned counsel attorneys from cases at the request of some judges, where the complaints were not that the attorneys were incompetent, but rather that they were filing too many motions or trying too many jury trials or otherwise too vigorous in their rep- resentation. Some assigned counsel attorneys have been admonished not to file too many motions or try too many cases, perceiving that the public defender office might cease appointing them.” Assigned counsel are private attorneys retained by the public defender’s office, which also has staff attorneys. Both are underpaid, NLADED concluded. “In Hamilton County, assigned counsel fees are set at $45 per hour and are also capped at a maximum number of hours based upon the type of case,” the report says. “The rate has not increased since September of 2004. … To the extent that overhead exceeds the $45 per hour rate paid by Hamilton County, then assigned counsel attorneys are literally paying for the privilege of representing the poor.” But it gets worse. Strigari allegedly leans on assigned counsel not to bill the county for all their hours. “We were repeatedly told that Chief Public Defender Strigari contacts the lawyer and cajolingly suggests that it is not practical to submit the bill to the judge in the amount claimed, even when that is the amount of time that was spent … Many told us they receive a suggestion that they should file fewer motions or take fewer cases to trial, and they “The Constitution does not allow for justice to be rationed to the poor due to insufficient funds.” perceived that they would otherwise run the risk of no longer receiving appointed cases.” NLADA recommends a series of reforms to improve the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office. They do not include a future for the man who now holds the title Hamilton County Public Defender – Lou Strigari. “The present requirements of public defense administration in Hamilton County, however, exceed the leadership qualities that Mr. Strigari can offer,” the report says. ‘No connection’ The problem inevitably reverts to money. In this case, the issue isn’t only how much but also whence it comes. Ohio is one of 20 states that make counties pay most of the cost for public defenders. The National Legal Aid & Defender Assoication released its report about Hamilton County public defenders in July. Moreover, Ohio has cut back on what it does contribute. “The State of Ohio has not only allowed its counties to shoulder the predominant burden for funding the right to counsel, it is one of only two states that are actually going against the national trend toward 100 percent state funding by reducing its reimbursement percentage over the past 30 years,” the NLADA report says. In a brief telephone conversation scheduling an interview that ultimately didn’t happen, Strigari gave a nod to the issue of funding. “We’re doing the work of the Lord – at least that’s the way I look at it,” he said. “We don’t do it for the money, that’s for sure.” While urging the county to press for increases in state funding, NLADA applauded the county’s recent efforts. “Despite these seriousness of the problems detailed throughout the report, NLADA concludes that Hamilton County has demonstrated an emerging commitment to providing constitutionally effective assistance of counsel in recent years,” the report says. “The county has done this through their willingness to candidly assess the strengths and weaknesses of their existing public defense system and by taking positive action on those assessments – most notably in the creation of two new management positions in the Public Defender Office. However, they are not yet providing constitutionally-adequate representation.” Gallagher says reform will take time as well as money, but the public defender’s office can take initiatives now that won’t cost anything. The office has never established a relationship with institutions that could help, he says. Opportunities for collaboration and grants alike have gone unexplored. “There is no connection with the private bar,” Gallagher says. “There is no connection with the bar association. There is no connection with the law schools.” Paying for free lawyers for people accused of crime is no path to political success. It is, however, at the core of the nation’s legal system. “The Constitution does not allow for justice to be rationed to the poor due to insufficient funds,” the NLADA report says. But practical considerations also attend. We can pay now or pay later, according to NLADA. The Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office, it seems, is a lawsuit waiting to happen. “Hamilton County’s policymakers are in the unenviable ‘between a rock and a hard place’ position of having to either fund public defender services at an adequate level (thus threatening the county’s fiscal health) or face expensive systemic class action lawsuits or other costly court action to ensure a meaningful right to counsel for the poor (also threatening its fiscal health)” the report says. �STREETVIBES September 2008 Local News 8 Gated Communities for the Homeless Shelters are full and the underpasses sealed off By Andrew Freeze Staff Writer he summer months typically find fewer people staying at Cincinnati’s homeless shelters – but not this year. The usual seasonal decline can sometimes be attributed to more seasonal jobs, more housing available and people sleeping outside because of the nicer weather. But this year the numbers at many of Cincinnati’s shelters look more like their winter numbers. This worries the people who work with homeless people. The demand for help at St. Francis/St. Joseph Catholic Worker House is unusually high, according to Carl Fields, house manager. “We have 16 beds for men, and August is usually our slowest month; but we have been staying full all summer,” he says. The Catholic Worker House normally has three or four beds available throughout the summer, but not in 2008, Fields says. The Drop Inn Center has also seen a steady rise in the number of “bed nights.” “Our bed-nights count was up 63 percent in June and 60 percent in July, compared to our 2007 numbers,” says Pat Clifford, executive director. Georgine Getty, executive director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, says homeless people have been telling her, “There is a month to a month-and-ahalf wait list to get into the family shelters.” Our Daily Bread, a soup kitchen in Over-the-Rhine, serves a mid-morning meal. There, too, the need for help T has been on the rise. “Our numbers have doubled from two years ago,” says Sister Mary Beth Peters, executive director. “We now serve 14,000 meals, a month, which is about 500 meals a day.” The snapshot in Cincinnati doesn’t match claims last month by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that homeless has significantly dropped across the country. Clifford, Fields and Peters say the reason for the high numbers could be the weak economy, a lack of seasonal “If you can’t build beds, give (homeless people) a legal place to sleep.” - Sgt. Steve Saunders, Cincinnati Police Department jobs and more people falling into poverty. With Cincinnati’s shelters full most nights, there are still people who sleep outside. In Cincinnati, there is no legal place for people to sleep if they don’t have a home, according to Sgt. Steve Saunders, liaison officer for Cincinnati Police District One. The designation of legal campgrounds for homeless people might help, he says. “If you can’t build beds, give (homeless people) a legal place to sleep,” Saunders says. Compounding the fact that it’s illegal to sleep outside, it’s also getting harder to find shelter outdoors. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) has begun installing a series of five fences under various highway overpasses Top: A sign warns campers of the impending fencing at an overpass. Above: Fences have been placed up around underpasses throughout the city at a cost of $15,000. Below: Graph provided by Drop Inn Center. Photos by Andrew Anderson. to keep people from camping there. Chico Lockhart, outreach coordinator for Downtown Cincinnati Inc., says he still sees lots of people sleeping outside and under bridges. He and other case managers work to get them into shelter or housing (see “A Sweeping Change,” page 1). “We want to connect people to services, not put up fences,” Saunders says. But the fences are going up nonetheless. A statement from ODOT says the state is spending $15,000 to put up the fences “for the safety of those who sleep outside.” With shelters full, soup kitchens serving twice as many meals and laws prohibiting people from sleeping outside, Cincinnati is seeing a new kind of housing development: gated communities for the homeless – gated to keep them out. Interested in volunteering your talents with Streetvibes? Contact Gregory Flannery at 513421-7803 x12 �STREETVIBES September 2008 Poetry and Artwork 9 “to be able” On My Journey On my journey, the road has been rough, It has been easy, and it has truly been hard But there have been many lessons. I’ve learned to love, I’ve learned to hate I’ve also learned to appreciate, but most of all I’ve learned who family is. Because what I was taught in the home Didn’t prepare me for the streets. The streets are not what I’ve seen on TV Or what I’ve seen in the movies, The street is real And when one experiences it Only then will you know. I’ve learned to share and embrace those I encounter on my journey. Before I thought family was those I was born to. I was told blood is thicker than water But I found out that love is thicker than blood And that family is not necessarily those you are born to. They are often the people you meet in the street. By Mack L. Russell Looks like you picked up on the signs The mediocrity of which blinds Why truth is only found between the lines The soulless make it so hard so times To be part of that number, no easier kind Of a way or ways to shift, waves that wash me overboard Into the masses of junkies’ divorce From the present, and from the real Into the realm of what we feel The pressures of what it means to deal With dollars and sense, colored suits and pension checks Politics of non-sense, and eons worth of segregated conscience With the bell’s call and the mosquito draw Blood from the veins of our poorest of all Religious cloaks like daggers fall Systemically backstabbing the supposed call Do not sin, paralyze the temptress’s laws Which cite or cites the change, chaos that cast me headlong Into the chasms of soldiers’ pride From the past, and from the fable Into the galaxy of what we label The tenements of what it takes to be able … yes, be able To come to the table And reveal the truths that lay between lines That nothing and no-one is merely a product of the times We are what, what we manifest, than what is life But a test, replete with joy yet rifled with strife No easier kind, of a way or ways To search, than drift downward dastardly to the lowest of lows And than you will know where truth is sewn In the face of your own In your friend’s boisterous tone In the humanity of those struggling all alone By Bill Haigh Cleo’s Joke Corner Do you know the only place that dogs don’t like to go, besides the veterinarian? My granddaughter said, “They do not like to go to the flea market.” To Lucy and Paul Drawing by Anthony Williams Knock, knock. Who’s there? Tijuana. Tijuana who? Tijuana buy a Streetvibes? Why is it hard to get inside a piano? Well, the keys are on the inside. �Column 10 Otis Campbell is Dying They don’t make them like him anymore By Michael Henson Columnist I was looking for air for my tires and Calvin said, “If you tell ’em inside, they’ll turn on the pump for you. It’ll save you 75 cents.” Before I could even go inside, one of the workers at the station was out sweeping, so Calvin had him turn it on for me. I filled my tires and I still had my 75 cents, so I gave it to him. “You might as well have it,” I said. “I was set to pay it out anyway.” He nodded and tucked the coins into a pocket of his coat. I had not seen Calvin in 10 years or more, and the years had not been kind. He used to be a feature in the old East End. They call this part Columbia-Tusculum now, but it’s the old East End just the same. At the time I knew him, Calvin lived in an old wood frame house on a hill above Columbia Parkway. For years, that house was buttressed by long 2x10 props to keep it from tumbling down into the traffic. I asked about it back then. My first impression was that it was an early stage of a renovation project. He laughed, and I didn’t get it. It was all a joke to him. ******** You could see he had once been a handsome man, and you could see in him, still, something of the energy and grace he must have once possessed. His hair was that sandy color that, as it grayed, seemed only to shift tones. His were a frosty blue and glinted when he joked. But his face was a spidery red, and his nose was swollen and there were deep furrows beneath his eyes. His back was bent. He moved real slow. Ten years ago. He was a broken man even then. ******** He made something of a living doing odd jobs around the neighborhood, mostly for the ones who decided the neighborhood’s name was Columbia-Tusculum. It was mostly beer money. He was a regular at the soup kitchen at Seven Hills Neighborhood Services. That program is long gone. I don’t know who feeds the people like Calvin now. I don’t think it’s the people of the condominiums. When I first met Calvin, I had a job in which I tried to reach out to the addicts and alcoholics of the East End and persuade them into treatment. I didn’t have a lot of success. I had better luck with the clients referred by parole or probation. But every now and then it worked. It didn’t work with Calvin. It was all a joke to him. He laughed every time I tried. ******** I recognized Calvin, but I They are, in fact, a dying breed -literally, for the drunk is dying as long as he keeps drinking. But also because there are fewer of the type that just slowly drinks and dies. wasn’t sure he recognized me. He had his hands in his pockets and his face and nose were still swollen and reddened. The deep furrows beneath his eyes had guttered deeper yet. His cheeks sagged like empty sacks. His eyes were still the same frozen blue, but they had a syrupy glaze over them. I asked him, “Do you remember me?” He peered at me through the glaze. “No,” he said. “I don’t reckon I do.” STREETVIBES September 2008 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. “I remember you,” I said. “You used to live in a little house up yonder.” I pointed to where I thought the house once stood. I don’t remember if it stood on the knoll with the new condominiums or in the place they hollowed out for the parking lot at Starbuck’s, I waved in the general direction, hoping he would help me out. But he looked away with a nod. We talked for half an hour or more about people who had come and gone from the old East End, some living, some dead, some living sober. ******** One of our most beloved stereotypes is that of the town drunk, the lovable lush. Otis Campbell was good for a great many laughs on the old Andy Griffith Show, and I suppose there are a hundred others. The drunk says funny things and nobody’s hurt. But you know and I know that’s not the way it really is. That old-time drunk can also tell you stories that will break your heart. I recall one old man, a Black man who had been on chain gangs in the old south. He showed me the scars from the chains on his legs and he sang some of the old chain-gang songs and he was happy to share his piece of history. But he was dying just as Calvin is dying, and they all are dying. They are, in fact, a dying breed -- literally, for the drunk is dying as long as he keeps drinking. But also because there are fewer of the type that just slowly drinks and dies. Add some cocaine or Oxy into the mix and they go down faster. The ones like Calvin just drink and slowly die. ******** We talked, as I said, about people come and gone, some living, some dead: Sam who had done so well for awhile. Philip, who got it, but got it too late and died three months sober. And we talked about some living and sober. So I asked him, “Do you want to get some help?” Calvin looked around. He looked up at the hillside where his rickety house used to perch. He looked around at the cars whipping past on Columbia Parkway or nursing at the pumps of the station. “Naw,” he said. “I reckon it’s too late for that.” He didn’t laugh, though. I suppose it’s not a joke for him anymore. The Sign Says, ‘God Bless You’ Its owner says something else By Larry Gross Contributing Writer W hen he got on the bus, I recognized the guy. Oftentimes I’ve seen him downtown on the corner of Seventh and Vine streets with his paper cup and a cardboard sign that says, “Homeless. Please help. God bless you.” Many times I’ve put a buck or two in his cup. It was approaching 10 o’clock at night when he got on the bus heading up Queen City Avenue. I don’t normally take bus rides that late, but I had business downtown that made it necessary to take the No. 6 bus after the sun went down. Why this man was on the bus, I don’t know. What I do know is he was drunk. So did the bus driver. When he got on, he could hardly stand up. He’s a tall, thin man with short blonde hair. He was wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans. The bus driver was as nice to him as she could be – even when he started to board the bus without paying his fare. “Sir, you need to pay the fare,” she said. He stood there, around the middle of the bus, staggering with his hands in his pockets, looking for change. I wonder why he was drunk. Is it because he’s homeless? Is that what made him so angry? When he found his change, he staggered to the front of the bus, put his coins in the slot and asked for a transfer. When the bus driver gave him the transfer, he continued to stand there. “Sir,” said the bus driver, “you need to sit down.” On shaky legs, he continued to stand. “Sir, I’m not going to move this bus until you sit down.” These words had no effect on the man at all. He continued to stand as though he didn’t know what else to do. A gentleman sitting in one of the seats to the man’s right groaned. “Man, sit down,” he said. “I want to get home.” This woke up the drunken man, who now was suddenly angry. “Don’t talk to me like that, boy!” he said, getting in the other passenger’s face. “I’ve worked hard today.” The drunk man dropped his transfer. He asked the bus driver for another one. “It’s on the floor,” she said. “Just pick it up.” “Give me a goddamn transfer,” he said. “Sir, sit down!” He finally sat in a seat to the left of the passenger who had made him angry. He started to curse at the man and at the bus driver, who wouldn’t give him a new transfer. The bus driver got on her phone and called I find myself now wondering what happens to that money when I place a buck in a paper cup downtown for a person holding up a sign stating he or she is homeless. her supervisor. The drunken man, still with shaky legs, moved to the back of the bus and calmed down. The bus driver got her bus moving again and apologized to the other passenger. She told him her supervisor would meet her at a stop on Werk Road and have the man removed from the bus. I’m thankful I didn’t have to witness that. My stop was before the bus turned on that street. But the events of that ride leave thoughts and questions in my mind. I now wonder if the man is really homeless. He had some- place to go in the western part of town. Was he staying with a friend on that night when he was so drunk? I wonder why he was drunk. Is it because he’s homeless? Is that what made him so angry? Was he taking his anger out on that other passenger because that other passenger had a home to go to? I find myself now wondering what happens to that money when I place a buck in a paper cup downtown for a person holding up a sign stating he or she is homeless. I suppose it’s not any of my business. It’s my choice to simply give and try and help. I might feel different later, but for now I find myself avoiding the corner of Seventh and Vine. I don’t want to see the guy who caused trouble on that late-night bus ride. I don’t want to think about him or look at him. I don’t want to look at his cardboard sign that says “God bless you.” �STREETVIBES September 2008 11 Column A Sporting Silence China’s brutal acts ignored for the sake of the Olympics By Steve Sunderland Contributing Writer W hat are we to make of the Olympics in China? The hoopla goes on, documenting the success of the Chinese in bringing off an event that many thought would be upset by protests. The protests were squashed. The president of the United States went and left as a sports fan. The world joined him in silence about the genocide in China, the Chinese domination of Tibet and the arrest of elders who legally sought to protest China's housing policies. How did China emerge without a touch of responsibility for being a country with no freedom of speech, little freedom of assembly, abusive of religious freedom and exploitive of workers’ rights to safe, reasonable, and free work? The world has bought deeply into the connection between the sports-industrial complex as a way of appeasing this political, economic and military giant. World problems of hunger, war, unemployment, inflation, homelessness, the absence of safety nets for health and ruthlessness toward dissent have been increasing during the games, as if the real world of suffering exists in a parallel world that can be ignored. China is also partially responsible for the expansion of world and state misery. So why the silence? We have to look to the reaction to the "Bodies" exhibit at Cincinnati Museum Center to get a hint about the "silence." The financial success of this grisly exhibit has overshadowed the moral concerns that the "bodies" might be Chinese political prisoners who were murdered. This exhibit points out that even in a democracy, the forces of authoritarianism and greed can overcome democratic values. In a sad way, the power to do whatever it wants is the common characteristic of the behavior of the Museum Center and the Chinese government. The city, like the world, is suffering from a fear of offending the rich giants that control everyday life in largely invisible ways. Every now and then a project breaks through the public relations strategy and touches a nerve of the population that is unexpected and unwanted by the controlling forces. Think of the shame of New Orleans after Katrina, Burma's denial of services following their hurricane or manipulation of the gas crisis. The Museum Center is clear that it has to have a "success" with the exhibit and resents any threat to closing it down for any reason. In reaction to criticism, it has said the exhibit has "entertainment value" and it is "educational" -- and these concerns should trump any moral concerns. Yet the financial realities of the exhibit aren’t known by the public any more than the political realities that brought the exhibit to Cincinnati or the medical realities that created the exhibit. This lack of transparency continues the fiction that the exhibit, like the Olympics, has values that super-cede humanitarian concerns. What must it be like to be sitting in Chinese prisons, working in labor camps or contemplating taking an action against the Chinese government? History tells us many stories of those imprisoned in such conditions. Recently, a new diary emerged from Poland's horrifying Holocaust history. It is by Rutka Laskier, a 14-year-old Jewish girl who died in Auschwitz. Her diary was kept by a friend and only just shared with scholars and the public, titled Rutka's Notebook: A voice from the Holocaust. Rutka writes: "To sit in a gray locked cage, without being able to see fields and flowers. Last year I used to go to the fields; I always had many flowers, and it reminded me that one day it would be possible to go to Malchowska Street without taking the risk of being deported. … I'm already so 'flooded' with the atrocities of the war that even the worst reports have no effect on me. I simply can't believe that one day I'll be able to leave the house without the yellow star. Or even that this war will end one day. ... If this happens, I will probably lose No one questions that Tibet has been overrun by Chinese imperialism with the resulting toll of thousands of deaths of religious and civilian people. my mind from joy." Millions of Chinese and Tibetan people could write their own stories of current conditions that mirror Rutka's harrowing existence. There is little question that slavery and genocide occur in China at this time. No one questions that Tibet has been overrun by Chinese imperialism with the resulting toll of thousands of deaths of religious and civilian people. Evidence of the Chinese selling body parts in ways that are illegal in any other country is clear and damning. Chinese workers suffer under sweatshop conditions, fake labor laws and brutal working conditions and have little opportunity to litigate violations of even fake labor laws. I have had the privilege of working with recent student and faculty visitors from China to a local school. After a bit of awkwardness in getting to know each other, we launched into complicated discussions of both China and the United States. There was nothing but enthusiasm for the United States but there was a particular concern for peace: "We want peace and we are afraid of being attacked by the U.S. We do not want to be another Iraq." Criticisms of Chinese policies were also evident, especially about Tibet. Statements of courage, concern and compassion were made as the students and teachers worried about their future. I felt that the hope for a different government in both the United States and China was being wished for, a government of the people and for peace. To create such a world, we must break the silence and say that China's government must change. And we must join our voices and resist the phoniness of the Museum Center’s rationale. Long live Tibet! Close the Bodies exhibit! Unite for peace! Title: Black David Letterman Character: Man of sense and (cents) of humor 1 – Waking up to find that he has now become the watermelon man 2 – He realizes that he has to wait a year to hear the important affirmative action decision 3 – He goes to the doctor and asks, “How has this happened?” You have been drinking too much moon shine 4 – He is learning to understand that George Walker Bush is for the 1964 Civil Rights Act 5 – On a job application, he learns to understand why an Afro-American writes he is an American, when asked “What ethnic group are you?” 6 – He realizes as he enters the church and listens to the song being sung, “As we lay they burdens down” [The true meaning of the burden of proof] 7 – As he looks in the mirror he can fully understand Jason Bourne (in the Bourne Identity) 8 – He realizes why his eyes is on the prize 9 – He realize that Fred Shuttlesworth, Leslie Gaines, Martin Luther King Jr. and General Kabaka Oba are his brothers. 10 – He realizes that Billy Graham is the number 1 spokesman on television By Antonio Hodge �STREETVIBES September 2008 Column 12 Addict’s Almanac By Tye Doudy Street News Service Warning: Grapic language he smoky interior of the Roxy, with its smells of clove cigarettes, coffee and greasy diner food, is an oasis. Those old familiar pulpfiction posters on the wall and the same Skinny Puppy songs playing on the jukebox. Small groups cluster at tables and in the booths. Gothic kids and punk rockers drinking the allnight coffee and chain smoking. Flamboyant gay guys sitting at the bar talking loud and looking around to see if anyone is paying attention. No one is. I spot an associate sitting by himself at one of the small two-person tables and make my way over. His name is Joe but he goes by Ashes, and Ashes looks loaded. He barely looks up when I sit down; and from the length of the ash on his smoke, I can tell he was on the nod. His hooded eyes finally look up and find mine as the waiter takes my order for coffee and toast. He tucks a long strand of greasy hair behind his ear and through missing teeth tells me I look like hell. Coming from him this is truly something. Ashes has been on the streets a long time. He was already “old” when I first hit the dope road all those years ago. Beneath his long and tattered leather jacket and his Sisters of Mercy T-shirt, his thin frame shows the wear of the longtime dope fiend. His arms are covered in homemade tattoos and scars from past abscesses. He is somewhere in his late 30s but looks a decade older. Anybody with eyes would make him for an addict. He’s about as trustworthy as a rented snake, and he is the closest thing I have to a friend at this moment. My first question is, of course, is he holding; and second, can I get him to kick T The squats that line the freeway overpasses are like catch basins for the refuse of the city. The mentally ill, sexual deviants, illegal immigrants, wanted fugitives, hardcore drunks, prostitutes, crusty train-hopping kids, tweakers, junkies, the unlucky, and the unloved. down a little something. Even a rinse would set me straight and buy me some time to make a plan. No junky wants to give up any dope ever, but I have some leverage as he has no hustle and he knows I will make some money today. He supports his habit by spare changing in the transit mall. Not a sure thing, even on a good day. A real loser’s gambit. Real bottom-of-thefood-chain shit. So I get him to agree to get me well as long as I take him along on whatever scheme I cook up for the day. The shock of the smell In order for me to get the fix, we first have to go back to the squat he shares with some other scumbags under the Jackson Street overpass. We I have to be careful. I’ve only been out of jail a few hours. I don’t even have laces in my boots yet and am still carrying the clear plastic property bag with all my shit in it. Many junkies have gotten out of jail only to OD with their first shot. leave at once. Fuck the coffee and toast. It’s only a few blocks away; and as we make our way to the spot, morning people are beginning their day. Office workers are emerging with their overpriced Starbucks beverages, and service workers are on their way to their shitty jobs serving shitty food to shitty people. The pedestrians avoid eye contact and keep moving. They’re not scared, just seen it all too many times. Anybody who lives or works downtown is so used to this that it’s like rain to them. Something unpleasant but inevitable, just part of the city. When we finally reach the overpass and duck down through the hole in the freeway fence, the smell of shit is a shock. The whole side of the embankment is dotted with small white flags of used toilet paper marking each pile of human excrement. There are no public bathrooms open at night in this area of Portland, so people do what they have to do wherever they can. No matter how many squats I’ve been in, the smell of piss and shit always takes my breath away for a moment. This is the bottom. Truly, it would be hard to fall any lower than this. Maybe dying of AIDS in He’s about as trustworthy as a rented snake, and he is the closest thing I have to a friend at this moment. a welfare hospital would be worse. Maybe. The squats that line the freeway overpasses are like catch basins for the refuse of the city. The mentally ill, sexual deviants, illegal immigrants, wanted fugitives, hardcore drunks, prostitutes, crusty train-hopping kids, tweakers, junkies, the unlucky, and the unloved. We all have called these places home. For a night, for a week, even years for some. It’s easy to fly below the radar here. No rent, no responsibility and nothing to worry about besides where the cops are and where your next fix or your next bottle is coming from. My next fix is coming from Ashes, and he is unrolling his works from a piece of leather he had up his sleeve. “There’s not much here to go around,” he says. But he is willing to share a little, after he gets his, of course. I watch, trembling in anticipation while he prepares his shot; and as he draws up the black water from the spoon, my stomach does flip flops like maybe I’m gonna puke or shit my pants. But I don’t. Ashes has no veins, so he just shoves the point in his shoulder and slowly pushes down the plunger with a slight grimace of pain. “I left a good rinse for you” he says, gesturing towards his spoon. Upon examination, there is a light brown residue on the spoon and in the tiny piece of cotton stuck to the bottom. I look around at the spectral figures in the darkened squat. Most still in their bedrolls and sleeping bags. It’s hard to spot a familiar face, so I just ask out loud if anybody has a clean point. Nearby, what I had mistaken for a pile of trash and old rags stirs; and by some miracle, this small girl who I hadn’t even noticed says she might. She begins to dig in her pack and pulls out the familiar brown paper bag of the Outside In needle exchange. She tosses the bag to me and tells me to keep it; she says she is trying to kick. I don’t want to think about Tye Doudy is 33 years old and lives in Portland. His stories are all true and told in the hopes that others might learn from his mistakes. This is the first in a series of articles about his life. He can be reached at wurmstar@gmail.com. what I might have done if there weren’t a clean point available. Sharing needles under a bridge is not anything I want to experience. I’ve been lucky and I know it. I want to hug this tiny female savior but we don’t know each other. I wish I had a million dollars to give her. She might have just saved my life and I tell her so as my way of thanking her. She merely shrugs and rolls back over so she doesn’t have to watch us shoot dope in front of her. as “the boost and return.” Another variation on this is to hang around outside the store picking up receipts or getting receipts out of the trash. Then you go into the store, steal the exact item on the receipt and return it for the cash. The only thing required to do returns is a valid ID. Once you have done three returns, Maybe dying of AIDS in a welfare hospital would be worse. Maybe. The booster’s shot I have to be careful. I’ve only been out of jail a few hours. I don’t even have laces in my boots yet and am still carrying the clear plastic property bag with all my shit in it. Many junkies have gotten out of jail only to OD with their first shot. They dumbly do the amount they were used to doing before being locked up. Not realizing that the time inside has lowered their tolerance. From what Ashes has left me, I definitely don’t have to worry about an OD, so I prepare the meager fix and do my thing. It hits me first in the muscles of my jaw and with a slight burn up my arm. No euphoria, no rush, just a slight sensation of relief. It wasn’t much but it will have to do. I know I will have to make some money soon, and my first thought is Home Depot. It’s a bus ride but pretty much a sure thing. They give you up to $100 cash back on returned merchandise. You don’t even need to have a receipt. The hustle works like this. A guy goes in and shoplifts $99 worth of whatever. This guy is known as a “booster.” Another guy waits outside. The booster takes the stuff out of the store and hands it over to the guy who waited outside. This guy is called a “returner.” The returner then goes inside the store and returns the merchandise for cash. This is known your ID is burnt and the store cuts you off. So boosters are always looking for new returners with clean ID who don’t look like disreputable dope fiends. Right now I need someone with a clean ID to take the bus to with me to the Beaverton and put some work in. Ashes is not an option. He doesn’t even have ID, and any loss-prevention guy would make him instantly. I tell him to help me find someone to do returns, and I will kick down some cash on top of the shitty little shot I already owe him. The small girl in the corner who gave me the rigs has overheard all this, and it is too much for her. She stands right up and says, “Fuck kicking! I want in.” I feel kind of bad for dragging her into my madness but she says she has clean ID and in the light is actually pretty cute in a beat kind of way. She stands probably five feet tall and is no more than 100 pounds. She has black dreads pulled back into a ponytail, large expressive eyes, pale skin, and very red lips. She says her name is Zoey but she goes by Squeak. Appropriate. She is wearing black Carhart bibs and a Venom shirt but says she has just the outfit for our expedition. After digging in her impossibly large pack, See ADDICT p.13 �STREETVIBES September 2008 News 13 The Cost of Free Food Generosity, creativity and dancing help pay the bills By Angela Pancella Contributing Writer meal, maintain our dining area and assist in our social work department are all paid. Many of the people working at Our Daily Bread have faced obstacles to working elsewhere. Perhaps they have had legal problems or an addiction history; they might have mental illness or a spotty employment record. Our goal is to see their work at Our Daily Bread provide a basis for greater stability in their lives. There are administrative costs to keeping Our Daily Bread up and running as well — keeping track of the budget, scheduling staff and volunteers, getting publicity so the community knows what we’re up to. Where does the money come from to do all this? Mostly from individual donations. There are also companies that support us, and about a fifth of our budget comes from foundations. September is a big month for Our Daily Bread’s fundraising. On Sept. 12 we have a dinner dance called the “Soul of the City Soiree.” A Motown band will come to town for it; Montgomery Inn will be providing food. In September we also release a cookbook, Food for Thought, a collection of recipes from volunteers, donors, staff, local chefs, local media and other friends. Mixed in with the recipes are favorite stories and quotations about life at Our Daily Bread over our more than 20-year history. Information about these and other activities can be found on our Web site, www.ourdailybread.us, or by calling 513621-6364. As always, you’re welcome to visit us in person at 1730 Race St. Come in and have a meal. It’d be our treat. ing at the $4.3 million since spent on them. Whether or not you have, The final hours of Seattle’s ‘million-dollar toilets’ like me, googled "Seattle latte), before you could use a By JP Gritton million-dollar toilets," you bathroom -- unless you hap- know all about them. The selfStreet News Service pened to be in Victor Stein- cleaning toilet is about what A while ago my hometown brueck Park, where there’s it means to be human — it's of Boulder, Colo., bought a a free, self-cleaning toilet. It about well-laid plans going, bunch of old bicycles and was just waiting there, like a quite literally, to shit. left them around the city, green bicycle. I witnessed the toilets' final spray-painting them green to Like Boulder, Seattle has hours from around 8 a.m. to distinguish them from other just learned a lesson about around 8 p.m. July 31. This is bicycles. It was a great idea: human nature the hard way: what I saw: Boulder is very sunny and It turns out that public restInternational District sometimes it’s warm; people rooms are great places to poop 9:44 a.m.: The outside is there like exercising, for ex- and pee, but they're also really covered in small dents, the ingreat places to do drugs and side feels maybe clean — example with bikes. Within a few months, have sex. Also, if you don’t al- cept for the toilet, which has though, all of the bicycles had low advertising on them, you three inches of toilet paper in disappeared. It turns out that, won’t afford anybody to clean the bottom. The instructions if you have free bicycles lying the self-cleaning toilets. come on in English, Spanish, I wonder what former and Chinese; and then a terriaround, the only people who will ride them are college kids Councilwoman Tina Pod- fying sound begins, as though on acid, who subsequently lodowski, who advocated for somewhere there’s a vacuum self-cleaning toilets a decade powered by a jet engine. lose them in the mountains. When I moved to Seattle ago, is thinking now. Or if Michael Hill works next two years ago, one of the first former Mayor Paul Schell, door at the International Disthings I noticed was that you whose veto of the project was trict post office. The first thing had to buy something (i.e., $4 overridden in 2001, is laugh- he tells me is that he never uses the toilet. The next thing he says is that other people use it, sometimes two at a time. Addict, continued from page 12 Across the square, a woman is she finally finds what she is laugh and seeing her smile standing at the corner. after, and with a giggle she for the first time, I realize she 10:04 a.m.: Man with exgets back under her blankets. is more than kinda cute. She otic camera takes pictures of Some rustling around and is a very pretty girl. Petite the pagoda; but judging from a small amount of cussing and delicate features highthe angle, he also must have later, she emerges virtually light the playful light that captured some of the toilet’s unrecognizable. Some worn shines from her eyes, and if last moments. Gap khakis, a striped Co- I’m not mistaken, that light is 10:10-10:17 a.m.: Four lumbia sportswear sweater, being directed at me. people use the toilets. Woman and her dreads pulled back at corner disappears. I realize in a bright knit stocking hat Reprinted from Street Roots as I take notes that editorial inhave transformed her into terns and plainclothes cops are someone the Home Depot © Street News Service: virtually indistinguishable. clerk probably won’t look www.street-papers.org Pioneer Square twice at. 11:01 a.m.: When I get to Her new look has Ashes Part one of a six-part sethis toilet, a family is waiting and me laughing, and that ries. For future installments, to use it, looking Midwestgets her a little pissed off, visit http://streetvibes.wordern. A man comes out, but the but after a minute she starts press.com. toilet is beeping loudly. The laughing, too. With that waiting family looks confused and doesn’t actually go inside. After the doors have closed again and the man has walked away, one of the people waiting pushes the button — the doors don’t open. The family stays there until two city workers come by and pry open the doors. I am too embarrassed to ask anyone questions. 11:29 a.m.: Somebody has been inside for awhile, so one of the two guys waiting kicks the door. Hard. That’s why there are dents in them. Victor Steinbrueck Park 12:13 p.m.: After he is done I talk to a man who won’t go on record, except as “Turtle.” “There’s filth in there, drugs,” Turtle says. “It’s a good idea, but people smoke weed in there. Crack. Shoot heroin, you name it.” I ask him what we should do, and he says there’s nothing to be done. 12:34 p.m.: I use the bathroom; and inside there’s a can of malt liquor, a plastic wrapper and a pile of soaking wet toilet paper on the ground. The toilet is clean and flushes well. At Real Change Like, 2 p.m.: I call Andy Ryan from Seattle Public Utilities and ask him about the high-pitched beep. “That’s the ‘pull-yourpants-up’ alarm,” he says. We talk about the toilets: how there aren’t any attendants, how they’re cleaned more than any other toilet in the city. “They’re no better or worse than any toilet,” he says. “They just cost more.” Waterfront 4:24 p.m.: It starts raining. There is a family — Midwestern — outside the toilet. I have been watching the toilet from across the footpath, by a flight of stairs. I decide now to cross the footpath and talk to the family. I go over to them, and a very young boy goes into the toilet. I stand a few feet from the family and feel uncomfortable. I say, “Have you ever seen a free, selfcleaning toilet?” but nobody hears me. The boy emerges, is applauded. Capitol Hill Around 6 p.m.: The button is green, and I press it; but when the doors open, a man is standing by the toilet. “Hi,” I say. The doors close. Later, when he comes out, I learn his name is Mike Jefferson and he’s used the toilet three times. He says the toilets are good for people who have to “piss or puke” on their way home after the bars have closed. I go inside and find a complete roll of toilet paper by the toilet, soaking wet. There’s also the piston of a syringe and graffiti. International District 7 or so p.m.: A crowd has gathered under the pagoda by the public toilet, because now it’s raining harder. I circle the block a couple times, I guess expecting to see a drug deal or something. But they’re just trying to get in out of the rain. I realize that I’ve stared at people going to the bathroom all day and take a bus home. The next day I walk by a toilet on my way to work and there is a small padlock on the door. Seattle’s automated public toilets have gone the way of the green bicycle. When you come into Our Daily Bread, no matter who you are, you can get a free meal. A hot meal, too, most days — jambalaya, hamburgers — although in the summer we’ve had meals like cold chicken salad just so the kitchen wouldn’t get too hot to work in. How much does it cost to provide food to people for free? The food itself, oddly, is one of our smallest expenses. That’s because generous companies make food donations to us, a church group makes meatloaves and brings them in, volunteers bring fivepound sacks of sugar on the days they work. Only rarely do we have to buy anything to supplement what is donated. Mostly we buy items such as spices so we can prepare donated meat and vegetables in a variety of ways. So if the food isn’t a major expense, what is? Utilities, for one. Making Our Daily Bread hospitable in all kinds of weather takes air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. Keeping the lights on, the water running, the telephone paid for — we can be frugal, but the costs still add up. Staff salaries are another expense. Our food is served by a volunteer crew every day, but those who prepare the Flushed Away Angela Pancella is director of development at Our Daily Bread, a food and hospitality ministry in Over-the-Rhine. The ministry serves a mid-day meal Monday through Friday, serving more than 500 meals every day. To volunteer or donate food or nonperishable items, call Joan or Kathy at 513-621-6364. Reprinted from Real Change News. �14 Advertisement STREETVIBES September 2008 �STREETVIBES September 2008 Editorial 15 Feds Play the Numbers Game Anatomy of a press release By Street Roots Editorial Team Street News Service Right off the bat, the headline was fishy: "Data Demonstrate 52,000 Fewer Americans on Our Streets, in Our Shelters." That was the heading on a press release distributed at a news conference last month by the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, the overseers of the nation’s 10year plans to end homelessness. Still, the numbers sounded impressive. "For the first time in the history of contemporary homelessness in the United States, the federal government has released national data, reported by local communities, showing a second year of consecutive decline in chronic homelessness, with an average 15 percent decline each year from 2005 to 2007 in the number of persons experiencing chronic homelessness in the nation," the press release said. This information was based on the third annual homeless assessment report to Congress from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). It’s worth noting that this is actually based on an extrapolation of inconsistent figuregathering during a 12-month period between October 2006 and September 2007, before the fallout of the mortgage crisis materialized on our streets, unemployment hit a four-year high and the specter of spiking fuel prices came to roost on our stoops. The fact is that point-intime, one-night counts in January 2007 tallied nearly 672,000 experiencing homelessness across the country – both those sleeping outside and in shelters. That report says that the total number of homeless people counted on a single night decreased by about 6 percent, or 23,600 people – out of nearly 1.6 million people who needed emergency shelter or housing during the year-long reporting period. That means, the report says, that about one in every 200 people in the United States stayed in a homeless residential facility during those 12 months. But you’re not hearing that trumpeted by the feds. The press release doesn’t use those numbers. Instead, it uses the number of people defined (by HUD) as chronically homeless, which narrows down the target population to very specific category of people who are "unaccompanied homeless individuals with a disabling condition who have either been continuously homeless for a year or more or have had at least four episodes of homelessness in the past three years." You had to have been on the streets or in emergency shelters, not in transitional or permanent housing, during these episodes. It needs to be noted that this definition cuts the figures down to an estimated 18 percent of the homeless population, according to the report, to which most of the federal money for assistance is being directed. Nor will you hear the length of caveats the report lists for the fractional reporting by social-service agencies or for interpreting the numbers, which, it says, "should be done with caution" and even questions the measure of "real" success. (Those are the report’s observations, not ours.) The feds’ press package also doesn’t mention the report’s findings that among those newly homeless, "the most common path to homelessness is leaving someone else’s housing unit" -- they were already homeless, but living off friends and relatives until they wore out their welcome. These numbers don’t even factor into the measure of homelessness by the people charged with correcting the problem. This shell game of facts corrodes our understanding of the real work at hand – to restore public and affordable housing to the poor, ensure health care and provide gainful employment – down to the nub of feel-good political hubris. It cheapens the progress being made and the lessons learned, condemning us to repeat our past while proclaiming success. It is, in the words of wiser men, the very definition of insanity. Reprinted from Street Roots © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org Chris Bortz Lays a Goose Egg Promises column, doesn’t deliver, leaving this space blank This is where Chris Bortz’s photo was going to go. This is the space Streetvibes reserved for a guest column by Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Bortz on his proposal to restrict social service agencies. He promised to write it. He assured us it was coming. Two days before deadline, this is what he sent: �16 Vendors Resource Guide STREETVIBES September 2008 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 James Bybee Anthony Williams Nell Williams Grady Cook James Davis Jon Darby Tony Drummond Julie Walker Kenneth Stonitsch Antonio Hodge Leonard Jackson Samuel Jackson Riccardo Taylor Alfred Woolfolk Berta Lambert Mary Mueller Brandon Nelson Mark Shears Earlene Moreland Terrence Williams Charles Cole Quition Williams Raynard Jones Cleo Wombles 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 Starting Over...961-2256 Treatment: Women First Step Home ...961-4663 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...684-7956 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 Oral Health Council...621-0248 PATH Outreach...977-4489 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 Resources 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 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 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 September 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: A Sweeping Change The Best Justice You Can Afford Pg 2: The Vibe Pg 3: Eight Minutes with a Screamer Pg 4: Writing Their Way Pg 5: Day Laborers Counting on Council’s Promise Pg 6: A Sweeping Change, Continued Pg 7: Defenders Continued Pg 8: Gated Communities for the Homeless Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Pg 10: Otis Campbell is Dying The Sign Says, ‘God Bless You’ Pg 11: A Sporting Silence Pg 12: Addict’s Almanac Pg 13: The Cost of Free Food Flushed Away Pg 14: Flushed Away Continued Pg 15: Feds Play the Numbers Game 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 September 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Margo Pierce Angela Pancella Andrew Freeze Michael Henson Stephanie Dunlap Larry Gross Steve Sunderland Antonio Hodge Bill Haigh Mack Russell Tye Doudy JP Gritton Andrew Anderson Anthony Williams Jimmy Heath Lonnel DJ Joe Wessels Steve Novotni Georgine Getty Steve Gibbs Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF addiction Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Angela Pancella Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Arts & Poetry Bill Haigh China city council DJ Georgine Getty Gregory Flannery Homeless Teen Jimmy Heath Joe Wessels JP Gritton Larry Gross Lonnel Mack Russell Margo Pierce Michael Henson Olympics Otis Campbell Police Rumpke Seattle shelters Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Steve Novotni Steve Sunderland Tye Doudy https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/18eaf78adda3c00e7a710c5cc9946a6b.pdf 5c560c1e9ce19870f88a9e0efcfe7bc3 PDF Text Text Streetvibes STREETVIBES Page 1 Cincinnati Homeless Man Shot to Death for Panhandling by Streetvibes Staff On monday night August 7, Donald Francis was shot for asking for a quarter, resulting in Cincinnati’s first documented homeless hate crime in two years. According to District One Police, Donald Francis was asking for money outside the Marathon station at Eight and Linn Streets on that Monday night. Geraldine Beasley became so annoyed when hate crimes against homeless people, with 189 of those resulting in death. This year has again shown that homeless people continue to be the victims of hate crimes. Homeless individuals and advocates point out how dangerous it is to live on the streets. In addition to facing hate crimes and the threat of violence, many homeless individuals must do their living out in the open, exposed to society and the weather. Another “This crime is a tragedy h o m e l e s s and absolutely appalling” individual, Glen Watson, died last -Georgine Getty, Executive month as a result Director of the Greater Cincinnati of heat exposure. Coalition for the Homeless In an effort to asked for a quarter that she prevent another weather allegedly shot and killed him. related death, the Greater “This crime is a tragedy Cincinnati Coalition for the and absolutely appalling,” says Homeless is collecting bottles Georgine Getty, Executive of water and sports drinks so Director of the Greater that outreach workers, Cincinnati Coalition for the shelters, and the police can Homeless. “Unfortunately, it’s distribute them to those all too common that homeless people who need them the people are the victims of most; people without homes. Those interested in crime.” According to the National donating are welcome to drop Coalition for the Homeless’ off water bottles to the report, “Hate, Violence, and Greater Cincinnati Coalition Death on Main Street USA,” for the Homeless, 117 E. 12th there were 142 reported Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, attacks on the homeless 45202 (9:00am – 5:00pm, Monday through Friday) or to nationwide in 2006. This included 5 rapes, 6 the Cincinnati Police people set on fire, and 20 Department, District One, murders. The amount of 310 Ezzard Charles Drive, attacks in 2006 was up 65% Cincinnati, Ohio 45214. from those reported in 2005. Thanks to all those who From 1999 through 2006, already donated water. there were 614 documented A Clean Victory for Cincinnati Janitors by Greg Olkhovsky smiling. appointed to a four hour Justice for Janitors, a The first issue evening shift will soon obtain a nationwide campaign started by addressed was an increase in seven hour shift in the first two the Service Employees higher wages. Currently, and a half years. Over the next International Union, unites to janitorial wages are set at $6.85 five years most janitors will end poverty wages and the lack an hour, equivalent to the Ohio acquire an estimated 129 of healthcare that is affordable. state minimum wage. Over the percent increase in their income SEIU works to create jobs for next five years, six raises have as a result of these three extra the working class the hours per shift. Overall, provide dignified living “Cincinnati won big today. workers currently and healthcare for receiving the minimum They said we couldn’t do themselves and their $6.85 an hour will families. They also work it but we stood strong with ultimately see a 150 towards better wages and percent income increase. our families, our more hours. Janitors will supporters, and our On July 28th, now be able to afford Cincinnati’s janitors were neighborhoods. I’m proud health insurance as a result successful in winning of the new contract. At to say we won a better higher wages, more work $20 a month janitors may future for hard-working hours, and health opt for individual health th people in our city.”- Linda insurance. In the 11 hour insurance. A family representatives for nearly Watson, Cincinnati janitor in Price Hill insurance is also available 1,200 Greater Cincinnati at a cost of $198 a month. janitors and the city’s eight been implemented. The first These affordable health largest cleaning companies one occurring on October 1, insurance benefits will become (ABM, Jancoa, Professional 2007 as workers will receive CONT. ON PAGE 5 Maintenance of Cincinnati, $7.05 an hour. next Aetna Building Maintenance, The Scioto Corp, NSG, One increases are Source, and GSF) agreed to set for $7.55 on terms with area cleaning firms January 1, for the very first city-wide union 2008, $8.15 on January 1, contract. This monumental 2009, $8.35, achievement prevented a January 1, metropolitan area strike. Linda 2010, $8.85 Watson, Cincinnati janitor in January 1, Price Hill said, “Cincinnati won 2011, and lastly big today. They said we couldn’t $9.80 an hour do it but we stood strong with on January 1, our families, our supporters, and 2012. Increased our neighborhoods. I’m proud to say we won a better future hours are the for hard-working people in our second benefit city.” Four critical focal points that janitors will were addressed in the union r e c e i v e . contract leaving local janitors W o r k e r s Drop Inn Center Secures New Transitional Housing Location by Pat Clifford Three years ago, August of 2004, Cincinnati Public Schools expressed interest in acquiring our four transitional buildings at 12th and Elm Streets for the relocated SCPA. Since then, the Drop Inn Center has been looking for creative ways to both accommodate the needs of the new school and at the same time to find ways to use the occasion to preserve and improve services for our homeless residents. As a result, the Drop Inn Center is partnering with the City of Cincinnati and OTR Community Housing to relocate our Transitional Housing Program to a new site on McMicken St. in Over-theRhine. Why are we doing this? In order to preserve and improve services for our residents in recovery. In addition, this relocation will accommodate the SCPA’s interest in using that corner as part of their new campus. How will this project benefit the neighborhood? It will renovate a run-down, vacated property with no on-site support into a newly renovated, attractive facility with full-time counseling staff. The new site will feature: 12 newly renovated apartments, a single secure point of entry in rear of building, an on-site counseling office, a laundry facility, security cameras and courtyard/garden access. We would like to thank the Model Group for all their assistance in this effort. The Drop Inn Center and our supporters feel that this cooperative step can be an example of neighborhood collaboration — where injustice and miscommunication has often been the practice. We also believe that those who experience homelessness should be welcomed back into the community and supportive services are often an essential component. We also acknowledge that there are current and future lowincome and middle-class residents who need development that is affordable to them and further encourage City and private funds being used to help residents maintain and obtain housing not only new ownership options which are out of their reach. Published by The Greater Cincinnati Coaltion for the Homeless For more information contact the Drop Inn Center at 721.0643. �STREETVIBES Page 2 STREETVIBES, Greater Cincinnati’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 lowincome 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 John Lavelle - Administrative Coordinator Andy Freeze - Education Coordinator Lynne Ausman - Civil Rights Coordinator Greg Olkhovsky - Civil Rights Coordinator Kenneth Cheruiyot - AHA Coordinator Melvin Williams - Receptionist Linda Pittman - Receptionist Susan Smith - Volunteer Leigh Tami - Intern Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor, Layout and Design Vendor Code of Conduct 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for one dollar ($1). I agree not to ask for more than a dollar or solicit donations for Streetvibes by any other means. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, I am allowed to keep the donation. 2. I will only purchase papers from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH). Each paper can be purchased for a cost of 25 cents. I will always show my badge when buying papers and if I do not have my badge I cannot buy papers. 3. I will never buy papers from and/or sell papers to other vendors. 4. I agree to treat all others – customers, staff, and other vendors – respectfully. I will not use abusive language or force someone to buy a paper. I will not give a “hard sell,” be aggressive, continue to ask after a person has verbally or non-verbally said no or make someone feel threatened. 5. I agree to stay off private property when selling Streetvibes. I will not sell Streetvibes door to door. 6. I understand that I am not an employee of Streetvibes or GCCH but a contracted worker responsible for my own well-being and income. 7. I agree not to sell additional goods or products when selling Streetvibes. 8. I will not sell Streetvibes or purchase Streetvibes under the influence of drugs or alcohol. 9. There are no territories among vendors. I will respect the space of other vendors, particularly the space of vendors who have been at a spot longer. 10. I understand that my badge is the property of Streetvibes and I will not deface it. I will present my badge when purchasing papers and display my badge when selling papers. If I lose my badge I will pay three dollars ($3) for a new one. If my badge becomes ruined because of weather or use, I will get a new badge for one dollar ($1). 11. I understand that Streetvibes strives to be a paper that covers homelessness and poverty issues while providing a source of income for the homeless. I will try to help in this effort and spread the word. 12. I will not deceive the public by saying that I am collecting for a nonprofit charity or that I am collecting for the “homeless” in general. I will be honest in stating that all the profits from the sale of Streetvibes go to me. I will not use the word “donation.” 13. There are special rules for selling at Findlay Market. Only two vendors may sell at Findlay Market at a time. Other rules as established by Streetvibes and Findlay Market. 14. I will attend monthly meetings. Monthly meetings will occur on the first weekday of the month. The month’s paper will be released at this meeting. Anyone who cannot make the meeting must meet with Andy, the Education Coordinator, before selling Streetvibes for that month. Ten papers will be given to those who attend the meeting. 15. It is the responsibility of each vendor to police fellow vendors or former vendors. I will report violators of the rules to GCCH. The value of the paper depends on keeping it credible. 16. I understand that any infraction of the above mentioned rules will result in suspension of my privilege to sell Streetvibes and possible termination from the program. Badges and Streetvibes papers are property of GCCH and must be surrendered upon demand. Where your Dollar Goes Photographers Andy Freeze, Jimmy Heath, John Lavelle, Lynne Ausman, Cat Shim, Rafiquar Rahman Cover Marchers show support for local Janitors who are fighting for better wages, more hours, and health care benefits. Streetvibes accepts letters, poems, stories, essays, original graphics, and photos. We will give preference to those who are homeless or are vendors.Subscriptions to Streetvibes, delivered to your home each month, can be purchased for $35 per year. Address mail to: Streetvibes 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 (513) 421-7803 e-mail: streetvibes@juno.com web: www.cincihomeless.org Member of: International Network of Street Papers North American Street Newspaper Assn. 75 Cents Goes Directly to Your Vendor Streetvibes is a program of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. 25 Cents Pays for Production Streetvibes Vendor Phone: (513) 421-7803 Streetvibes vendors purchase their papers for 25 cents per copy, then sell them for a $1.00 donation, keeping the 75 cent profit. The money used to purchase the paper goes to the individual vendor. GCCH does not profit from the sale of Streetvibes. Vendors are not fundraising for the Coalition for the Homeless. ANDY Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors ONLY �STREETVIBES Page 3 Orlando, FL – Mayor Dyer is handling this all wrong, says a group of homeless activists. Instead of arresting do-gooders who are chanting about the homeless feeding laws, the mayor could begin both a private and a public dialogue with the activists and come out smelling like a rose. Instead, he has the people arrested and even orders police to take away a big cauldron of stew. They say the Mayor has botched this public discourse and looks like a fat cat politician. The activists say they’ll continue to beat the drums on this one — except, of course, that their drums are at the police station. Copenhagen, Denmark - Some 500 footballers from 48 nations set out on a great adventure last month when the UEFA-backed Homeless World Cup began in Copenhagen. The competition takes place in Copenhagen’s City Hall Square until August 4th. Players who are currently homeless are being given a wonderful opportunity to represent their country and change their lives, in a perfect example of football’s power to act as a unifying social force. The Homeless World Cup is an annual, international football tournament, uniting teams of people who are homeles. It also supports and inspires grassroots football projects around the world, working with homeless and excluded people throughout the year. HRH the Crown Prince of Denmark will be watching the tournament as an extremely interested fan, and will attend the Homeless World Cup final on 4 August. Bradenton, FL - The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office has opened an investigation into claims that two Bradenton Police officers beat up a homeless man and dumped him in a ditch. Jose del Angel says the officers warned him to stay out of the city. The man flagged down a Manatee County deputy after the alleged beating and told his story. The deputy brought the accusations to the Bradenton Police and they promised an internal investigation. But two weeks later, one hasn’t been launched. Authorities there say they plan to begin investigating the claims next week. Bradenton has taken steps to remove the homeless from its streets, including passing an ordinance to ban public sleeping. Miami, FL - The Umoja Village activists came one step closer last month to persuading the city of Miami to give them the land where their Liberty City shantytown once stood so they can develop it with a nonprofit partner as housing for the homeless. But the no-bid deal — which would shut out all other nonprofits from submitting proposals for the land — is opposed by the Miami-Dade County Homeless Trust. That could delay or derail the project when it’s expected to come up for a vote before the Miami City Commission. A preliminary proposal calls for a mixed-use development with supportive housing for the homeless. The ground floor would include some commercial space for small community-owned businesses and for social service agencies. Anchorage, AK. - Judith Lewis has delivered food to Anchorage’s homeless for years, but it wasn’t until a black bear smashed into her soup van to munch on pilot bread and Capri Sun pouches that her mobile ministry was shut down. “The bear had a old big party,” said Lewis, who spent Monday cleaning urine-sopped carpets, cracker smears and juice packets from the teal minivan from which the downtown destitute load up on free soup or sandwiches on Friday nights. The Hillside ransacking more than a week ago came while Lewis was out of state. She had parked the Ford Wind Star outside her home near Goldenview Drive, and the bear ripped off the big vent window she’d left ajar to prevent overheating. The bear clawed open 80 Capri Suns, some ramen noodles and many boxes of Sailor Boy pilot bread, the bland cracker wheels many Alaskans love. “He’s a real Alaskan bear,” Lewis said. Newspaper delivery man Bill Ohlmacher saw the bear July 20, just after he dropped Lewis’ newspaper into its tube. The bear popped its head out the car window, just feet away. Cedar Rapids, IA - They can barely afford food and clothing, let alone glue sticks or binders. But the school year is fast approaching and hundreds of homeless children can’t afford to go back. A program in Cedar Rapids provides school supplies to needy children but time is running out and there aren’t enough supplies to go around. Right now, the Homeless Liaison for the Cedar Rapids School District, Slayton Thompson, has enough school supplies for about 150 underprivileged children but it’s hardly enough. “This year we have identified 702 children that are in need,” says Thompson. “We have children in this school district that go home to Jeffersonville, IN -A Southern Indiana homeless nothing. They sleep on floors.” shelter is scrambling to pay a $400,000 tax bill to remain That’s where Thompson comes in. He provides homeless students with school supplies. He says, “They open. The non-profit Haven House owes to the money may not get the $200 shoes but they’ll get shoes that to the Internal Revenue Service for payroll taxes. work for school.” Shelter officials may have to sell some property to keep it open in Jeffersonville. Haven House shelters about 60 homeless people Madison, WI - The death of a homeless man a day from Clark, Floyd, Harrison and other counties, earlier last month in Brittingham Park is focusing neighbors’ attention on a stone shelter overlooking as well as some from Louisville. Monona Bay, which they say is a focus for alcohol and drug abuse by those who hang out there. Although park regulars say they are making peaceful use of a public place, the man’s death on a summer evening has alarmed many in the neighborhood. They are calling for the city to take action — perhaps fencing the shelter, increasing the enforcement of the alcohol ban or encouraging other users to take control of the park. Arthur Smith, 55, was discovered without a pulse under a tree on July 18, according to Madison police. “It appears he died from natural causes. Nothing suspicious,” said Lt. Melissa Schiferl. Emerson, who lives across from the park on Brittingham Place, said Smith’s death could be due to alcohol consumption, given that she saw him drinking “high octane” beer at 8:40 a.m. the day he died. She called police to report it, in fact, because alcohol is not allowed in the park. That evening, at about 6:45 p.m., Emerson and a friend were walking by the shelter when they saw a large group of people huddled around someone on the ground. It was Smith. Her friend made the 911 call. Enforcement is inconsistent at best, a resident said. “The people who receive citations either ignore them or discard them and then return to drinking, often the very same day.” Hempstead, NY - The body of a homeless man was found last month in the rear yard of a Hempstead, Long Island auto repair shop. Hempstead Village Police got the call about an unconscious man at the Village Auto Repair Clinic on Henry Street. Officers say they found 45-year-old Ireneusz Moraida dead. His body was taken to the county medical examiner’s office for autopsy. Nassau County homicide detectives and the Hempstead Village police are investigating. Phoenix, AZ - An event to assist the homeless and determine how many homeless people are in Muskogee will be held 8 to 11 a.m. Sept. 8 at the Phoenix Plaza at Second and Court streets. The Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness finalized plans for the event at its meeting Thursday. Under the plan, the Homeless Connection will offer blankets, winter clothing, new undergarments and socks and food for the homeless of Muskogee. A number of social service agencies will be set up at the event to offer assistance to those participating. Mayor Wren Stratton said she hopes civic groups and individuals will help with donation of goods needed for distribution. Volunteers also are needed to help at the event, she said. Scranton, PA - A homeless man who witnessed a murder was put in the Lackawanna County jail for just over four weeks and now is in a house arrest program. Randy Barr didn’t commit any crime. Officials said they’re trying to ensure his safety and participation in court proceedings. Barr is the only witness to the July 6th murder of James Leepier. He said he called 911 after LEepier’s throat was slashed during an argument with another homeless man, Harvey Hoover. Barr is being held under a little-used Pennsylvanai criminal procedure rule that allows witnesses to be jailed if a judge believes they will not show up when subpoenaed for court and cannot make bail. Barr was fitted with an electronic monitoring bracelet. He is allowed outside in the yard two hours per day. He’s banned from using alcohol or durgs, must check in with house arrest officials once a week, submit to random drug tests and pay $10 a day for the program. �STREETVIBES Page 4 Ashamed For Us neighborhoods. A prominent city by Jimmy Heath The Cincinnati neighborhood of councilman, who claims to be OTR’s Over-the-Rhine, with its turn of the ambassador said that there are more century three and four story Italianate than sixty social service agencies and he believes that poor style buildings, proximity to people need to be downtown and easy access eyed with suspicion. to the suburbs and They just waste their universities has created a money buying lottery discord between lowtickets, beer, and income residents, city hall, cigarettes. A majority new outside developers and are criminals. They upscale urbanites. need to get out. The City sees the future This kindhearted of OTR, with an improved councilman owns tax base through the property in OTR. development of million There are a lot of dollar condo’s and street Jimmy Heath empty storefronts level entertainment, helping and buildings in OTR, ready and waiting to fuel the coffers. For many years, the focus has been for developers to purchase cheaply at development of an entertainment district auctions. But racism and fear slow the focused on Main Street. But current process of creating any kind of lowplans may now include the whole income housing. From an editorial response written neighborhood with our old buildings to the Enquirer on the death of Nathaniel being converted to upscale condos. The low-income residents in OTR Jones’s struggle with six Cincinnati police do not create enough tax money. And officers in a White Castle parking lot; local politicians claim that residents use “Cincinnati Police, keep up the good a lot of public services. The Hamilton work. It is only the “squeaky wheel” County Sheriff made a claim that there African-Americans that are turning this are over 100 social service agencies in city into the urinal of the state of Ohio.” “How many times in the past few OTR. In reality there are less than years have we heard the same outcry twenty, unless you count the churches, YMCA’s and senior services ­ over a person of color losing his life institutions that are included in all during the commission of a crime? The black community has lost all credibility forced to pack up and leave their home when it supports these lawbreakers.” that has been hers for years. Imagine The racism, hidden behind a shroud of the child who counts on grandma taking fear, of a statement like this reflects the care of her while the parents work. standing attitude of suburban whites Imagine the underpaid men and women toward poor inner city blacks. who struggle with menial jobs in order And the wackiness continues. A to support their family in the sort of “housing debacle” began here in the late environment that scares the willies out 1960s with the lure of money from a of most white people. You can’t be federal Housing and Urban naïve either, but city policies have let the Development grant, the city councilman neighborhood decline with a purpose. says. It became more lucrative for For decades the neighborhood has property owners to create low-income, been home to thousands of low-income project-based Section 8 housing than to families who have been, or will be continue hosting commercial or retail moved out by rising rents and restless tenants. The new housing attracted landlords waiting to remodel the waves of lowbuildings for i n c o m e upscale rental Imagine the underpaid men p e o p l e and condo’s. dependent on and women who struggle with Recently a welfare. At menial jobs in order to support homeless man one time the was asking for a their family in the sort of vast majority quarter from a environment that scares the were white. woman in a parking lot. People from willies out of most white the hills down She shot him to south were people. death. And no coming to the one makes the industrial city of Cincinnati and OTR for race distinction when crimes involve jobs and security. white people. Why is that? Decades Nowadays, Over-the-Rhine of racism live on. I’m so sick of it and residents, the vast majority of whom are embarrassed that as a smart and black and live on less than $10,000 a sophisticated species we hold on to a year, are eager for opportunity, jobs, notion that should never have been there security and safe places to raise their in the first place. Contact Jimmy families. Heath at jimmyheath@yahoo.com Imagine a low-income senior citizen First Amendment Abridged at Fountain Square by Michael Earl Patton The Cincinnati Beacon While the recent petition for putting the sales tax increase to a public referendum was being circulated, the No Jail Tax PAC heard reports that some petitioners were prevented by the police from gathering signatures on Fountain Square. Some others, including myself, had been left alone. Then in the last few days of the campaign a petitioner came forward with full details, including the name of the police officer who had stopped her. I called Bill Donabedian of 3CDC, who is responsible for the management of the square. He explained that gathering signatures on the square while a scheduled event was in progress was considered interference with that event and the petitioner should move to the sidewalk. To my specific question as to whether I could gather signatures on one corner of the square while a permitted event was going on in the far corner, Mr. Donabedian repeated that the petitioning should be on the sidewalk. He noted that not interfering with a permitted event is one of the rules listed at the Fountain Square website. True, such a rule is there, but it doesn’t state that asking someone for a signature on a petition is considered to be interference. And this has a striking parallel to a 1971 U.S. Supreme Court case involving First Amendment rights in Cincinnati, Coates v. City of Cincinnati. In that case a student, Coates, was arrested in a demonstration for the crime of “annoying” behavior. As the Supreme Court ruled: “We are thus relegated, at best, to the words of the ordinance itself. If three or more people meet together on a sidewalk or street corner, they must conduct themselves so as not to annoy any police officer or other person who should happen to pass by. In our opinion this ordinance is unconstitutionally vague because it subjects the exercise of the right of assembly to an unascertainable standard, and unconstitutionally broad because it authorizes the punishment of constitutionally protected conduct. “Conduct that annoys some people does not annoy others. Thus, the ordinance is vague, not in the sense that it requires a person to conform his conduct to an imprecise but comprehensible normative standard, but rather in the sense that no standard of conduct is specified at all.” Both the right of assembly and the right to petition the government are First Amendment rights. “Interfere” is not the same as “annoy,” but in some ways it is even more vague. Does asking someone for the time or for directions “interfere?” What about asking someone to move so you can Do you have rights on Fountain Square? Petitioners are often pushed off the square in leiu of their first amendemnt rights. pass by? What about criticizing karaoke? Can the police ask you to leave if you boo a scheduled political speech? (I presume that they won’t ask you to leave if you applaud.) Keep in mind that none of these examples rise to the level of actually trying to drown out or shut down the event itself. Petitioners know that if someone is indeed paying rapt attention to an event that it’s more productive to ask someone who is not paying attention. But according to Mr. Donabedian’s interpretation, asking anyone on the square is considered interference. I called the Cincinnati Police Department for their policy on petitioning activities on Fountain Square and was told to call something called “Downtown Services.” Repeated phone calls were not returned. �STREETVIBES Page 5 “Victory” Cont. From Page 1 available on January 1, 2010. The fourth benefit incorporated in the new contract includes paid holidays and vacation time. For individuals in the working world, paid holidays and vacation time is often viewed as an automatic given perk. Hopefully the news of this janitorial success story will remind those in the working world to be thankful and humble for their paid holidays and vacation time because nothing in this life is a “given.” Six paid holidays per year for janitors have been granted in the new contract. The janitors’ victory is still being felt in the Greater Cincinnati area. In fact both the cleaning firms and the representatives for the janitors and the city’s eight largest cleaning companies realize the true significance of the contract. The two parties cordially agreed to continue working together in hopes that this agreement may serve as a model for improving worker and corporate leader relations elsewhere and in the near future. Already, the impact of this agreement has found its way to Columbus and Indianapolis where janitors in these cities are seeking an improvement in employee benefits, specifically with wage increase and affordable healthcare. Jimmy’s Motorcycle Adventures Sister Jean “Only Hoodlums Drive Motorcycles....” From a historical perspective, this new union contract is the largest income increase ever won in the Justice for Janitors Campaign on a national level. The lives of 1,200 Cincinnati janitors and their families will forever be changed. This agreement has the capability to lift families out of poverty and lead them into the direction of a more secured lifestyle. Cincinnati janitors have every reason to rave in victory. Cincinnati janitor Lauressie “Dee Dee” Tillman joyously stated “This is a huge victory for our families and for our neighborhoods. I’m proud of what we have accomplished, not just for us and our families, but for all of the workers in this city who are paid so little. We showed what can be donewhat must be done-to make Cincinnati a better city to live in.” Project Connect Collaborates With Feed The Children by Andy Freeze This fall as kids go back to school, children and parents find themselves spending money to prepare for school. Every child loves going to the store to pick out new crayons and markers, new folders, and to check out the latest and greatest pens and pencils. Yet, some children do not have the opportunity to get new school supplies. Homeless children already feel different when they are in school. When their family can’t afford new school supplies and hygiene items, the begin to lose confidence. In 2004, the Cincinnati School District had 16,875 children between the ages of 5 and 17 living in poverty. That is a staggering thirty percent of students living in poverty. Children living in poverty do not get the opportunity to go shopping for new school Volunteers help unload backpacks donated by Feed The Children supplies. Children in poverty do not get the Project connect in collaboration with Feed the from local schools collect the backpacks their opportunity to get new clothes for the school year. students need. Children, a national organization that delivers Children in poverty worry about where their next Children in poverty need the food, clothing, and meal is coming from and where they are going to other necessities to This year kids with a new education. It might be the only thing that sleep. get them out of the poverty cycle. children and backpack, new supplies, can Education is needed to keep kids safe. families living in and hygiene items will go Education is needed to teach kids to poverty was able to provide 1700 to school more prepared, read. Being unprepared only sets kids Cincinnati children more excited, and ready to farther back. This year kids with a new backpack, new supplies, and hygiene with new back learn items will go to school more prepared, packs this year. more excited, and ready to learn. On August 14, representatives from various schools where close to 100% of the students are on free lunch, were Project Connect Homeless able to pick up back packs filled with school Children’s Fund keeps children supplies, hygiene items, and food. The back experiencing homelessness packs were filled with Mac and Cheese, folders, connected to their education by notebooks, coloring books, pencils, highlighters, providing supplies, transportation, erasers, toothpaste, comb, ruler, crayons, uniforms, and enrichment oppor­ toothbrush, shampoo, pencil sharpener, pencil tunities in summer, after-school, bag, scissors and glue. Supplies and hygiene and shelter tutoring programs. items that children living in poverty need to be For more information call able to learn at school. 513.363.1060 “This is a real community effort,” Elissa Pogue from Project Connect says as she helps teachers �STREETVIBES Page 6 Peace Bowl Comes to Halt at the Sound of Gun Shots by Brian Garry saw no struggle, no fighting, no On Sunday, August 12 I went to pushing. No one seemed angry. Rev. Mingo’s church for worship. Without knowing, I would M y f r i e n d D e r o n S m i t h w a s venture to say that money had speaking. Afterwards we went to the something to do with it. Peace Bowl. Without knowing, I would As I was standing outside, venture to say that, for this young waiting to go in, man, Earnest, I heard what If we are serious about the the American Dream was not sounded like issue of crime then we within his fireworks. No reach. one screamed. must become serious Without No one ran about addressing the issue knowing, I away, except a of poverty. few guys who would venture to say that slowly jogged by. I walked over to see a young neither he nor his killers had a real man laying dead, half on the opportunity to go to college. Further I would venture that sidewalk, his torso in the street. His eyes were open. A trail of blood was Earnest’s parents had not had a real streaming down the street from his opportunity, a real shot at the head. American Dream. No, I would venture that they all It seemed like forever before the police and fire squad came. They suffer from poverty, a lack of higher tried futilely to revive him by doing learning, and a lack of opportunity CPR. His eyes were wide open but to escape from the cycle that he was he was gone. His pants halfway born into. We all have the ability to rise down around his yellow boxers. I above, but being born into a life of poverty can be an extreme disadvantage. I can’t help but to believe that were Earnest white, were he affluent he would still be alive. If we are serious about the issue of crime then we must become serious about addressing the issue of poverty. If we solve the poverty issue, we will certainly have far less drug dealing, robberies, prostitution and theft. Our City dollars need to spent on prevention, treatment and focusing on raising up the lowest rung on the economic ladder. The drug dealing and violence are not the problem, they are a symptom of a disease called poverty. These young people need our support. A nurturing community of people around them I think we can come up with some answers. I also think we can give some people some hope. Some ways out. Someway the American dream can be brought within their grasp. We have to pick up some of the slack a s a c o m m u n i t y. Finding it within ourselves to delegate it to the community, not the police or social service programs but to the community. Some way to have deep relationships. I didn’t want to see a dead man named Earnest laying in our streets. I didn’t want to see honesty, sincerity and determination shot on our street. Brazen and it could possibly be. It was an act of murder. No one yelled. No struggle. It was premeditated. We have to go to the place where we prevent it. How many more young people need to die? Atlanta’s Only Public Hospital Might Close its Doors homelessness, instead of looking at the by Leigh Tami Atlanta, Georgia is a city notorious roots of the problem and trying to treat for mistreating the poor and marginalizing the infection. Although it has seemed for a its homeless population. Through gentrification of downtown and other long time like conditions for the poor formerly racially/economically diverse could not get too much worse in Atlanta, areas, Atlanta is not-so-slowly, but recent circumstances have proved definitely surely, making an attempt to otherwise. The historic Grady Hospital has recently hide, ignore, announced that and push its it is running out poor out of of funding, sight and out which may of mind. force it to close A lack of its doors or p u b l i c drastically restrooms change the way makes it easy that it does for police to business. a r r e s t Grady Memorial Hospital G r a d y homeless individuals on charges of “public Hospital is the only Level 1 Trauma indecency,” simply because their bodies center in Atlanta, and the city’s only need to perform the same functions that public hospital. Being the city’s only ours do, with or without access to a toilet. public hospital, “Grady,” as it is often Implementation of various “Quality called, has been able to treat a large of Life” ordinances has effectively proportion of low-income patients. Poor criminalized any form of begging, asking or uninsured patients can receive free for help, or panhandling and solicitation care, and it is more likely to offer of the homeless in the majority of the relatively unprofitable medical services than its private, non-profit counterparts. downtown area. Grady has time and time again been The threat of jail time for homeless people charged for these decidedly petty the medical savior of the poor. crimes reveals a not-so-subtle truth: Unfortunately, because it is receiving Atlanta, like many other major cities in inadequate government funding, this the United States including Cincinnati, historic institution has been losing roughly is trying to put a band-aid over the $8 million per month. festering wound of poverty and If no urgent action is taken, this place of refuge will be shut down before buildings are being built up and homeless the end of the year. If Grady is shut people are being swept and pushed out down, one of two things will happen. to increase the aesthetic appeal of the city. Is this beginning Either the to sound familiar? estimated “It seems that local Similar actions 90,000 lowlegislators are more have been taken in income patients concerned with covering Cincinnati. Bench will flood other h o s p i t a l removal has taken up the problems of precedence emergency poverty and homelessness financial over desperately rooms (causing needed funding for urgent care than actually dealing with human services. The across the board them at their source” highly unpopular to decline because there will be too many people term “affordable housing” is associated to treat and too little money and with crime, and any kind of low-income resources to do it), or lack of medical housing is quickly being replaced with care will turn into a death sentence for gentrified apartments and luxury lofts. the poor. The conditions of Day Labor pools Meanwhile, like in Cincinnati, are despicable, and it seems that local Atlanta seems to have other spending legislators are more concerned with priorities. In the area of Buckhead, for covering up the problems of poverty and example, an entire police force has been homelessness than actually dealing with added to “increase foot patrol” around them at their source. These patterns of spending parks and shops- in the history of police action, this usually entails removing the across the nation reveal a horrifying truth homeless so that no one has to leave the about our state of compassion toward comfortable world of Louis Vuitton our fellow human beings, and sense of purses and Tiffany jewelry to come face justice. It is a sad world we live in, where to face with the real issues of poverty in buildings, benches, and boutiques are this city. repeatedly taking financial priority over Section 8 and affordable housing are the conditions of our fellow human becoming scarce- people are being given beings. It is high time that we bring back pieces of paper instead of houses so that values of truth and justice instead of the city can build luxury housing that is letting greed and corporate interest now not selling, because literally no one dictate the policy making of our nation. can afford it. Fancy parks and new �STREETVIBES Page 7 Cincinnati Middle School Student Collects Socks for the Homeless by Catherine Shim Did you know that over the course of a year 25,000 people will experience homelessness here in Cincinnati? This means that about 1300 people go homeless each night. I am a 13 year old 8th grader at Queen of Angels Montessori School (QAMS). I decided to get my school involved in helping the homeless population in Cincinnati for my trimester Change Project. The goal of the project was to make a positive change in Cincinnati. I decided to have a donation drive where I collect something for the local homeless population. I also wanted to change young people’s often false and stereotypical views about homelessness in hopes of decreasing homelessness in the future. After researching and visiting the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH), I found that socks are one of the most needed articles of clothing by the homeless. This is something that most people don’t think of donating because to us it is something we don’t think about needing. I held a QAMS sock drive, where over 180 pairs of socks were collected! I also surveyed 4th - 8th graders asking them why they thought people were homeless. What I found was that many of the students had false and stereotypical views about the homeless. Answers included that the homeless are too lazy to get a job, or that they will only use donated money for the wrong things such as drugs and alcohol. To help change their views, I researched the real reasons for homelessness, and put together a presentation that I presented to this same group of students. I informed them that the real reasons for homelessness are the loss of employment, and therefore income, and the lack of affordable housing. Another reason is the high cost of medical care and other living expenses. Most homeless people want jobs, but because they have no address, and because only 5% of them have a college education, it makes it very hard for them to find employment and stay employed. I also learned that rather than giving homeless people money, offering to buy them food, or talking to them can Catherine Shim collected over 180 paids of socks for the homeless as brighten someone’s day. part of a class project. I learned about homelessness, but also that YOU can make a difference. make a difference to help make many views about homelessness and has Our school is very small with a little over someone’s life better and more inspired them to get involved to help 175 students. Imagine if my project was enjoyable. My project has changed improve the lives of the less fortunate. continued at a bigger school. You can Social Enterprises Aim to Make a Difference in Community by Elizabeth Whitton It’s easy to talk about the problems of poverty and homelessness, and why they exist. But viable solutions are not so easy to come by, to gain political support for, or to implement on a large scale. The idea of social enterprise is one viable option for addressing some of the root causes of poverty and allowing people to learn skills that will propel them toward greater selfsufficiency. While the idea of social enterprise has been used in various forms for a long time, it is only recently that it is gaining in popularity, viability, and mainstream recognition. A social enterprise is essentially a business venture undertaken by a nonprofit organization in order to better assist the people it serves. What a win/ win, since the “business” provides a product or service that people want or need, and the individuals who work for the venture usually receive valuable life and job training as well as a fair wage for their work. In Cincinnati, there are a number of social enterprises now in existence. Venice on Vine, for example, is a pizza place that comes out of the West End Employment program of Power Inspires Progress. This eatery offers good Italian fair, while providing its employees with on-the-job training and experience that will qualify them for full-time employment at other businesses when they leave the program. Clovernook Center for the Blind has provides meaningful employment for manufacturing plants both here in individuals who might otherwise have Cincinnati, and in Memphis Tenn., where trouble finding jobs, while manufacturing high quality products for customers across the country. Building Value provides hands-on job t r a i n i n g opportunities for individuals with disadvantages and disabilities s e e k i n g employment in construction and retail, so that they can achieve a higher quality of life through self-sufficiency. Plus, Building Value offers an excellent service to our community with i t s Venice on Vine provides paid on the job training to deconstruction people that might otherwise be considered unemployable. s e r v i c e s , reusable building they employ more than 140 people who materials center, and product are visually impaired in printing, reconstruction from recycled materials. producing paper products, and contract They have saved literally tons of usable manufacturing. In this way, Clovernook building materials from landfills, while benefiting individuals in need. Sarah Center’s mission is “Helping Women Help Themselves.” Their services promote the development of skills that enhance the lives of the women they serve, and their families, while also meeting their immediate needs. They offer jewelry and quilting programs, card making, painting, and business classes that encourage women to take on entrepreneurial endeavors. The jewelry and crafts that the women make are sold at consignment or art shows, as well as their annual Christmas sale. Cincinnati consumers can add to the success of our local social enterprises by seeking out their products and services, and asking local retailers to offer their products. Buying Fair Trade is another way of supporting social enterprises from other countries. Not all Fair Trade merchandise is a social enterprise, in the strictest sense, but a lot of it is. The Fair Trade label does mean that farmers and workers are treated and paid fairly for their work. A lot of Fair Trade organizations also seek to offer further benefits to their workers. Elizabeth Whitton is passionate about natural, conscious, and compassionate living. She resides with her family in Price Hill, and works downtown at local retailer Park + Vine. �STREETVIBES Page 8 by Lynne Ausman The next big movement among advocates for homeless and impoverished individuals is to end predatory lending. We all know them – the payday lenders we see on every corner of every low income neighborhood in Ohio. In fact, there are more payday lenders than there are McDonalds, Wendy’s and Burger King’s in Ohio, COMBINED! They are strategically placed near day labor halls and other low-income employers and it seems like every other commercial on television is saying you can get a $200 payday advance and only pay $203 in return. Sounds like a great deal, until it is time to pay back that loan. A $300 loan can take two years to pay off! But what if there was a responsible lender that refused to take advantage of people in poverty? What if there was a lender that did not require collateral? Good news – There is! In 1974, Muhammad Yunus’ native Bangladesh suffered a terrible famine, causing thousands to starve to death. The Vanderbilt University educated doctor of economics felt inspired instead of defeated. Yunus started small, with $27 (American dollars) loans to 42 families and a firm belief that this would be a cost effective and empowering way to fight poverty in rural Bangladesh. The only requirement: that the family REUTERS/Rafiquar Rahman The Grameen Bank: Combating Poverty through Microfinance WOMAN WAITS TO RETURN BANK LOAN INSTALMENT IN VILLAGE OF BASTA. Banesa Khatun (L), a user of Grameen Bank’s microcredit scheme, says the microcredit scheme Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus introduced in Bangladesh 30 years ago lifted her from the poorest of the poor to a respectable, self-dependent woman. repays the loan when they can and it is used for self-employment. And with this small amount of money, the Grameen Bank was born, based on the idea of microfinance lending. Yunus went even further than giving loans with no collateral – he gave loans to women, an unheard of concept in Bangladesh even in the 21st century. 97% of loans are to women, and even PROFESSOR MOHAMMAD YUNUS speaks to Reuters in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka January 19, 2004. Yunus, 63, is the founder of Grameen Bank, which has made more than $4 billion in tiny loans to poor Bangladeshis, providing a lifeline for millions and a banking model that has been copied in more than 100 nations from the United States to Uganda. more impressive, 98% of loans are repaid. More than half of borrowers have risen from poverty. The Grameen Bank measures this by a set of standards including: having education for all school-aged children, three meals a day for each household member, a sanitary toilet, a rainproof house, clean drinking water, and the ability to repay 300 taka (Bangladesh currency) a week – roughly $8 US dollars. The Grameen Bank started in Bangladesh, a small country in South Asia, but its program has reached to the far corners of the earth. The Grameen Bank has programs in China, East Timor, India, Cameroon, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, El Salvador, Mexico, Haiti, and the United States. In the United States, the Partner microfinance institutions are Project Enterprise in New York City and The PLAN Fund in Dallas, Texas. In October 2006, the Grameen Bank and founder Muhammad Yunus were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for their efforts to create economic and social development from below.” For more information go to: http://www.grameenfoundation.org http://www.grameen-info.org REUTERS/Rafiquar Rahman From the Front Desk by Linda Pittman Wow! Did we ever have Dog Days of Summer or what? Thank goodness for air conditioning at the Coalition and our clients were grateful for a place to cool off and get some good ice cold water – and coffee; yes, the coffee consumption has not dwindled that much with the heat. I guess we true coffeeholics will drink it under any conditions. And thanks to a couple of donations (please keep them coming, we always need coffee supplies), we have been able to accommodate everyone. I just do not tolerate the heat well, and it seemed as though it was much hotter in Over the Rhine than the suburbs. The heat has been nasty to the homeless and those outside this summer. Many people are feeling the effects the hot days and high humidity. This summer has proved to me that the summer is just as hard as the winter to be homeless. I would also like to thank our volunteer, Susan Smith, for bringing in materials, including ice, to make iced tea when it was so hot. Everyone enjoyed her hospitality. Just to let you know, I will be on a medical leave beginning in September. I’m having a total knee replacement done and I am not looking forward to it, but hopefully the end result will be worth it. I will be at home recuperating with the Coalition’s mascot, Sparky, for about 6­ 8 weeks. I will have a temporary replacement so the front lobby will be open. �STREETVIBES Page 9 NASNA Sparks Reader Survey by Andy Freeze I had the opportunity to attend the North American Street Newspaper Association from July 26 – July 29. The conference was held in Portland, Oregon and saw over 17 street newspapers in attendance. The goal of the conference was to network, get feedback, and provide technical assistance to papers. I had the opportunity to sit in various workshops covering layout and design, fundraising strategies, guerilla journalism, and various reporting techniques. One thing that I took away from the conference was some amazing contacts with people who have been working with street newspapers for decades. Their advice and guidance is invaluable. We, Streetvibes, hope that we can continue to improve our paper and continue to report on the often overlooked stories of homelessness and poverty here in our community. But we need your continued support to bring you these stories. That is why we are doing a reader survey to better understand who is reading Streetvibes and how we can report on activities that you want to read. Please take our reader survey by visiting our website and following the link. Our website is www.cincihomeless.org. Thank you for taking our survey and for your continued support of the vendors and the Streetvibes Program. Please Take Our Readers Survey @ cincihomeless.org More Information About the Drop Inn Center’s Move by Jessie Rose Berne Downtown Cincinnati is proving more and more to be a positive example of how working together can create the best kind of environment; one where everybody thrives. In a recent decision between the School for Creative and Performing Arts and the Drop Inn Center, two organizations show an earnest determination to help not only each other, but the community as a whole. The SCPA has offered the Drop Inn Center a chance to create their ideal space for a new transitional housing facility in exchange for their buildings at 12th and Elm Streets, in order that the school can remain in one location. This collaboration is especially appropriate as both music and homeless awareness are endangered topics within school programs and diminishing in importance to the public consciousness. This convergence will spark new potential for both institutions and ultimately help to preserve and improve the quality services for the homeless that the Drop Inn Center has been well-known for providing, such as; three daily meals, sleeping quarters, laundry, rehabilitation counseling, and an overall welcoming environment for anyone in need. The new site will be located on McMicken Street in Over-the-Rhine and will be a complete renovation of a vacated property, with a full-time counseling staff, laundry facility, security cameras, and courtyard access to the community garden. This union brings a win win excitement for a new start towards a society where injustice and miscommunication will be overthrown by an artistic Renaissance and a prevailing human compassion that will continue to demand that the basic needs of all are equally important and provided for in this land of plenty. �STREETVIBES Page 10 Housing Ex-Offenders: Identifying Barriers & Proposing Solutions Friday, October 12, 2007 10am-4pm YWCA of Columbus’ Huntington Hall 65 S. Fourth Street Columbus, Ohio A conference to discuss the barriers ex-offenders face when trying to find housing, the tools necessary to overcome these barriers and strategies for getting clients out of the shelter system and into permanent housing. Keynote Speakers: • ODRC Reentry Administrator Angi Lee • University of the Sciences in Philadelphia Assistant Professor Stephen Metraux For more information contact Lynne at 513/421-7803 x11. Registration available at http://www.columbushomeless.org/ The Ohio Coalition of Homeless Advocates’ (OCHA) mission is to eradicate homelessness by promoting collaboration and advocacy within the State of Ohio among local coalitions. The group represents five regions in Ohio to coordinate statewide advocacy, exchange information and idas and develop statewide projects that benefit homeless individuals. Current OCHA members include: the Appalachian Rural Coalition for the Homeless in Ohio, Inc (Southeast Ohio)., the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, the Northeast Ohio Coaliton for the Homeless, the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless, and The Other Place (Dayton). �STREETVIBES Page 11 The Difficulty of Living the Story 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 Tell someone you are a substance abuse counselor, and you are likely to hear something on the order of, “Oh, that must be so hard.” Or, “That must be so stressful.” But I get paid to listen to people tell me their stories. How hard is that? Sometimes, I have to tease some of the story out and it takes some skill and a few tricks that you learn over the years. But the fact is, this is not a hard job: I sit at a desk in a comfortable office and people tell me their stories. I have some paperwork and some meetings, but I have a nice comfortable office with a nice desk and a nice comfortable chair. It beats the hell out of the seat of a forklift. I’ve had that job too, and I was nearly cut in half one shift by another forklift whose driver wasn’t paying attention. I made it out of that one by jumping ship. I haven’t had to jump out of my office chair once. So this is an easy job; I listen to stories. Three Little Pigs What’s hard is living the stories. But that is for the person on the other side of the desk. Some of the stories I hear are humorous. A young man just told me his version of the Three Little Pigs, —ghetto style— in which the pigs are crack heads and the wolf is a dealer with a Cadillac and gold teeth who —as in the fairy tale— comes to a bad end. But the man’s own tormented story, which he tells me in a jokey rapid-fire clip, involves a constant hustle to stay one step ahead of the police and his own demons. It appears he’s not ready to stop living that story, but living it must be very hard. Small wonder that he seeks to dull the pain with alcohol or whatever else is available. But he has survived in part because he is a good entertainer. He makes it easy to hear his story. Other stories will simply break your heart. Courts I hope I will break no one’s anonymity in telling this story, but it was a long time ago and most of it was in the papers and on the news. A man was living in a garage in Over-the-Rhine with his five children. Someone had let him stay in the garage because he had nowhere else to go. I forget given all that was stacked against him. The court could the ages, but I believe the oldest of the children was order any number of things, but the court could not only ten or twelve. It was night-time and he left them order a change in how we treat addicts and their alone to go for something for them all to eat. It seemed families in poverty. like the right thing to do. They were all in their makeshift If you sentence a man or woman to prison, you beds, so he went out to sentence their families as well. Kroger’s and swore he would man or woman who goes to If you sentence a man or The be right back. prison suffers —I hear their I forget exactly how it woman to prison, you stories every working day— but happened or what season it does the family back at home. sentence their families so was. It might have been winter Two years without a mother, and he was heating the garage as well three years without a father, what with a kerosene stove. Or it happens to a child left behind? might have been summer and the wiring was faulty. I What happens to the wife or husband left behind? only remember that the garage was the only place he There is a whole social apparatus for the rehabilitation could go with the children and that he had to go get of the person who is convicted. That system is groceries and that he was alone with the children notoriously inefficient, ineffective, discriminatory, and because his wife was in court-ordered treatment. destructive of its own goals, but it does sometimes Somehow, while he was fetching those groceries work the way it is supposed to work and the convicted for those children, the garage caught fire and went up one has at least a place to live, health care (more or in flames. It went up quickly and burned so thoroughly less), a chance to go to school (sometimes), therapy that there was no hope of saving the children. The for what brought them there, and some guidance on people who came to watch had to hold him back to how to avoid crime in the future. keep him from going into the flames, No one could But the family gets nothing of the sort and the save them and all five died. children are left without a parent and the spouses are A week or so later, I saw the mother in a meeting. left to battle for themselves a way to survive. She had other women in support around her, and she Please pardon my rant. spoke briefly, with a calm voice, about her feelings. Hope for Hope I was glad to see her there, and I was glad she This is a story from ten or fifteen years ago. I was still in recovery. But I can only imagine what she know nothing more of the man or the woman. I can must have felt that day. I can only imagine what she only hope they are doing well. But could such a wound feels now. ever heal? Who would blame her if the pain becomes What I feel, though, is anger. too great and she relapses? Who is going to fault the The court could order the woman away into man if the guilt and pain become too much and he treatment, but the court could not order the man a weakens when the dope boy says, “I got something decent place to live with his children. The court could for you?” order the woman to stay thirty or sixty days in a facility, I hope they haven’t taken that path. I pray they but the court could not order some help for the man don’t. with his five children. The court could consider child But I do not know how I would live with such a endangerment charges for the man (though I believe story. the charges were considered but never filed). But the court need not consider how the man was to manage UN Deploys Peacekeeping Troops by Lynne Ausman In the July issue of Streetvibes, we covered the increasing turmoil in the Darfur region of the Sudan; highlighting the conflict and the lack of international cooperation and collaboration. Until recently, the United Nations (UN) have not been able to determine if the conflict is truly a genocide because the fighting is so severe that crossing the border is too risky for humanitarian aide volunteers and peace keepers. In addition, the Sudanese government has prohibited the UN from entering the country. The result was that the only peace keeping force allowed to enter was the African Union (AU). The AU force is small and inexperienced and – along with the rest of the international community – is begging for the UN to become more involved. However, the UN has found a way to enter the region. The Security Council voted unanimously to establish a hybrid force of both UN and AU troops. The hybrid force will be under AU command. The Sudanese government agreed to a larger peacekeeping force due to international pressure. In addition to a new, larger, hybrid peacekeeping force, the Security Council will also allow the use of force to defend troops, civilians and aid workers. The new hybrid force is expected to be deployed within sixty days. This mission will add 26,000 new UN peacekeepers to the previous 7,000 AU peacekeepers. There is hope for this new force; however, cooperation from the Sudanese government is not likely. Aid agencies feel that the government is impeding their efforts by allowing the Janjaweed (a government-allied militia) to attack aid workers and food convoys. Iraq War Realities Mental Illness As many as 1 out of every 10 soldiers from the war on terror has been evacuated to the Army’s biggest hospital in Europe for mental problems. Between 8 and 10 percent of nearly 12,000 soldiers from the war on terror, mostly from Iraq, have been treated at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany had “psychiatric or behavioral health issues,” according to the commander of the hospital, Col. Rhonda Cornum. That means about 1,000 soldiers were evacuated for mental problems. The hospital has treated 11,754 soldiers from the war on terror, with 9,651 from Iraq and the rest from Afghanistan, according to data released by the hospital. The Cost of War In Iraq $449,721,800,182 as of August, 07 7,793,721 - Public school teacheres could have been hired for one year 4,049,317 Additional housing unites could have been built 59,565,741 - Children could have attended Head Start for a year 269,294,277 - Children could have been insured for a year 21,801,510 - Students who could have received four year scholarships at public universities �STREETVIBES Page 12 Street Soccer World Cup Kicks Off in Denmark by Laura Thompson Osuri, Street News Service Five hundred homeless and formerly homeless individuals from 48 countries ascended on Copenhagen, Denmark, in early August for the Fifth Annual Homeless World Cup. Players competed to become the world’s champion team in street soccer. For many of them, the tournament will also represent a huge step toward improving their lives. “The Homeless World Cup is an event that can change the life of anyone, not simply to help them become a professional footballer,” said Didier Drogba, a supporter of the tournament who plays professional soccer with England’s Chelsea Football Club. After last year’s Homeless World Cup, a survey showed that nearly three-quarters of the 368 players said their lives changed for the better. More than a third secured regular employment and nearly half the players improved their housing situation. Many of the national teams this year already have inspiring stories to tell. The Liberian team helped give war-torn orphans a reason to live. The Indian team used football to move young people away from drugs and the slums. England’s team trained with the legendary Manchester United soccer club. Street soccer has also started changing the lives of U.S. players. Most notably, seven out of the eight players have found housing over the last year. One example is Pop Miller, 24, who was homeless for 18 months before joining the street soccer program. Miller just moved into a place of his own. He credits soccer as the positive outlet that has kept him away from selling drugs and other activities that got him in trouble in the past. The U.S. national street soccer team has been practicing all year in Charlotte, N.C., under the guidance of the Urban Ministries Center. The players and coaches were confident they can beat their 46th out of 48 ranking from last year’s Homeless World Cup. “Our results in Copenhagen are not as important as the positive changes that have occurred in the players’ lives,” said Lawrence Cann, who coaches the U.S. national street soccer team. “But I am excited about the leadership on the team and I definitely expect us to do better than previous years.” The Homeless World Cup concept evolved out of a 2001 bet between Harald Schmied, editor of the Austrian street paper, Megaphon, and Mel Young, co-founder of The Big Issue Scotland. The first Homeless World Cup was held in Graz, Austria, in 2003, with annual tournaments ever since. Participation has grown every year. The tournament consists of a series of 4-on-4 soccer matches played on a walled field the size of a tennis court. This year, the Crown Prince of Denmark attended the final match. As of this writing the games were in progress so there are no scores to report. Reprinted from Street Sense © Street News Service www.streetnewsserivce.org The US Team at the Homeless World Cup. Missed a copy of Streetvibes? Check out the Streetvibes archive on the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless’ website at http://www.cincihomeless.org/content/streetvibes.html Stupid Iraq Quotes “My answer is bring ‘em on.” ­ President George W. Bush “I think they’re in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency.” - Vice President Dick Cheney. Freedom’s untidy and free people are free to make mistakes and commit crimes and do bad things.” – Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. “We found the weapons of mass destruction.” - President Bush, in an interview with Polish television, May 29, 2003. “Oh, no, we’re not going to have any casualties.” - President Bush, discussing the Iraq war with Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson. “It’s a slam-dunk case!” - CIA Director George Tenet, discussing WMD and the case for war. �STREETVIBES Page 13 How the President Ended Poverty: A True Story of the Future by Michael Stoops On Inauguration Day, I, President (fill in the blank), hereby proclaim that I will no longer accept homelessness and poverty in this rich country. I, like Presidents Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson before me, declare poverty to be one of the biggest issues facing America. One in eight Americans lives in poverty and the numbers are rising. Let’s call it an adjustment of American priorities that will take place not in 10 years, but in my first term in office. We will end our legacy of imperialism and use the money to address our new priority of eliminating poverty at home. The First 24 Hours of My Presidency After finishing my rather long Inaugural speech, I will return to the White House lawn where I will pitch a tent and live outside until we achieve the goal of ending poverty in America. I’ll take along my cell phone and a laptop, so I can conduct the country’s business. The First Spouse will join me as well. The First 100 Days of My Presidency I will forego my $400,000 annual salary and instead will work as your president at minimum wage. In other words, I will be making $7 an hour, as per the established federal minimum wage regulations. If I work at least 40 hours a week for 52 weeks, I will earn about $379,616 less than my predecessor. I will not move back inside until every American is permanently housed. I will then start to pay rent like any other American, 30% of my minimum-wage salary. I will invite my closest neighbors, the homeless people living across the street in Lafayette Park, to stay in the various unused bedrooms in the White House in what can only be called the “best public housing in the country.” Emergency Measures I will order every government building to stay open at night so it can function as an emergency night shelter. I will ask churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques to do the same. Homeless emergency shelters will function like the emergency rooms of hospitals where you can stay as long as you need. Children, who make up 25% of the total h o m e l e s s population, will be the first ones to get help so they do not become the homeless adults of the future. All local, state and federal elected officials will be required to spend a week living on the streets in the largest city of their respective home states until every American is housed. They will receive food stamps and the same health care benefits as the poorest among us. We will ask Congress to reduce the salary of every federal elected official and every executive branch official to the same monthly amount received by those on Social Security disability. This will keep the officeholders in touch with the almost 40 million Americans who live below the poverty line. I will ask Congress to pass legislation making it illegal for cities to adopt laws targeting homeless people for acts such as sleeping, camping, sitting or panhandling. All homeless persons who so desire will receive a donated laptop computer so they can connect with the rest of the world and use the Internet to help them get out of their homelessness and low-income status. Long-Term Solutions I will restore the federal lowincome housing budget to what it was back in 1979 – $83 billion compared to $33.6 billion today. I will work with the mayors of American cities to create a federal housing policy. The countless abandoned buildings that plague our inner cities will be turned over to nonprofits or municipalities, which will provide resources and training for homeless or lowincome people to repair these homes. This will be a 21st-century version of the Homestead Act of 1860. People released from prison or mental health and alcohol treatment centers will be guaranteed admission to halfway houses with employment, case management and counseling services. This will end the established practice of releasing them to the streets without support, setting them up for failure. I will come up with a 21st-century version of President Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps programs. My inspiration for this approach comes from the late President Ronald Reagan, who said, “I think the best possible social program is a job.” The minimum wage will henceforth be replaced by a universal living wage. At that time, I will make my salary the living wage. Health insurance will be free or lowcost if you are homeless or low-income and expensive if you happen to be rich. For homeless and low-income people with disabilities, I declare these citizens are entitled to treatment on demand for mental health and substance abuse issues. State and federal voting laws will be liberalized, making it easier for homeless and low-income people to vote. No photo ID or mailing address may be required. As commander in chief, I make a commitment that no persons who serve their country in our armed forces shall be allowed to become homeless. Victims of domestic violence, a leading cause of homelessness among women, will no longer be forced to flee their homes and wind up on the streets or in shelters. Rather, the victims will stay put and the batterers will be sent to jail or to shelters designed for them. Eliminating Root Causes I will ask Congress to adopt the right to housing and health care for all our citizens, even if they cannot afford it, like in many other countries around the world. I will make two- or four-year college education free to young people in exchange for national service. An education is the best way to break out of poverty. I will build a “Museum on Poverty” on the Mall in the nations capital to remind Americans how poverty remained unchecked in the last century and for the first 10 years of this new one. Poverty will be something of our past, not of the present, or our future. The inspiration for this pledge to end poverty in 21st-century America comes from Upton Sinclair’s “I, Governor of California and How I Ended Poverty, A True Story of the Future, 1934.” Part I of this story was published in June 2007. Michael Stoops is the acting executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based National Coalition for the Homeless. Reprinted from Street Sense © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org New Civil Rights Advocate Begins Work at Coalition by Greg Olkhovsky After graduating from Xavier University in May 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts degraee in English and Organizational Communication, I am the new Civil Rights advocate at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. For the next year, I will participate in the ongoing mission of eradicating homelessness while serving as an Americorps VISTA. This is a new phase in my life in which I am very excited about. Born and raised in the District of Columbia metropolitan area, I moved to Cincinnati in pursuit of a college education. Being born the son of two teachers and the brother of another, education, dedication, and commitment have been instilled in my upbringing. It is my sister ’s selflessness and compassion towards others that have influenced my desire and enhanced my moral obligation to give back to communities in need. During my years in D.C., I was active in my church’s youth group. I participated in numerous acts of service to the homeless such as serving in soup kitchens, volunteering at homeless shelters and organizing various food drives. I continued this interest in service work throughout my time at Xavier. My most memorable experience with volunteering occurred in March 2007. With twelve other people, I traveled to New Orleans to assist in cleaning up the unimaginable debris that Hurricane Katrina left behind. For a week straight we worked at gutting and cleaning houses that were at the mercy of Katrina. We successfully gutted four houses during this week. Although “only” four houses may seem like a minimal achievement to some, we knew that our work meant the world to the owners of the houses and also meant the world to ourselves. It was this service trip to New Orleans earlier this year that solidified my calling in providing service work to society. I have grown fond of helping those in need in anyway possible. I am excited at the opportunity of working to improve Over-The-Rhine. Even though we may be faced with some challenges along the way, it is my ambition and desire to see improvement in this community that gives me the strength to succeed in this fabulous journey. I am privileged to serve as the new Civil Rights advocate for the Homeless Coalition. �STREETVIBES Page 14 Mercy A poem for voices by Stan Burriss less than you know ... when I was a child, I knew less around and around, I was happy and laughed. Day followed day, when my mother would feed me, and raise me and tell me the stories of Jesus, or home — He had no home! where He lived with the goats and the children. With others. With the other children in your mother’s arms, you learned the stories. You ate the soup, the breakfast food. You learned the stories you were being told at home, and at church, and now, you’re old enough to know to each, his own! Her own. You eat food, draw more thoughts with the words you’ve learned- make money, if money is around - or shorn or square! Anywhere in-between with your name in-between ... ... and choose your own church. Sunday is the day, if you work, you know. God! You eat well enough. You know well enough, that you are a child of the church. You eat well enough. You work for your money (that hourly wage and the Word, God’s Word, are enough, bye-and-bye!) Enough, given help from your brother, hungry or less ... ALL: MERCY! MERCY! MERCY! (Money...) - MERCY!! MERCY! MERCY! MERCY! (Money...) - MERCY!! Patriotic Duty Cabin Fever by Virginia Conn I’m freezing, so I tack flannel sheets under the blinds, discovering the frost has resurrected the finger oils of someone named Linda. Twice the precise lettering appears, well out of reach of a child’s hand. The window overlooks the street. I’ve stood there, impatient for mail or visitors, yet this is the first I’ve heard from her. I scan my studio for other traces, blaming her for the erratic nails, especially one eye level screw, dead center, that no painting hangs from comfortably. I start to attribute other mischief to her; misplaced keys and night knocks, then fear she may be trapped, the bitter cold compelling her to contact me. ”I never got out. It never warmed up.” I keep checking the pane for further word. by Reneene Robertson “This is my patriotic duty for today” read the simple handmade sign on his chest. He looked of an age to have served in ‘Nam. Without the sign you would not have looked twice at him. May have even tried to avoid looking once at him. Even though he looked clean, he appeared to have been living on the streets for a while. He had an air of selfsufficiency that had been cultivated for a long time. When the police vehicles began moving toward the peaceful group assembled in front of the King County Jail, he stepped to the front of the crowd to line up with the others who chose positions on the outer flank. Volunteering for the front line. Again. “This is my patriotic duty for today” his sign stated. And he performed his duty with shoulders back, head high, and a fierce glow of pride on his face. Perhaps society had thrown him away, but he was still willing to put his body on the line to protect the Constitution of this fair country. To guarantee other peaceful citizens the right to express their views, regardless of violent, repressive moves by the police, he would once again fight the good fight by not fighting at all. His presence was enough. “This is my patriotic duty for today” Your duty was well done, friend. Thank you. I remind myself: It is winter everywhere. Outside, Buffalo trudges past, layered in clothes like shuck on corn. Like that screw, an act of defiance, Linda versus concrete, in relief of the wide white wall. Deception by Jessie Rose The light of deception Blinds the soul from sympathy For it knows not how to change What it does not see That There are so many Desperate and trying Is no matter to deceit Or the minds drugged with its treat For all that they give to eat is adreadful defeat Hallucinated daydreams by Sara Lynne Tucker The line between fantasy and reality fades as I dance upon it. I am a dancer A dreamer. A hoper. A clinger. To false hope and hallucinated daydreams. Fantasies and fairy tales are brought on by the imaginations of beautiful minds. Just a mere fabrication of what could happen If playing pretend was brought to life. Box forts become war zones. Regions of the backyard become kingdoms. Ragged old playclothes turned to icons of elegance. Why not leave it at pretend? Let the imagination work And create wondrous fairy tales and fantasies for dreamers. La Isla Giving Her the Eye by Barney Egan A beauty stood on a balcony high, Sneezed and lost her blue glass eye. A young man walking down The Strand Caught the flashing eye-ball one hand. Invited up to receive her thanks He drooled on her features, figure, flanks. While dining on champagne and chicken These strangers felt their heart beats quicken, Gazed into each others eyes, imperfections indiscernible, Including the eye-ball that proved to be returnable. Over croissants and coffee in the morning The young man felt suspicion dawning, Said, “Would you do this for just any passerby?” “Oh no!” she said, “He’d have to catch my eye”. by Jose Ornelas He would run barefoot down Paisano St. toward La Isla where the grey cinderblock houses didn’t have running water but alma y corazon were plentiful. The river surrounded his neighborhood on three sides, just like a big American hug, welcoming and promising. There, mama would be making tortillas by the glare of a bare lightbulb. The side to side slap of the dough would continue to be a welcome rhythm of childhood memory. A few years later the new projects in the second barrio seemed like a dream, residents could borrow the lawn mower once a week! Here the sidewalks were not broken, there was a real lawn and street lights. The best part of course was that Marcelino, his best friend, lived down the hall. Time and again a new roof would signal a new start. Until the American dream became a reality in the suburbs; his very own lawnmower now occupied the other spot in the two car garage. But no matter where he ever was, the barrio, in the barracks, or on Main Street, it was never home until the tortillas came off the flame, hot, crispy and familiar. �STREETVIBES Page 15 Spaghetti by Wendy Nakashima First we make the dough for the noodles. Then we run it through the pasta cutter; it makes long noodles. Then the sauce: Sauce bubbles singing sauce, sauce... Peppers settle in for a long hot bath. Mushrooms simmer and begin to float... Onion cries Too hot! Too hot! Garlic says more of me... Meat and cheese begin to fight NO me! No me! Newsies by Paul von Kempf, JR. Can you hear our call Echo Down through the corridors of time. ”EXTRA, EXTRA, read all about it; Stock market crashes, thousands out of work”. Society how can we buy your products now? mom in a store your child is a small shopper. What does your small shopper buy. Writers! Submit your Poetry to Streetvibes - email your writing to Streetvibes@juno.com Stories and Poetry Are Due The Second Friday Of The Month Sitting by Wendy Nakashima We set around the table talking with people we know... We watch the creativity flow... We are aware that one person refuses to ask for help for fear of not being accepted We become aware that one person has the feeling of despair Why Because cash money is much better than welfare... When you don’t know me it might be hard to see I am not interested in keeping up with the Joneses That’s just not me... Sotally Tober by David Hudgins Starkle starkle little twink who the heck you are I think I’m not under what you call the alcofluence of incohol I’m just a little slort of sheep I’m not drunk like tinkle peep I don’t know who is me yet but the drunker I stand here the longer I get Just give me one more drink to fill me cup ‘cuz I got all day sober to Sunday up. The Sonata of the Lucky Homeless by Susan Osterman man standing catatonic lace and barbarism shopping bag man no longer tried to be charming the emphasis is on survival not looks or charm who can charm rich tourists he says or rich new yorkers the street is my home not my mating ground first dates are a luxury went right by me i didn’t even notice it let alone regret or miss it my family didn’t bother to put me in an institution or was i deinstitutionalized is that like depersonalized all these big words i’m entirely dependent on the kindness of strangers Violent Eye by Jimmy Heath The curb has an edge, an angry, filthy boundry, that begs for your head. “Would you like a good stompin’?” Where face and soul meet stone? Or would you rather beg to die another way? Knees bent on dirty asphalt. The avenue bends in sorrow, baking in the sun. Making the children cry, and drag their tiny feet through broken glass. And trash, and cans, and urine, and blood. Sent What is poetry to me? by Wes Browning Your head, an orange, a pencil up my nose. A lost weekend, found in my pants. Chocolate cake, vanilla snake. The passing fancy, the staying plain. X marks the spot. Anybody got an eraser? by Heather Gearhardten sing a song of violation equivocation demarcation supplication tribulation and truncation sing a song of subterfuge a deadly ruse loving abuse and splitting in twos and no way to choose sing a song of fighting free a warrior’s creed survival fees ptsd and healing mes. by Kenneth Churchill Snoring...on the city steps, boots used as a pillow, arms folded... Dream a Homeless man, fifties-like never to be young again, sedated by sleep... Rest, in freedom from smoke and noise Safe, unless some sets him on fire. Oblivion. Head, yet empty of bullets, but composed for machete-hack job, waiting... Or, nose tickled by feather of child, orphan from parent. Body members still intact... Oblivious...Oblivious dreams of kingdom, warmth, love, safety. Mind, soulfully soaring about the Planet, touches, wonderful flowers, in ever changing fields of vision, and permissible escape from humans, thunder, and rain. Held up, by the bricks, walked on by me ants, skin, burned by the Sun. Glanced at, by the strangers of the city. Long, from the place of cornfield and bean. Sold out, by family and Nation to me place of no Home. Unknown. He spins, on a PLANET IN SPACE, WITH ENORMOUS TRIBES AND UNIVERSE. Cold, from the deepest heat, warm from the fall of snow, out of place above water, unwanted in view. Left, by me womb of escape and addiction, in a nasty world...a very nasty world... With plenty of time eternal. Creation... Exist by death, unto the place of Spirit and Peace. Lost, from the folds of industry... Tried, by the Judgment of Life. Run down, by the horses of fear. Lost, by the measure of man. Loved, by the Man of me Cross.... Hides not, the Homeless being.... Walks not, the tired man. Beats on...the pulse of life, waiting for the dreamer, Inside the dreamer near. Boots used as a pillow sleep. Doorway... Building... Homeless man. � 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 2007 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 2007 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Cincinnati Homeless Man Shot to Death for Panhandling A Clean Victory for Cincinnati Janitors Pg 2: Vendors Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Pg 4: Ashamed for Us First Amendment Abridged at Fountain Square Pg 5: Project Connect Collaborates with Feed the Children Pg 6: Peace Bowl Comes to Halt at the Sound of Gun Shots Atlanta’s Only Public Hospital Might Close its Doors Pg 7: Cincinnati Middle School Student Collects Socks for the Homeless Social Enterprises Aim to Make a Difference in Community Pg 8: The Grameen Bank: Combating Poverty Through Microfinance Pg 9: NASNA Sparks Reader Survey Pg 10: Ohio Coalition of Homeless Advocates Pg 11: The Difficulty of Living the Story Pg 12: Street Soccer World Cup Kicks Off in Denmark Pg 13: How the President Ended Poverty Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource September 2007 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty John Lavelle Lynne Ausman Andy Freeze Greg Olkhovsky Kenneth Cheruiyot Melvin Williams Linda Pittman Susan Smith Leigh Tami Cat Shim Rafiquar Rahman Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF addiction Andy Freeze Atlanta Cat Shim Cincinnati civil rights Denmark Drop Inn Center education First Amendment Fountain Square Georgine Getty Grameen Bank Greg Olkhovsky Homeless News Digest Iraq Jimmy Heath John Lavelle Kenneth Cheruiyot Leigh Tami Linda Pittman Lynne Ausman Melvin Williams NASNA panhandling Peace Bowl President Rafiquar Rahman Soccer Students Susan Smith United Nations World Cup https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/ec2081610c26964d2d211c730f02b47a.pdf d4091d8595e6369588651e11ededb676 PDF Text Text September 2006 STREETVIBES Cover Story Declare Peace by Elizabeth Byrd & Curt Braman Later this month Cincinnatians will join the national call for a Declaration of Peace. Since July 4, 2006, high profile fasts, marches, rallies and acts of civil disobedience have surfaced across the country as opposition to the war in Iraq. Oppostion continues to grow with more Americans recognizing the staggering costs of the war. These Americans are telling U. S. Senators and Congressional Representatives tobring the troops home, close all the bases in Iraq, undertake a real reconstruction plan for Iraq’s infrastructure and use redirect the massive amount of money now spent to occupy Iraq and kill its people to pay for health care, education, job creation and affordable housing. They are asking Congress to pass legislation accomplishing these goals by September 21, the International Day of Peace. Finally, in the absence of Congressional action, they are committing to a week of increased Anti-War activity (September 21 - 28). Kristen Barker of the Cincinnati Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC), the organization coordinating the local effort, has noticed the noticed activists’ increased concern for the domestic costs of the war. “The Declaration of Peace Coalition has multiple goals for the week: to highlight the local cost of the war; to draw attention to the growing opposition to the war (a CNN poll taken August 9th showed that 60% of Americans oppose the war); and to involve faith based communities and all people of good will in witnessing against the war.” Barker added, “Not only does military spending lead to cuts in existing social services, but the potential of a “Peace Dividend” redirecting resources from the war to providing economic security and opportunity is immense.” The U.S. Government Budget Office and non-government sources agree that the cost of the Iraq war will exceed $300 billion by the end of September. At the same time, the administration and its supporters in Congress pledge further cuts in necessary social, educational, and health programs to offset the cost of the war.. The U.S. economy has been operating with record deficits that has negatively impacted funding for essential services. Programs for Veterans have been attacked while the unprecedented use of the National Guard and Reserve Forces as combat troops has reduced manpower in vital emergency services and has left communities less prepared to respond to natural disasters. The Center for Defense Information, the Friends Committee on National Legislation and the War Resisters League all report that military spending amounts to nearly half of the federal budget. The National Priorities Project estimates that over $11 billion Ohio tax dollars have gone to the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Cincinnati’s share has been nearly $300 million. Statewide, the money could have been spent for 1.5 million people receiving health care, 102 thousand affordable housing units, 12 hundred new elementary schools and 1.6 million university scholarships. In an effort to bring these issues to the front of ongoing Congressional campaigns in the area, The Declaration of Peace Coalition has invited Congressional Representatives Geoff Davis, Steve Chabot and Jean Schmidt as well as their challengers, Ken Lucas, Victoria Wulson and John Cranley to participate as panelists at a Town Hall Meeting to be held September 18, 6:00 pm at St. Monica-St. George Parish Newman Center. The focus of the meeting will be on local citizens giving testimony regarding the impact of the war in Iraq on the community. Georgine Getty, Executive Director of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless will moderate the event and offer a keynote presentation. Getty thinks all the candidates would benefit from hearing directly from constituents who are advocates, social workers, educators and others affected by budgetary policies. “The American public is way ahead of members of Congress in recognizing that stable housing, employment and health care should take priority over war.” Getty said, “Policy makers should take advantage of hearing from the people whose vocation is seeking economic and social justice for all of us.” Members of the local religious community are organizing a week of fasting prior to the September 21 deadline. The invitation sent to faith based groups in the area explains: “Fasting has been an important part of all faith traditions. Through fasting, we are able to carve out a space within ourselves to focus on prayer. This prayer is that God’s Spirit would transform the conscience of our lawmakers to sign the Declaration and make concrete steps to peace making.” Without a clear legislative mandate endorsing the Declaration of Peace, organizers in Cincinnati and throughout the nation are planning multiple events during the September 21-28 time frame. Banners with pro-peace and economic justice messages are expected to hang from locations above city streets and roadways. A Tent City will be built around the Peaslee Neighborhood Center at 215 E. 14th Street featuring a peace fair, a cost of war display, workshops, information sessions and films. Leaflets will be distributed at schools, military recruiting stations and other public locations encouraging people to contact congress. A rally and march will proceed from the Federal Building to Congressional offices and nonviolent acts of civil disobedience are in the planning stages. In Lexington, the week will feature a march to Representative Ben Chandler’s office asking that he sign the Declaration. The Louisville Peace Action Community will continue distributing materials and engaging in dialogue from their booth at the Kentucky State Fair. Frankfurt’s chapter of Code Pink will rally at the State Capital Rotunda. Events in Bloomington and Indianapolis, Indiana are being planned. The supporters of The Declaration of Peace hope that these events will move our nation closer to ending this costly military endeavor, and closer to committing the resources needed to eliminate the serious inequities so many Americans face everyday. They call on individuals and religious, labor, peace and economic justice groups who share this hope to Declare Peace and to let policy makers know of their determination to change course. To get involved in Declaration of Peace activities contact Kristen Barker at IJPC: 513.579.8547; email: kristen@ijpc­ cincinnati.org or fill out the on-line form at www.ijpc-cincinnati.org. 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 Monique Little - Education Coordinator Lynne Ausman - VISTA Gina King - VISTA Andy Freeze - Intern John Lavelle - Administrative Coordinator Susan Smith - Volunteer Melvin Williams - Reception Linda Pittman - Reception Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor Photography Jimmy Heath, Berta Lambert Cover Protest Sign at Peace Rally 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 New Jails, or Education? homeowners who complain about by Jimmy Heath It appears that the Hamilton training programs for low-income crime will vote no on school levy’s. . County sheriff, the county judges, the people.) Why aren’t we talking It costs an average of $67 Cincinnati police and a whole gaggle about real human issues with as much per day to house county inmates. It of politicians are missing the point fervor as the jail issue? Why not bite costs taxpayers $46 each per student when discussing the building of a new the bullet now, diverting some of the in 77 schools with a total of 35,600 jail. It may be what we need now City and County budgets into a students in Cincinnati. (CPS has the because we have so many adults crime-free investment in the future? fifth-highest per-pupil spending in the stuck in crime - some may be very Hire more teachers with higher pay. state. But the district also has the dangerous. Clean up the schools. Create a task highest poverty rate.) But, in a neighborhood like force with the power to look at each With an average daily inmate Over-the-Rhine, half the kids drop school and the student population, population of 2000 and an estimated out of school before they graduate. creating individual attention for each 55,000 admissions annually the local Many of them are left to student. Concentrate jail system is already ranked in the the streets, or get caught more on emptying jails top 25 largest in the nation. And the up in the drug trade and through prevention inmate numbers continue to rise. other bad behavior. strategies, rather than There is a time to step in, to Some of these just deal with it by break the cycle of kids being lost in kids are products of locking everyone up. an education system that is grossly generations of crime and Most of the money under funded, instead of trying to addiction. If the kids now funding public patch up the problem later on when aren’t getting what they Jimmy Heath schools comes from these kids become adults and fodder property taxes. But need at home and the for the criminal justice system. schools continually fail them, what are we going to get? Overflow in future jails? These are the kids that later wind up filling the criminal justice system. We will never solve the criminal element by simply locking someone away later in life. But are we going to continue to let our kids slip away, creating a future that generates a thriving criminal justice Mr. Homeless Downtowner Ms. Homeless Downtowner system? Someone needs to have the Name: Allen Johnson Name: Cheryl Yates courage to step out of their little Hometown: Cincinnati Hometown: Cincinnati kingdom and stop this cycle. We Neighborhood: Avondale Neighborhood: Over-theneed more money for schools and Occupation: Carpentry, Painting Rhine after-school programs, individual Favorite Interest: Pretty Favorite Interest: singing, attention to our kids, more teachers Women, watching kids play, good dancing, reading, writing, with higher pay and buildings that memories shopping, eating aren’t falling down around the I can’t resist: money I can’t resist: church students and teachers. I can’t stand: Greed I can’t stand: violence The School Board talks Person I admire most: Pastor at Person I admire the most: about overall improvement in test Westside Venue because he Mother scores but a lot of kids are still going genuinely wants to help the What I like most about to the street. Of course, not all kids community Cincinnati: All of the are bad – poor maybe – but not all What I like most about different sites bad. Nearly 100% of Over-theCincinnati: That they help the Place I’d like to visit: Rhine school age children qualify for homeless and feed them. There is California again free lunch programs because of their always a place to eat. If I won the lottery I would: poverty. But their poverty presents Place I’d like to visit: Disney buy a building for the homeless another real challenge. Poverty in the Land and give them their own minds of the middle-class public If I won the lottery I would: clothes, shoes, car, food, air sometimes means criminal. The real get my nieces and nephews conditioning and all other crime is what these kids go through in whatever they wanted and help luxuries order to be qualified for college, a my family. I would build a shelter Happiness would be: going good job, or a future as law-abiding and get things right. to heaven productive members of society. Happiness would be: serene Life Philosophy: to just be . City leaders are proposing peace and my nephew. stable. a quarter-cent increase in Hamilton Life philosophy: If everyone in County taxes to build a new jail. The the world was happy there would plan now is to build a jail with 1,800 be no depression. beds at a cost of $225 million. The new jail issue may be close to being settled by the time this publication is printed, but the issue won’t go away for a long time. Citizens still have time to speak their Streetvibes Vendors are required to sign a code of conduct and opposition with a vote. agree to abide by all the rules of the Streetvibes Vendor Pro­ Why aren’t Cincinnati Public gram. If a Vendor misrepresents or breaks the rules, she/he may Schools a budget priority? (And be removed from the Program. See page 12 for rules and regula­ what about homeless treatment tions on Vendor conduct. programs, low-income housing and To report a Violating Vendor, call 421-7803. ext. 16 Mr. and Ms. Homeless Downtowner Buy Streetvibes From Badged Vendors Only! Streetvibes �Homeless News Digest Compiled by Jimmy Heath New York City - Nearly 25,000 Homeless New Yorkers Currently Live In City Shelters The number of homeless in the city has jumped this summer after a two year decline. The New York Post reports more than 8,400 families or nearly 25,000 people are currently living in city shelters; that’s a 5-percent jump from last July. According to the Post, 120 new shelter rooms were set up last month to accommodate the extra people. The Department of Homeless Services tells the Post that this year’s rise is unusual. Despite the increase, the amount of homeless families is reportedly still less than its peak in 2003. In Des Moines, during the winter, homeless shelters fill up fast when the temperature falls. It turns out the same is true when the mercury rises. The air conditioning at Central Iowa Shelter and Services offered homeless Iowans an escape from the heat today. The staff says, when people are outdoors without protection summertime can be just as dangerous as the harsh Iowa winter season. The shelter sends out a van to deliver cold water to people who live in homeless camps, but they are not staffed to do so on the weekends. If you need a cool place to stay overnight Polk county officials will open a cooling center. In Aspen, CO the city manager has fired a policewoman who used a Taser on a 63-year-old homeless woman who was rummaging through donations behind a thrift shop. “Your decision to use a Taser on an elderly woman who posed no immediate threat to you, herself, or anyone else in the community displays a complete lack of understanding of the values, philosophy and mission statement of the Aspen Police Department,” City Manager Steve Barwick wrote in a memo delivered to fired patrolwoman Melinda Calvano. Barwick said Calvano can contest her dismissal through the city’s appeal process In Orlando, FL a charity skirted the city’s new ordinance against feeding the homeless in downtown public parks by serving food out of a van on a nearby street. Joined by a local American Civil Liberties Union representative, Food Not Bombs distributed vegetarian meals to the homeless last month just as it has for more than a year. But this time, with police officers there to monitor, volunteers scooped the items from containers in a parked van nearby. That could be a loophole in an ordinance passed Monday that prevents serving large groups in parks and other public property within 2 miles of City Hall. Such feedings would be legal only with a one-time use permit. “Wherever they go after we feed them, well, that’s their own business,” volunteer John Hughes said. The ACLU, which said after the ordinance passed it intended to sue the city, says it’s also exploring other options. “I think we’ve won. We got to feed people and didn’t break the law,” local ACLU president George Crossley said. Police were there with a one­ time permit already made out for the group, which would have made the feeding, but not future ones, legal. “This is a new ordinance. People may not yet understand all the requirements, so we want to work with them,” said Sgt. Barbara Jones said. In Detroit MI, Charles Moore found $21,000 in a trash bin. Some might say, “Finders keepers.” But Charles Moore, a 59­ year-old homeless Detroit man, made the choice to return the nearly $21,000 he found in the trash to its rightful owners — and in return got the unexpected. In Texarkana, Ark. fleas from a cat apparently infested a homeless shelter and drove about 50 residents outdoors. Shelter officials closed the doors of Randy Sams Shelter. Shelter director Nina White says the fleas posed a health hazard after the cat found its way into the shelter several weeks ago and brought four kittens in with her. The kittens since died but the cat cannot be found. Meanwhile, shelter workers are cleaning the building. They have ripped out the carpet from one upstairs office and have paid an exterminator to get rid of the fleas. Shelter resident Robert Harper says many residents have been sleeping outside wherever they feel safe. He says even birds have nests and foxes have holes but they have nothing. At least, though, as long as it’s not raining, Harper says, the residents have a dry place to sleep. Homeless athletes shoot for spot on Team USA in Charlotte, NC for tryouts for the national soccer squad Junior McGregor, 14, celebrates following his goal during the Street Soccer 945 team practice at a field in Dilworth. The soccer players from Charlotte who competed in the Homeless World Cup last year will have to prove their skills if they want to do so again. For the first time, organizers are holding national tryouts. More than 50 homeless athletes from 12 cities came to Charlotte to compete for one of eight spots on the U.S. team. Those who are selected will play street soccer against other national teams in South Africa this fall. Charlotte beat out San Francisco to host the tryouts because its program was more organized, said Lawrence Cann, who launched Charlotte’s team at Urban Ministry Center almost two years ago. Now, Cann is visiting homeless shelters across the Southeast to spread the word. “Being homeless, you’re on the sidelines of life, and any opportunity to become involved is humanizing,” he said. Last year, Charlotte’s team was picked to compete at the World Cup in Scotland after the New York team couldn’t go. The team members won the Fair Play award for the spirit they showed in front of about 50,000 spectators. Many players on the Street Soccer 945 team, named after the center’s address, have since found homes and jobs, said Ray Isaac, the team’s captain. A local radio station pushes the limit and breaks the City of Las Vegas’ homeless ordinance. On a Monday morning last month, deejays from the classic rock station KKLZ fed the homeless at Frank Wright Park. The ordinance has a hefty fine of $1,000 and possible jail time for feeding the homeless in city parks. “Let them have a voice, let them tell you what they want, listen to the homeless.” Beth Monk insists it wasn’t a publicity stunt, but was intended as a protest against Las Vegas’ most aggressive move on those living on the streets. Earlier this month City leaders outlawed feeding the homeless in public parks to stop them from gathering in large groups and to steer them towards community shelters. But Monk says the move isn’t a solution. “I can’t believe we’re worried more about helping people than anything else. Shouldn’t we be looking at crime, about people stealing cars than helping our homeless?” Still, rules are the rules, and Monk quickly learned that with a citation for feeding homeless and two traffic citations on top of that. Streetvibes Eventually Monk left bringing the food her. But she says her fight with the law isn’t over. “The fine is worth it to prove a point. I didn’t care how much they charge me. To get it out there that the homeless need help, that’s okay.” In Honolulu homeless get safety kits to help prevent hepatitis The first batch of safety kits assembled to help prevent the spread of hepatitis in O’ahu’s homeless population has been distributed at the Next Step shelter in Kaka’ako. The Hepatitis Prevention, Education, Treatment and Support Network of Hawaii and OutPatient Intravenous Infusion Therapy Association began collecting donations for the kits in June and handed them out at the shelter. Organization officials said people were then sharing personalhygiene products, and they know of at least one case in which hepatitis may have been transmitted to an individual sharing a razor. They hope donations will help buy 1,000 kits containing razors, shaving cream, toothbrushes, toothpaste, nail clippers, nail files, soap and other hygiene products. The nonprofit groups intend to continue passing out the kits to homeless individuals for a year. A Maine congressman wants the government to put more effort into helping homeless veterans, particularly for women and for veterans in rural areas providing adequate support to prevent at-risk veterans from falling into homelessness,” Rep. Michael Michaud said as he introduced HR 5960, the Homeless Veterans Assistance Act. Michaud, in repeating frequently used numbers, said there are up to 200,000 homeless veterans, with about half suffering from mental illness and two-thirds having alcohol or drug problems. The bill would do several things: It would increase to $31.30 the per diem rate to community service providers who provide shelter, food and services for homeless veterans. The current rate is $24.16. “It would be hard to find a hotel room in most cities at that rate, let alone provide a veteran with means and supportive services, such as mental health and vocational counseling,” Michaud said. Department of Veterans Affairs programs for homeless veterans would have to include safe lodging for female veterans, something current programs are not equipped to handle, he said, although the VA is trying. “Given that more women are serving in our armed forces and those women veterans are at greater risk for homelessness, we must ensure that female veterans have access to safe VA programs,” Michaud said. Page 3 �Homeless for 24 hours The Burglar had a Key Before dawn the next morning, Omar used his master key to enter Ibrahim’s unit and by Cydney Gillis Seattle - Tenant sues landlord over building was rustling around in the bedroom closet when Ibrahim woke up. When Ibrahim demanded to manager’s assault. know what was going on, Omar punched him, Getting beaten up and robbed was bad then shoved him so hard onto the bed that the enough. headboard broke, injuring Ibrahim. But the man who assaulted Ahmed Omar was later arrested and got six Ibrahim and took $5,400 from his apartment at months in jail after pleading guilty to first-degree a Seattle Housing Authority building two years burglary. His sentence included paying $200 a ago was the building’s night manager. month in restitution to Ibrahim. But Omar has The question now is whether SHA bears since skipped town. any responsibility for what happened at Barton In court papers, Ibrahim’s lawyer, Mark Place, a 90-unit building in Rainier Valley. Lee, contends the burglary and assault wouldn’t Ibrahim plans to find out. have happened if SHA had acted quickly and The Somali immigrant is suing SHA for monetary damages to cover his medical bills, lost removed the manager after Barton Place resident Jacquline Potts complained months wages, and emotional distress. The lawsuit, filed in March in King County Superior Court, argues earlier that Omar had been sexually harassing her. that SHA was negligent: Months before the “In spite of having notice of Mr. Omar’s burglary, the agency had good reason to fire conduct towards Ms. Potts,” Lee argues in court night manager Mursal Omar, but failed to do so. papers, the “Seattle The claim is Housing Authority based on another lawsuit “There is evidence that continued to employ Mr. filed before the burglary. Omar as a manager, In that suit, a female Mursal Omar entered which provided him with resident of Barton Place the unit unlawfully and the opportunity to attack, said Omar had forced intimidate, and burglarize her to have sex with him that is a cause for another vulnerable under threat of eviction. tenant.” According to which the housing Court filings in Ibrahim’s lawsuit and a Potts’ case state that authority could have police declaration, Omar started demanding Ibrahim cashed a large some liability.” sex from her shortly after disability settlement he became night manager check in April 2004 and, in 2003. Because she feared losing her housing, believing that he should inform the housing the filings say, Potts acquiesced to oral sex and authority of his finances, made the mistake of intercourse on several occasions. Then, in telling Mursal Omar. November 2003, Potts reported Omar to the day manager of Barton Place. Show your support! Get your STEETVIBES After she complained, Omar’s demands T- Shirt Today! stopped. But SHA took no action against the night manager, so, in February 2004, Potts sued the agency in federal court, claiming her civil rights had been violated and seeking Omar’s removal. In its reply to the lawsuit, SHA argued that Potts had no case specifically because the problem was solved — Omar’s demands had stopped. But the housing authority’s general counsel, James Fearn, says the agency later settled with Potts out of court for an undisclosed sum. That doesn’t mean Omar was guilty of the harassment, Fearn says. In fact, SHA had considered him a model employee. “But it was essentially a he-said, she-said incident,” says Fearn. “There were no witnesses.” More importantly, by the time Potts’ lawsuit was headed to court in late 2004, Mursal Omar was in jail for robbing Ahmed Ibrahim, leaving him with “a lack of credibility,” he says. SHA couldn’t have removed the manager sooner, Fearn says, because Omar had rights as an employee. Until he walked into Ibrahim’s apartment, he says,” It wasn’t demonstrated in any way that he was a danger to other people.” “I can’t say the case is without merit,” Only $15 Fearn adds of Ibrahim’s lawsuit against SHA. “There is evidence that Mursal Omar entered the We will send your Streetvibes T-shirt to your door ­ unit unlawfully and that is a cause for which the All proceeds benefit the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for housing authority could have some liability.” the Homeless and the Streetvibes newspaper. Call It’s too early to tell, he says, whether 513.421.7803 SHA will defend itself in court or settle. Lima, OH — Members of a youth ministry spent 24 hours pretending as though they were homeless with their own shanty town outside Lima’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. This is Lima Life Teens second annual Homeless Awareness Retreat. Teens from Lima and Delphos spent an hour creating a shanty town of cardboard shelters on the church’s lawn near the bell tower. Dinner for the participants was potato soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, said organizer Chrissy Yakir. Those attending Mass at the church saw the teens “street performing” with signs on homelessness. Prior to the conclusion of the retreat, the teens presented Samaritan House and Safe Harbor with donations the teens have been collecting for two weeks. The guest speaker was the Rev. Patty Crisp of the Fort Wayne, Ind., Charis House. Participants conducted a candlelight rosary walk and attended a midnight Mass. The youth ministry includes teens from St. Charles, St. Gerard, St. Rose and St. John in Lima, and St. John in Delphos. Page 4 Streetvibes �Former Homeless Men Offer Solutions Las Vegas - Mike Searfoss said, “It’s all up to the individual. You can show them how to better themselves, but until they are willing. “Dennis” said, “I was addicted to meth, homeless and I had nothing.” The city of Las Vegas created a new ordinance banning people from feeding the homeless in city parks. Since then, there has been an increased focus on the homeless population and the resources to help them. Free health screenings are just one of the many services the homeless have access to at the Salvation Army. Mike Searfoss moved to Las Vegas from Pennsylvania. He is taking advantage of these programs. “I was homeless for quite a while. I ran into some other problems like alcohol addiction,” he said. Searfoss says ending the homeless problem is simple. “It’s all up to the individual. You can show them how to better themselves, but until they are willing. I know in my case, until I was serious about getting on the right track, it would have been just preaching,” Searfoss continued. “If they want to grow and better themselves there are people and programs willing to help them,” he continued. Mike isn’t the only one who sees the solution as a simple one. “Dennis” said, “I was addicted to meth, homeless and I had nothing.” Dennis has completed a culinary program and is now enrolled at a local community college. He, too, sees homelessness’ as a choice. “If you are homeless, you are homeless because you want to be. There are ways for the homeless to get out of being homeless,” he said. Ways that are working for two former homeless men, as they try to find their place in the Las Vegas community. The Salvation Army says many homeless people don’t take advantage of the programs it offers because of the rules they have to follow. Few services available for homeless in rural Arizona PHOENIX - As bad as it is to be homeless in Arizona’s urban centers, it can be much worse in the rural areas. A lack of resources in rural areas means people can often get only minimal assistance if any at all. Lake Havasu City has no services for the homeless. Elsewhere in Mohave County, social workers say 200 homeless families were turned away for help in June because of a lack of shelter and money. The latest state and federal estimates say there are nearly 35-hundred homeless people who live outside Maricopa and Pima counties Providence police investigate beatings of homeless people PROVIDENCE, R.I. —Police have assembled a special team to investigate reports that homeless people are being attacked by a small group of young men. That action comes after officials at one Providence shelter said as many as a half-dozen homeless people have been beaten in less than a week. The Providence Police Department has put together a team of officers to investigate the matter and look for victims, although only one attack has been reported to police so far, Police Maj. Stephen Campbell said. William Spencer, a homeless man staying at the Crossroads Rhode Island shelter, said he Streetvibes was attacked by three men last month. The men, who appeared to be in their late teens, approached him at a bus stop and asked for a light. “All I remember is reaching for my lighter in my right front pocket and waking up in intensive care at Roger Williams Hospital,” Spencer said. He suffered a broken wrist, ribs and nose as well as a black eye. Crossroads’ spokesman Alan Neville said it appears homeless people are being attacked “for the sport.” Send your letters or comments to Streetvibes, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati Ohio 45202, or email to Streetvibes@juno.com Page 5 �Huge Shelter Shortage for Domestic Violence Victims by Catharine Zambon In Washington, D.C., there are just 48 beds, in two confidential shelters, for women and children fleeing domestic violence. And in any given month these shelters may turn away 350 families due to lack of space. Oftentimes these women simply return to their abusive relationships, according to Women Empowered Against Violence (WEAVE) executive director Thia Hamilton. “We know that fear of an inability to find housing” is the biggest reason women stay in violent relationships, Hamilton said. Many of the other women and families simply end up on the streets, in a similar vulnerable situation, because they do not have the means to find housing on their own. In fact, more than 1,300 homeless individuals in D.C. reported being victims of domestic violence in a 2005 survey. These staggering numbers have prompted advocates to challenge laws that unfairly penalize victims, and demand that the City Council increase the number of confidential shelter spaces available to domestic violence survivors. “Domestic violence victims in D.C. continue to be trapped in violent relationships because they have no other options for shelter or housing …. For an individual who is in a violent relationship and already living in poverty, this harsh reality often means that she literally must choose between life with her abuser or life on the streets,” said Naomi Stern, a staff attorney with the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP), at a recent D.C. City Council Judiciary Committee hearing. Stern manages NLCHP’s national domestic violence program and heads up the D.C. Working Group on Domestic Violence and Housing. She has advocated for the past several years for changes in the city to help survivors, and said that the three most necessary changes are funding to increase confidential shelter space, affordable housing opportunities for victims, and legal protections for victims facing eviction or breaking a lease. Local legal and social services providers have reported that domestic violence victims “are often evicted or expelled from their homes or shelters, or denied or turned away from housing or shelter, because of domestic abuse committed against them,” according to the NLCHP. Additionally, domestic violence victims frequently have problems with housing because of poor credit and lack of employment and housing history, which typically stem from the abuse. Many domestic violence survivors have to deal with the same marginalization faced by all homeless populations, additionally “complicated by the safety issues … and the gender implications,” Hamilton explained. Domestic violence “overwhelmingly” affects women and children, she added. In fact, the NLCHP found that 85% of protective orders granted by D.C. Superior Court in 2001 were filed by women. And many advocates believe that the number of homeless domestic violence victims is likely underreported. House of Ruth executive director Christel Nichols explained that obtaining such information is challenging because it largely depends on victims identifying themselves. Hamilton noted that the reason there aren’t good numbers on homelessness and domestic violence is because “many, many victims do not seek assistance in the police and court system.” To address the housing and financial difficulties that confront many domestic violence survivors, Council members Adrian Fenty (Ward 4) and Jim Graham (Ward 1) introduced a pair of bills this spring. The Housing Authority Rent Supplement Act of 2006 (B16-0661) would provide housing subsidies to private and nonprofit housing providers, to house low-income populations at affordable rates and help low-income populations find decent and affordable housing options. The other bill, the Protection from Discriminatory Eviction for Victims of Domestic Violence Amendments Act of 2006 (B16-0703), would protect victims from eviction, release victims from their leases should their safety be compromised, and prohibit discrimination against victims. “We’re excited about some current prospects with the administration in D.C.,” Hamilton said. Stern said that outside D.C., public awareness of domestic violence issues is increasing, especially with reauthorization of the federal Violence Against Women Act in January. “Things addressing domestic violence have become politically popular,” she said. “There’s been an emerging trend around the country to adopt these kinds of legal protections.” Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington state all have laws similar to those that the D.C. Council is considering, according to the NLCHP. Additionally, Housing anti-discrimination and early lease termination by battered tenant laws have been proposed in the California, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, and Massachusetts state legislatures. Still, advocates agree that domestic violence victims need more than temporary shelter. Nichols explained that there also needs to be an increase in affordable housing and services for domestic violence victims. “Having someone go to a shelter is not the solution,” she said. “The shelter is just a place where” service providers can address the underlying issues. Hamilton agreed and added that all parties need to work together to increase housing in a way so it does not become “additional warehousing.” “There have been some encouraging gestures made,” Hamilton said. “But it’s not anywhere near where we need to be.” Town seeks to close homeless shelter But the agency wanted to first open a separate residential facility for people recovering from substance abuse to take in some of those who would be displaced. The agency acknowledges that there are significant problems with the shelter system but insists that housing is a right and wants to move toward providing more permanent housing for those in need, rather than a cot in a room shared with 30 people. Esty doesn’t see it that way. Housing is “a need,” she said. “But aren’t you supposed to be working all your life toward providing that? It’s a right if you can afford it.” Selectmen said they do not want to wait for the agency to open a facility, and want the Irving Street shelter, which houses 25 to 40 residents, closed now. “I really believe that SMOC management and the board of trustees should look at that program and should unconditionally close it,” said Dennis Giombetti, chairman of the board. Giombetti, Esty, and Selectman Jason Smith said Framingham should not have to take in troubled people who are not from the town. “That’s what we’re trying not to become — a wet shelter for the state,” said Giombetti. Smith said they should return to “wherever they came from.” He said he doesn’t have a problem helping people who are from Framingham, but believes the focus should be permanent housing, not temporary shelter. Asked about the possibility that once the shelter is closed, homeless people will take to nearby streets, Smith said, “That’s the next step we have to look at.” Joseph Mikielian, building commissioner, who was out of the office and unavailable for comment last week, previously ruled that the shelter is protected under the state’s Dover Amendment, which exempts properties that serve an educational purpose from most local zoning regulations. by Lisa Kocian Town officials in Framingham, MA want a downtown homeless shelter closed immediately and without conditions. In a recent vote, the Board of Selectmen approved an investigation of the shelter, with a majority of members saying they hoped the findings would lead to its closure. The shelter — formally known as the Common Ground Shelter — is called a “wet” shelter locally because it is open to people who are under the influence of drugs or alcohol. It has come under fire from town officials and local residents in recent months after revelations that its residents include sex offenders and people from faraway parts of the state. “I’m saying we can close them and we can close them on our own terms,” said Selectwoman Ginger Esty, who made the motion to launch the investigation. Selectmen want to find out if shelter residents are actually in recovery and receiving educational services, which would help determine whether the facility is protected under state or federal laws. The South Middlesex Opportunity Council, the agency that runs the Irving Street shelter, announced plans this summer to close it. Page 6 Streetvibes Raising Minimum Wage Brings Economic Gains, Researchers Say “Whether it‘s Oregon apple pickers plucking $7.50 an hour or New York dishwashers clearing $6.75 an hour, states that have raised the minimum wage above the federal level of $5.15 have netted economic gains, not losses,” said researchers from different states at an Economic Policy Institute news conference, organized to discuss the increase of the minimum wage in Ohio. “It’s been a really good experience for Oregon,” said Dan Gardner, the state’s labor commissioner. “None of the predictions of the devastating effects of this have come true at all.” Researchers from Illinois and Wisconsin, whose economies closely resemble Ohio’s, said arguments that a minimum wage hike would be a job-killer haven’t held up. �Sprawled Out by Dena Burke Seattle - Author Anthony Flint says rampant growth destroys community and makes us less healthy. Suburbs, exurbs, and boomburbs have been portrayed as the American dream, but instead of paradise, many are discovering long commutes, rising gas prices, and big-box stores with no sense of community. An alternative to these drawn-out neighborhoods is a dense, mixed-use, urban neighborhood. Anthony Flint, author of This Land: The Battle Over Sprawl and the Future of America (John Hopkins, 2006), predicts that a renewal in city living will replace the mass exodus to suburban developments. The quiet fight to eliminate sprawl and promote urban living has taken two forms: smart growth and New Urbanism. Smart growth encourages the redevelopment of land in cities through incentives and zoning changes. New Urbanism focuses on designing neighborhoods as they were before World War II: human scale, walkable, and compact. Flint analyzes these growing movements in his book, but acknowledges that most Americans will not rise up against sprawl out of altruistic or political concern. They will do so only when it directly and immediately affects their own interests. Real Change: What are the effects of sprawl on the environment? Anthony Flint: Twenty-five million acres of land between 1982 and 1997 succumbed to suburban development. That is a lot of wildlife habitat [and] farmland that has disappeared. It is a lot of pollution from cars, which are necessary to get around in these dispersed environments. Though, it has not been enough to change anybody’s mind about sprawl until now. On a personal level, people are discovering that it is inconvenient and actually very expensive to live in sprawl. RC: Does sprawl also have an effect on people’s health? Flint: Yes, people are discovering that a little bit of physical activity like I did today [walking up the hills of Seattle] is good for you, and it can have great effects on your health. When we spend so much time in a car, driving around these separated dispersed environments, we’re not out there walking around. A walkable, urban neighborhood promotes a kind of physical activity that can have a big impact, especially as we see the obesity epidemic. RC: A lot of Americans want to live closer to where they work, but many cannot afford it. Flint:Affordability is the central challenge for the smart growth movement and the New Urbanism movement. It’s not smart growth if it’s not affordable. There are very few New Urbanism projects compared to sprawl, which is ubiquitous, so part of the challenge is to increase the supply of these places, to make urban neighborhoods appealing, [and to make] urban neighborhoods more ubiquitous. Then they won’t be as expensive because they won’t be as rare. There is a range of housing in a smart growth development: one-bedroom, threebedroom, rental apartments, and townhomes. Now you have one choice: the single-family home as a periphery. If communities receive funding for smart growth development, they could be required to make 20 percent affordable, that is affordable to families making 80 percent of median income. RC: In your book you mentioned the notFlint: [Laughs] That’s quite a prediction. in-my-backyard movement, where people who Density has a bad rap in America, but many of us have purchased their house and want to protect love going to Paris and that has more density than their investment fight against low-income Boston or Seattle. [Paris] has a lot of density, and developments. How can those people be we love it because it works. There are virtues to convinced to allow low-income housing? density, having access to transit, and all the Flint: The NIMBY phenomenon is very functions of life jumbled together a bit more. The real, and it is a big challenge for smart growth and suburban model is based on separated use: all the New Urbanism. Established residents have to homes in one place, the stores in another, [and] the recognize that these developments actually add offices in another. I think you’re going to see a value. There are legitimate concerns about traffic, different version of theAmerican dream that parking, and things like that, but that is what makes celebrates the advantages of density. smart growth and New Urbanism harder. You have RC: In your book, you mention that some to deal with neighborhoods. You have to make it a commentators have said that sprawl is a sign of a good economy. What is participatory process. It is your response to that? much easier to go into the Twenty-five million Flint: Critics of countryside and turn the smart growth and New bulldozers lose. In the Urbanism have been book, I ask folks in those acres of land between hitting the blogosphere neighborhoods to not have and writing up op-ed a knee-jerk response to 1982 and 1997 essays celebrating sprawl. more development. [It is] a playing of devil’s RC: Is there an advocate, poking holes in example of anAmerican succumbed to smart growth and New city that used smart Urbanism, but not having growth and New suburban development. a program of their own. Urbanism to change their These critics are not area? addressing the real issues Flint: I think That is a lot of wildlife that communities all over you’re seeing a great the country are wrestling momentum right here in habitat [and] farmland with in terms of planning Seattle. Certainly Portland for future growth. has been a model for We disperse when dense residential and that has disappeared... we are able to because of mixed-use settlement that affluence. If you can uses transit and light rail. Anthony Flint afford a big house on a big All of this is about a “back piece of land, you might to the future” kind of go ahead and do that, notion. If you look at [but] it is not a straightforward analysis. Sprawl has Chicago, Boston, and San Francisco, what was been so popular, not because it is driven by great about some of these neighborhoods is that affluence, but because it is seen as affordable, at they have a center and vibrancy. That only comes least initially, by the middle class. You have folks with density. You could look at any city across the now moving out to West Virginia and commuting country, whether it’s Chattanooga, Minneapolis or into D.C. The Central Valley in California has Dallas, [and they] are re-discovering the become a commuter-shed for San Jose, Oakland, advantages of living in a compact, more and San Francisco. The initial sticker price is very concentrated, mixed use way. attractive and within reach, and then of course RC: In the future, do you think that the [with the price of a car and gas] it doesn’t turn out rich will live in the city and the poor and lower to be the bargain it’s cracked up to be. income will live out in the suburbs? Flint: No, living in the suburbs is not less expensive because you have to factor in the cost of keeping a car filled with gasoline. That is going to drive change. You have to factor in the true cost of housing, and the only way to do that is to calculate the cost of transportation and energy. Energy is never going be cheap again; it’s only going to be more expensive — whatever form it takes. A more concentrated settlement will be the choice of the rich and not­ so-rich alike, almost out of necessity. RC: Do you think people will have issues living in densely populated areas? Perhaps neighbor rage replacing road rage? “Don “Don’’t Leave Home W ithout IItt Without Streetvibes Page 7 �Berta’s Art Corner by Berta Lambert The Face of Over-the-Rhine - detail of entrance mural, 1737 Elm Street. Earth: Love It or Lose It by Adam Hyla, (Real Change News, USA) Book Review: A Short History of Progress By Ronald Wright Avalon, 2004 Paperback, 211 pages We humans are a dangerously ingenious bunch. We’ve feasted on vast plains of now-extinct fauna, watered deserts for food and then salted them up until they’re worse than deserts, ran recklessly through peak oil like a Pike Street pothole. Now we are looking forward to the hydrogen economy or deep-sea fish farms to support 6.5, 7, 7.5, 8 billion hungry people. Careful what you wish for, says the British Columbian Ronald Wright in his book on our planet’s biggest enemy, ourselves. Wright’s frightful, then reassuring, then frightful again thesis is that homo sapiens are facing a progress trap that threatens to end our civilization. But, that we’ve faced, and solved, similar problems many times before. But, in this crisis — as we forecast a worldwide loss of biodiversity, for example, in which 23 percent of all mammals are threatened — this time a community wouldn’t collapse just on Easter Island or the Yucatan Peninsula; we all fall down, in one gargantuan global crash. Despite the talk of sustainable this and sustainable that, humans have not lit upon a way to defy the Malthusian law that says populations surge past their carrying capacity, then fall back due to disease, predation, or starvation. Homo Sapiens and their forerunners and relations have been doing this for millions of years: running out of game or gathered foods, inventing agriculture, succeeding well enough to clear forest for farmland until the topsoil washes away, and either starving, resorting to cannibalism, or moving on. Now, though, the earth is our dominion; there’s no next valley to move on to. Hope springs eternal, though, so maybe, like a sick doctor, we’ll try to heal ourselves: start that Manhattan Project of alternative energy. But every new device also carries some new menace. The Maya wrote about how the tools and household implements rebel in their creation myth, Popul Vuh: “‘You… shall feel our strength. We shall grind and tear your flesh to pieces,’ said the grinding stones.” Half the 20th century was consumed with the mutual annihilation assured by nuclear weapons, Wright notes: that was the tools we thought we controlled in full revolt. With nuclear war and overseas imbroglios to worry about, it’s tempting to unleash the Luddite and welcome the end of civilization. Especially if this is really the best we can do. But delivering all Homeless veterans invited to ‘tent city’ RE ET VI BE S Page 8 civilian life. Yahiro, a Danville resident, served in the Army during the Vietnam War. “It has to do with the trauma and the experience of being in the military,” he said. “In many cases, it’s difficult to readjust after serving in the military, especially for combat veterans. East Bay Stand Down is the Bay Area chapter of an organization that is made up of more than 200 groups across the country. ST Pleasanton, CA— East Bay Stand Down 2006 pitched its tents last month at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in an effort to reach out for homeless, downtrodden veterans. “We pride ourselves as a one-stop shop,” said Jerry Yahiro, director of East Bay Stand Down. “One-third of all the homeless you see in the Bay Area are veterans. Nationally, there are over 250,000 homeless veterans.” The biennial event, which ran Aug. 10-13, turned the fairgrounds into “Tent City,” where homeless veterans and their relatives where bused in throughout the Bay Area. Participants will receive free drug and alcohol counseling, dental care and medical attention. Judges will be present to settle warrants and other legal problems. There also will be job and benefits counseling. Yahiro said veterans often become homeless because of the hardships of adjusting to Support Your Vendor Streetvibes Homeless for 24 hours Lima, OH — Members of a youth ministry spent 24 hours pretending as though they were homeless with their own shanty town outside Lima’s St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church. This is Lima Life Teens second annual Homeless Awareness Retreat. Teens from Lima and Delphos spent an hour creating a shanty town of cardboard shelters on the church’s lawn near the bell tower. Dinner for the participants was potato soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, said organizer Chrissy Yakir. Those attending Mass at the church saw the teens “street performing” with signs on homelessness. Prior to the conclusion of the retreat, the teens presented Samaritan House and Safe Harbor with donations the teens have been collecting for two weeks. The guest speaker was the Rev. Patty Crisp of the Fort Wayne, Ind., Charis House. Participants conducted a candlelight rosary walk and attended a midnight Mass. of humanity back to the Stone Age entails the deaths of five billion people. It wouldn’t be pretty. But it might be coming. From what we can tell from the potsherds and the gravesites, we humans have been bad at stepping back from the brink. In the last 10,000 years of human history, since the invention of agriculture, tools ever more remotely resembled the raw materials lying about. From chipped flint to wrought iron, we’ve lost the craft of our ancestors. As we ascend the ladder of invention, says Wright, we kicked out the rungs below us. Perhaps this is because of our greatest and most reliable invention, culture: the laws and customs that swaddle us in custom, in language, in law. Having money to buy with, and language to speak with, and laws to live under means never having to reinvent the wheel. When it first came out, Wright’s book was a sort of sideshow to Jared Diamond’s work of civilizational misfortune, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed, the critically acclaimed pop prehistory that takes a comparative look at ancient societies to ponder our present-day crisis in sustainability. What Diamond presented was much more data than necessary; what you get from Wright is a great deal more fun: a witty, readable breeze with just a hint of chill . If you’re going to take a book about the human race’s ruination of itself and its planet to the beach this summer, take this one. Ohio Governor Rewards Schools for Best Nutrition Practices Ohio Gov. Taft presented both the elementary and the high schools of United Local School in Hanoverton, Ohio, with Governor’s Buckeye Best Healthy Schools Gold Awards. The awards were given under the “Healthy Ohioans” program which rewards schools for promoting nutrition, physical fitness and tobacco prevention. One of the health team’s most recent initiatives was letting students take their breakfast to their first period classes and attempting to improve the quality of school snacks. The school installed the Snackwise computer program in a vending machine that allows users to rate different snacks based on their nutritional value: green means “best choice”; yellow signals “choose occasionally”; and the red warns “choose rarely.” �Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Welcomes New Staff Lynne Ausman I would first like to say that I am very excited to be working in the Over-the-Rhine community. I grew up on the west side of Cincinnati and attended Kent State University near Akron, Ohio. I majored in International Relations and minored in French. I am happy to be back in the Cincinnati area and very excited to be an AmeriCorps VISTA (Volunteer in Service to America) at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. I am hoping to work closely with issues surrounding day labor, HIV/AIDS, and civil rights, as well as working on the Homeless Memorial Day, Stand-down, and the Ohio Coalition for Homeless Advocates (OCHA). I hope that the knowledge I acquire with the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless will help me fulfill my goal of working in international development. I am looking forward to a positive and fulfilling year working in the Over-the-Rhine community. Violent attacks on Kalamazoo homeless halted for now Gina R. King Gina received her BA in Communications Arts from Xavier University in 2006. Gina is a Civil Rights Coordinator with the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Gina is very excited about working on projects such as the Youth Empowerment Program, ReEntry and the Homeless Individuals Task Force. She hopes that her time with the GCCH will prepare her for a career in social services. “As one of the newest civil rights coordinators to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless I am very excited to be working in one of the most historic communities in Cincinnati. The people of Over-the-Rhine have been unexpectedly welcoming and friendly. “Originally from Cleveland, I have spent the last four years in Cincinnati where I received a BA in communications from Xavier University in 2006. “After four years I found myself pleasantly immersed in the rich culture and so smitten by the charming personality of Cincinnati that I found it hard to leave. “I just began my new position as a Civil Rights Coordinator with the Coalition for the Homeless. I am very excited about working on projects such as the Youth Empowerment Program, Re-Entry and the Homeless Individuals Task Force. I hope that my time with the GCCH will prepare me for a career in the civil, public and social services sector. I look forward making a positive impact in the fight to eliminate homelessness in Cincinnati.” Kingg_gcch@yahoo.com Kalamazoo, MI - Stepped-up police presence is being credited with stopping attacks on homeless and vulnerable people in downtown Kalamazoo. But Carl Paddock, a supervisor at the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission shelter, says he fears the violence is just on hold. “The simple truth of it is, the police being around all the time will help,” he said. “But they can’t maintain a raised presence all the time.’’ Paddock said it will take at least one arrest, prosecution and stiff judicial consequences to significantly curb the brick and club attacks that homeless advocates say have averaged 15 to 20 a year over the last several summers. The culprits, it’s alleged, are bike-riding groups of young teenagers who encircle victims and beat them as part of a robbery or just for fun. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety has run a number of plainclothes stings in recent weeks, trying to draw out the attackers. But the bait hasn’t been taken, officers say. “These kids can spot ‘em. They need to get somebody from outside or they need to get a little dirtier and appear a little drunker,” Paddock said of police. Officials say the last reported attack occurred in late June when 45-year-old Ken Madison was attacked by young teens on bikes as he and two other homeless friends left a baseball game at Mayors’ Riverfront Park. Madison said he fought back after being struck by a board. The attack left him with scalp staples, stitches and a bruised face. OBIT Cincinnati Homeless Man Struck and Killed by City Bus by Jimmy Heath Louis Donnamaria, a homeless person who frequented the Coalition For the Homeless office in OTR, was struck and killed by a city bus on Monday, July 25th. A memorial was held at Holy Name Church on August 16th. Witnesses say that Louis fell behind his group because of an injured leg, the bus rounded a corner and struck him. “All of us at Metro just feel terrible about this,” said Sally Hilvers, Metro representative. Alicia Bryant was driving the bus and is now charged with vehicular homicide and vehicular manslaughter, both misdemeanors. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless sends it condolences to Louis’ family and friends. Louis Donnamaria Streetvibes Page 9 �Hobo 101 The down and out found strength and hope in Ben Reitman’s Hobo College (Street Roots. USA) by Marc Moscato If you are homeless or have an interest in the rights and history of the homeless you need to know the story of Ben Reitman and the long-lost Hobo College. Founded in 1907, Ben Reitman’s remarkable Hobo College presented an unprecedented effort to address the needs of Chicago’s down and out. A welcoming center and medical clinic by day, an intellectual forum and educational facility by night, the Hobo College served to empower Chicago’s homeless population in a way never seen before or since — non-secular and non-hierarchical. And for nearly three decades, it actually worked. Although vagrancy had been an issue in the United States since the Civil War, the homeless crisis first came to the forefront of national politics during the economic depression of the early 1890s and again later in the late 1920s, when thousands of families were displaced during the Great Depression. During these lean years, thousands of men took to the road in search of work, hopping freight trains, living in hobo jungles and cheap boardinghouses and working as migrant laborers. At the center of it all was Chicago (known to hoboes as “The Big Chi”), the hub of the nation’s railroad lines, where between 300,000 and 500,000 refugees passed through each year during the ’20s and ’30s. “Chicago was the gathering point for migrants as it was the jumping point to all points West,” said Roger Bruns, author of “Knights Of The Road: A Hobo History.” “It was the natural place to look for seasonal work in harvesting, logging or crop picking and to reside in the winter months when there was no work.” Slowly West Madison Street saw its former upper-crust residences transform into a “main stem” of dilapidated tenements, seedy bars, diners, cheap theatres and shabby hotels inhabited by dozens of hoboes and tramps. But with the poverty there also was some serious intellectual fare. “There was a creation of a whole culture along the West Madison Street area and in the freight yards,” Bruns said. “This included many authors such as Theodore Dreiser and Carl Sandburg, as well as many sociologists from the Page 10 University of Chicago who were studying patterns of social migration.” With the mass influx in homeless population, The Salvation Army, the YMCA and other religious organizations began to recruit on West Madison Street, holding revivals and opening their doors to Chicago’s displaced. While the charities provided immediate relief to the needy, living quarters were cramped to capacity, meals were known for their mediocrity and tenants had a limit of one week’s stay. Many hoboes preferred instead to board at one of the many cheap hotels to forgo the religious sermons for their own independence and self-pride. Most problematic was an anti-homeless attitude emanated by religious organizations of the day. Charities believed that the hobo lifestyle was a sin, and that by being homeless they were in need of repentance. “Religious charities tried to get recruits and save them,” said Franklin Rosemont, author of “Hobohemia” and a member of Charles H. Kerr Publishers in Chicago. “They were fundamentally authoritarian. They made them pray and had strict regulations… it was very condescending.” It was evident that there was a need for an organization to directly address the needs of the displaced without the moral baggage. James Eads How, heir to his family’s wealth in the Wabash Railroad, realized the opportunity, and in 1907 he founded the International Brotherhood Welfare Association, or IBWA, dedicated to serving the poor and lobbying for the rights of the homeless. How also launched a new phenomena: hobo colleges, alternative educational environments for people on the streets. He started colleges in major cities across the United States and also ran a newspaper, The Hobo News. The IBWA was heavily influenced by How’s socialist politics, and it was at the St. Louis Hobo College where he fatefully met and befriended Dr. Ben Reitman who, under How’s guidance, went on to found the largest and most successful Hobo College. It is no surprise the Chicago Hobo College was a success—if anyone could pull off managing such a project, it was the flamboyant and charismatic Dr. Ben Reitman. Reitman had a rare knack for bridging the barriers between the outcasts and authority. Once a “Hobo King” himself, Reitman was also a doctor who worked with tramps and prostitutes, was an abortion provider and birth control advocate before either were legal, and was probably best known for his ability at attracting the attention of the media (for 10 years he was press agent and lover to anarchist Emma Goldman, whose notoriety is owed almost entirely to Reitman’s promotion). Under the good doctor’s lead as master of ceremonies, Reitman’s Hobo College flourished. With his networking ability, he amassed a faculty that included leading professors at Streetvibes area colleges and the best soapboxers of Chicago, alongside featured guest appearances by luminaries such as lawyer and author Clarence Darrow, the notorious con-man Yellow Kid Weil and tramp author Jim Tully. “There was always a meal and coffee, and food was served,” Rosemont said. “Then there was a debate or lecture followed by question and answer. Some characters showed up at all the meetings and were notorious for haranguing and refuting everything that was said. Some were single-tax advocates, some anarchists, but all had at least some opinion.” “The Hobo College was run by and for the hoboes. It didn’t make demands or try to convert anyone,” said Todd DePastino, author of “Citizen Hobo: How a Century of Homelessness Shaped America.” “It provided a model of citizenship and an opportunity for self-education. It not only allowed homeless people to become part of an active system, it made them take on leadership roles. This idea is very foreign today.” Most impressively, the Hobo College grew to be a well-known center for debate. Rosemont related stories about University of Chicago professors bringing their classes to the Hobo College because the debates were livelier than lectures at the universities. Often, the student debate teams would face off against a team of resident hoboes, only to be thoroughly humiliated by the hobo soapboxers. As like any college, each spring the Hobo College held a graduating ceremony in which hoboes who had faithfully attended lectures throughout the winter months would receive diplomas. Graduation was marked by food, music and speeches, and concluded with Reitman handing out papers stating: “Be It Known To All The World That ____ has been a student at THE HOBO COLLEGE and has attended the lectures, discussions, clinics, musicals, readings and visits to art galleries and theatres. He has also expressed a desire to get an education, better his own conditions and help build a better world that will be without unemployment, poverty, wars, prostitution, ignorance and injustice. He pledges himself to try individually to live a clean, honest, manly life, and to take care of his health and morals, and abstain from all habits that undermine his health and better nature. He agrees to cooperate with all people and organizations that are really trying to abolish poverty and misery and to work to build a better world in which to live.” “There is a great deal to be learned from the Hobo College in how to develop organic programs for the homeless,” DePastino said. “There already exists a homeless subculture. We can build around this subculture and engage social service programs that promote a real and radical democracy.” “I don’t know much about social service programs of today but I rarely hear homeless people say good things about them,” Rosemont said. “There is little genuine care in many of the programs—they are almost entirely church-based and have rigorous rules. They can learn a lot from the Hobo College, but I’m not sure they are ready to learn.” In this light, Reitman’s Hobo College provides a working model of a self-help program for and by the needy that is urgent and relevant to today’s homeless crisis. And in this sense, the Hobo College serves as a utopian ideal of how our social service programs could function—or as Roger Bruns describes it, “an oasis in a homeless man’s desert of despair.” �S.F.’S Homeless Aging On The Street A majority of the homeless people on San Francisco’s streets have been there since the 1980s and never left, and without concentrated care they soon will start crowding hospital emergency rooms and dying in large numbers, according to a 14-year-long, first-of-its-kind examination of chronic homelessness in the United States. The finding — which the researchers say is reflected in other cities — is sure to give added impetus to initiatives in San Francisco and elsewhere to create more programs that combine permanent housing and social services for residents under the same roof. Without such supportive housing programs, the aging homeless are likely to experience rapid health decline and death, said Judy Hahn, the UCSF assistant professor who led the study. “The already-troubling health issues for these older street people are not going to go away. They will just get worse, and we will see them in increasing numbers in our hospitals,” Hahn said. “If they don’t go into the hospitals, many will simply die from living outside. Giving them a residence with on-site health care available will go a long way toward avoiding these troubles.” Thirty UC researchers and students surveyed homeless people in San Francisco during four periods — 1990-1994, 1996-1997, 1999­ 2000 and 2003 — and found the median age of the homeless rose from 37 years old at the start to 46 by the end. Today, they estimate, the median age of the city’s homeless population is about 50 — which in hard-time street years is the equivalent of about 65 given the physical wear and tear, they said. As the median age grew, so did the number of years the homeless had been on the street, the survey found. It also found worsening health problems usually associated with older people, reflected in higher rates of hypertension, diabetes and emphysema and in the number of emergency room visits. Hypertension, for instance, rose from 14 percent of those surveyed at the start of the 1990s to 21 percent in 2003. The findings support what many social workers have long suspected — that there was a “big bang” homeless population explosion as federal housing programs were slashed and the closing of mental hospitals hit home in the mid­ 1980s and that this core group constitutes the bulk of the street population. Local and national homelessness experts said the study confirms their long-held belief that the homeless population is aging at an alarming rate and that the national movement to create supportive housing is going in the right direction. “We’ve known instinctively about this phenomenon, but now having this research to back up that instinct is great,” said Philip Mangano, President Bush’s national point man on homelessness. “This shows that supportive housing is perfectly matched as an antidote to the premature aging of this population.” An account of the study’s findings, cowritten by Hahn and four other UC researchers, appeared this week in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Hahn said the “big bang” theory, first propounded in the early 2000s by University of Pennsylvania homelessness researcher Dennis Culhane, seems to be supported by her findings. Aside from cuts to federal housing programs and the closing of mental institutions, she identified worsening drug abuse nationwide and rising housing prices as contributors to chronic homelessness over the past 20 years. “It’s clear to me, from our study, that a huge number hit the street back then, and some may have gone in and out of housing over the years, but they wind up back out there again,” Hahn said. “The fact that the median age went up almost exactly with the calendar years as we did our study told us that this group wasn’t being replenished by a lot of new people.” During the 14 years of research, 3,534 homeless adults were interviewed at six emergency shelters and soup kitchens. These included the biggest two such institutions in the city, MultiService Center South shelter, south of Market Street, and the St. Anthony Dining Room in the Tenderloin. The team checked with social workers who worked closely with the homeless in Los Angeles, New York, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Philadelphia and reported that the same aging phenomenon appeared to be happening in those cities, too. Trent Rhorer, director of city homeless policy and head of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency, said the study “could have a huge policy implication.” “The study suggests that a one-time increase in the supportive housing stock could have a big impact on homelessness, and not only have we been doing that, but we intend to keep creating supportive housing in the future,” Rhorer said. “The report suggests exactly what we have assumed — that we are dealing with what, to some extent, is a static population and that we are Teens attack homeless man Huntsville, AL - A homeless man is recovering from broken ribs and head injuries after teenagers beat him with golf clubs. Craig Steven Rupert, 45, was attacked in his makeshift home in the woods. Rupert told police that a group of seven teenagers threw rocks into his campsite at 2 a.m., then returned with golf clubs and beat him until he couldn’t get up. Rupert is in the intensive care unit at Crestwood Medical Center. Huntsville police spokesman Wendell Johnson said the attack on Rupert was the fourth such teens-on-homeless assault in the past few weeks in west Huntsville. “Its kids who think they’re doing something funny, but there’s nothing funny about it,” Johnson said. “Last summer, some kids attacked a double amputee homeless man in Big Spring Park and then threw his wheelchair in the lake. “It isn’t funny at all.” Principal Leslie Esneault offered the school auditorium for a fundraising concert after a group of pranksters enticed a homeless man to disrobe in a Huntsville High hallway at the end of the school year. Several students are volunteering to make amends for the prank that got national media attention. The Rev. Sherry Birney, a chaplain advocate for the homeless, called it “sad” that while some young people are working to show their compassion for the homeless, others are out terrorizing “the most vulnerable segment of our population.” “Of all the homeless people I’ve ever worked with, Craig is the most unlikely person to be assaulted,” said Birney, who spent time with Streetvibes dealing with the largest portion of the problem right now.” In the past three years, the city has created 1,482 units of supportive housing for homeless people. San Francisco’s 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, written in 2004, calls for another 1,518 units to be created by 2010. Michael Stoops, who has been working with the homeless around the country since the early 1980s and directs the National Coalition on Homelessness, said he isn’t surprised by the report’s findings because the U.S. population in general is aging as the Baby Boom generation grows. “Boomers are the biggest segment of the population for decades, so just like in the rest of the population, Boomers are aging in the homeless population,” Stoops said. “As they’ve aged, society has had a tendency to give up on them; the attitude is that they’ll never get off the streets because they’ve been there too long.” The homeless population in San Francisco is estimated on any given night to be about 6,000, according to the last one-day homeless count conducted by the city, in 2005. Throughout an entire year, though, the number of people who experience homelessness at some point is estimated to be closer to 17,000. “This is probably the most important thing I’ve seen written about San Francisco homelessness,” said Dr. Josh Bamberger, who as housing and urban health director at the city Department of Public Health runs treatment programs for the most severely homeless people in the city. “It shows this is largely a static population that we can actually house and treat, and then we will see a reduction on the street. “So much of the rhetoric we hear is that homeless people are moving into San Francisco all the time, and we can never stem the tide,” said Bamberger, who helped in the early stages of the study. “But this absolutely refutes that.” Fifty-year-old Nathan “Nasty” Swift, who has the wrinkled face of a 65-year-old and has been homeless most of the time since 1981, said the study’s findings “sound about right to me.” Swift was a submarine sonar technician in the Navy, but after he mustered out on July 5, 1980, he said, he did too many drugs and made too many bad job decisions to stay stable. “I was like a lot of guys who just burned out and had nothing around to help us,” he said, heading to a panhandling spot on Market Street near Van Ness Avenue. “That study says we’re all old and our health is shot? Sounds like me and everyone I know. “I don’t see a lot of young guys out here anymore. Just old guys like me.” Rupert. “He’s so mild-mannered. He’s completely nonaggressive. He’s a kind, special man who admits he’s got a problem with alcohol. “But, in my opinion, these teenagers who attacked him showed they have far more deepseeded problems than Craig does.” Birney said Rupert told her that the teenagers live in the area and that they had harassed him several times, including shooting BB guns into the homeless camps in the woods behind a mobile-home park on Colonial Park Circle. “But they had been friendlier to him recently,” she said. “He told me he thought they’d turned over a new leaf and that they were going to be his friends. “We have to put a value on human life. Maybe the judicial system can help these kids realize that there are repercussions.” Page 11 �Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct All Vendors Sign and Agree to a Code of Conduct Report Any Violations to GCCH - 421-7803 1. Streetvibes will be distributed for a $1 voluntary donation. If a customer donates more than $1 for a paper, vendors are allowed to keep that donation. However, vendors must never ask for more than $1 when selling Streetvibes. 2. Each paper purchased from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless (GCCH) costs 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. 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: 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 About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless and Streetvibes.... earned. This program has helped 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 Don’t be Squirrelly! Buy Streetvibes! �Marching on in Montgomery by August Mallory (Street Sense, Washington, DC) One of Street Sense’s vendors, August Mallory, is currently traveling around the United States, reporting back on the homelessness and poverty he encounters. This month he reports from Montgomery, Alabama. As late Saturday approaches in Montgomery, Ala., I arrive in the city just before everything closes for the day. I ask a local store clerk if there are buses available to board for downtown, being that I am several miles just outside the Montgomery downtown area. The clerk informs me that there is no public transportation on Saturday or Sunday, and I would have to take a taxi, though taxi service is rather high priced in Montgomery. I only had enough money to last me for the four days that I had planned for, so I had to hoof it into downtown—and talk about a walk into downtown. The roads in Montgomery are very long and wide and winding, but I didn’t have much to carry so it wasn’t a big problem for me. As I make my way down Rosa Parks Avenue, I walk at least seven miles to Fairview Lane, down Oak Street, past the Interstate-295 exit ramp, and onto Bell Street, past the Overlook Park leading to the Salvation Army Center of Hope. Located at 900 Bell Street, I check in for a night’s stay as I am directed to a dorm of 14 beds with top and bottom bunks available. I was awakened at 4:45 a.m. and offered a continental breakfast of coffee and donuts, then a sack lunch for later. As I am still trying wake up to focus on my assignment, I notice all the security cameras around the property. I have no problem with a facility protecting its property but sometimes this security West Palm forms ‘Homeless Strike Force’ following complaints West Palm Beach · Housing officials, social service agencies and Mayor Lois Frankel have implemented a “Homeless Strike Force” to identify and help homeless people in the community. During a meeting last month, the group, joined by business owners and residents, discussed a plan to identify and help some 40 to 50 people identified as homeless in downtown West Palm Beach. The city called the meeting, in part, because some business owners and residents complained about panhandlers and homeless people in the city’s downtown restaurant and entertainment district. The task force will assess the needs of the homeless and connect them with the appropriate social service agencies to help them get off the streets. In addition, the city will look at establishing ordinances that would prohibit habitual and disruptive or aggressive panhandlers from loitering downtown. “They come up to customers asking for money even after I politely ask them to leave,” said David Smith, business owner. Some business owners said panhandlers thing just goes too far—especially with uniformed security people. However, at least in Montgomery no one is subjected to a police search the way one can be in the Washington D.C. area. I spend my day in a lot of the shelters looking at landmarks and retracing history. I came upon Montgomery and Commerce streets in downtown Montgomery, the corner where civil rights icon Rosa Parks was arrested on December 1, 1955 for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person. During those days it was against the law for blacks to sit at the front of a public bus, to enter at the front door of a restaurant, and to drink from a public drinking fountain that did not say, “Colored Only.” Montgomery, like many other cities across the United States, has a severe problem with homelessness. I decided to pay a visit to the Friendship Gospel Rescue Mission to see how they operate at mealtime. It is a total zoo in that facility. As one man put it, “This place is off the chain!” While many people claim that homelessness is caused by laziness, in Montgomery, I did not see that. Instead, I noticed a lot of willingness and ability in the men and women there and they would jump at just about any job to earn a living. But employment is very scarce in Alabama, and unemployment is very high. I then left Montgomery for Selma, Ala., to visit the Edmund Pettus Bridge, made famous when civil rights marchers crossed it to protest for voting rights and were met by Alabama state troopers by orders of then Governor George Wallace. His orders were to not let those marchers cross no matter what, so troops viciously clubbed and beat them with nightsticks. As I look back on all the struggles that went on during the civil rights era, why hasn’t more change taken place for those that are homeless. stand in front of restaurants and scream, demand food, and cause other disturbances. Last month, Duane Vanduyl, 39, whom police identified as a homeless man, terrorized tourists and a Wellington resident at about 2 a.m. near the Palm Beach County Courthouse. “In my neighborhood, you can’t even put the garbage out because they’ll open it to find something to eat,” said Valerie Luster, a city code enforcement officer and resident of the Pleasant City neighborhood near downtown. After a lengthy discussion, Frankel established the strike force, led by The Vickers House and other area social service agencies, including The Lord’s Place and the Palm Beach County Homeless Coalition. Other ideas mentioned included building a homeless assistance center. The center would temporarily house hundreds of homeless until they could find permanent homes. Representatives from the Palm Beach County’s Human Services division said it will meet in a couple of months with all the agencies that do homeless outreach to discuss a countywide solution. Buy Streetvibes Streetvibes More Housing and Services for Veterans by Jill Merselis Introduced in the Senate on June 7, 2006, the Homes for Heroes Act (S.3475) seeks to give veterans greater access to the housing and homeless assistance services offered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The bill focuses on increasing the amount of permanent housing that is available to “very low-income” veterans and their families. If signed into law, this bill would amend HUD to create a Special Assistant for Veterans Affairs. This Assistant would coordinate all HUD programs that relate to veterans — while also acting as a liaison between HUD and the Department of Veterans Affairs — and would be responsible for researching the effectiveness of HUD programs that provide housing assistance to veterans. The bill would authorize $25,000,000 to the Department of Veterans Affairs for the fiscal year 2007. In following years, funds would be allocated as deemed necessary. The Secretary of HUD would provide assistance to private, nonprofit organizations to increase the amount of housing available to impoverished veterans. Funding would be used for constructing, reconstructing, or fixing up any housing structure for veterans in need of housing assistance; with the possibility of an allocation to assist very low-income level veterans with rent payments. In addition, the bill would ensure extra assistance to the veteran population; services to include: outreach, physical and mental health care (including substance abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder treatment); case management; personal finance planning; employment training and education; and childcare. Veterans would also be advised on benefits, income support and health insurance, all with the end goal of promoting independent living. Survey Participants Wanted You are invited to participate in a brief survey on hate crimes and violence against homeless persons. Go to: http:// www.surveymonkey.com/ s.asp?u=870921968238Y Your input will help the National Coalition for the Homeless direct our advocacy efforts. The results of this national survey will be released to general public and media in late August. Please contact NCH for information concerning the rising incidents of hates crimes and violence against homeless persons at www.nationalhomeless.org Page 13 �Holding On Understand by Joyce Ann Robinson by Robert Leech Trying hard to continue to stand, wondering, finding words and the strength to hold on. Thoughts of the past and lots of present pain spears my every silence of joy. Debilitating dreams of yesterday seems as if they just again occurred. The stillness in the darkness hoping for the light to appear for tomorrow, hearing just what I want to hear, seems for just a little while that some peace has come. Not to mention what lay ahead. All the killings, all the conspiracies, the hungry and the homeless. The hate mongers of these raging wars that may be pushing our way. No time for family gatherings without someone bringing up somebody’s sinful past. Not finding time to forgive should be the thing of the past, when we can learn to do that, we’ll be able to stand. Our religion should not be base on race because God did not come to save one race or a particular culture so, until the people realize that whatever their belief may be they all have one thing in common, which is either we are going to heaven or hell. So lets stop all the chaos and love one another like God said and together we can all stand. It would be so damn cool to live underground Where no liquor store, gun runner or dope dealer can be found No electricity, no sunlight to brighten your day Just the dim lights of candles to show you the way No worrying about gung-ho police or crossing the street No sense of direction, you just follow your feet No more bull*&%$ government or the president’s lies You just go from tunnel to tunnel as time flies And what do you do when you come to a dead end? It’s simple; you just turn around and start the same process over again All this sounds weird, and you wonder where it will stop But soon as your ass gets hungry, you’ll find your way to the top I guess some people say living underground is real cool But if you think you can do it without coming to the top You are the world’s biggest damn fool. Mama’s Hands, Father’s Necklace by Gary Evans What can I say? Momma’s hands were full of talent. She made biscuits delicious with them. She shelled peas, washed, sorted beans with them and raising three sometimes hardheaded boys by herself. If you messed up bad enough she could use her hands to knock you into next week. Her hands gave us an allowance. Not on a regular basis but pretty regular — when she could. Her hands opened our report cards and trembled with anger when she got hurt or mad. One time my live-away father came over and they were arguing about something he did. They were in the bathroom and he punched her hard in the eye. We didn’t see it cause we were on the steps. The toilet seat was broke and loose. She took those hands and wrapped the toilet seat around his neck. He ran out of the house like that. Everyone saw it and laughed. Where Am I? by jh A garbage bag holds everything I own. My camp is a spot under the highway bridge or sometimes in the bushes near the railroad tracks. Or near the river, hidden out of sight. Fitful night sleeping outside. Maybe a nap in the public library during the day. Newspaper in my face so security doesn’t notice me nodding off. Away from the heat or away from the cold. New Day The plywood is loose on an abandoned building during the winter, easy access. by Daniel Anderson A pile of newspapers makes a bed. An abandoned car is best, if you don’t have to share it with too many critters. As the sun sets and the stars begin to shine, Good to be alone sometimes. My heart pounds because it’s you on my mind. Some of the guys run con’s – “need milk for the baby, please” – or Holding you in my arms as we drift off to sleep, “my car ran out of gas, can you help me out.” I dream of happiness and my mind’s at peace. Some of them sell stuff. Morning comes along with a brand new day, Others stand at the corner with a sign and a cup. And another chance to show my love in a new and special way. The mat at the shelter is hard and noisy – snoring, coughing. It smells like booze, vomit and piss in there. Lights on early. A meal at the soup kitchen and maybe another nap. Low paying, unreliable work at the day labor. How come there are so many day labor businesses in the neighborhood? Sweeping the stadium. Washing barrels. Not enough money to get on my feet, but maybe a hamburger meal, a pack of smokes. A 40 ounce and some food for the cat. A night at the mission where they force you to listen to preaching before a meal. A walk downtown where you are looked at with contempt. Beneath the Surface Gosh, the girls in the suits are so pretty. by Renee My feet hurt and so do my teeth. I can smell myself. Always looking for a convenient sink for baths. Hoboken is a city of beauty and at night it is Public restrooms where you walk in and nobody notices– the restroom at the church. a city of lights. Beneath all the beauty and A bath from a sink in the restaurant bathroom. lights it is a city full of people who are You have to rotate bathrooms so you don’t get noticed. striving to survive, who have lost all hope A good splash under the arms and the face, maybe rinse out some clothes with the system and only find strength in A pickup truck from the suburbs pulls up to the park with a load of young blonde white girls, those who can relate or those who are in the passing out sandwiches to the eager throng. same situation or predicament and find I don’t want to get in that line – Am I ashamed of myself or the crowd? Ha! To have pride! Ironic. comfort in knowing that they are not alone On the busy streets I amble with my head down, avoiding my reflection in the shop windows. no matter how lost, lonely or forgotten they may be. Policemen drive by slowly, again and again. I’m afraid I’m doing something wrong. I can’t cry anymore. I don’t know how. Years ago, my old lady kicked me out because I drank too much. Lost my job. Don’t know where my family is, but I know I have one somewhere. They don’t want to see me or hear from me. My friends on the street are my family – Slim, J. J., New York, and Bob. One of my friends died under an overpass – he was sick. He went to sleep and never woke up. Died with his eyes open. We cried like it mattered. I’d like to go to sleep too. Don’t have the guts to die. Page 14 Streetvibes �The homeless by Don Foran Ten men clamber out of the creaking van, Their sweaty bodies meeting a kiss Of cool night air. They drift, silently, sullenly Toward the darkened church. Mattresses lie, two or three to a room, Along walls decorated with children’s Drawings and almost casual crucifixions. Carl, Eddie, Jake and the others Throw their worn packs and bags Onto the makeshift beds, and John, It’s always John, is first to ask If he can have his sack lunch now, Not in the morning as we had planned. “Sure,” I say, almost as anxious as he To assuage this remediable hunger. Several echo John, and soon all Are feasting on pb and j; apples, celery, And other healthy fare remains on the table, But they’re happier now, even communicative. One thanks me for setting a new pair of white socks On each mattress. Another offers a juice cup To a friend. “Lights out!” Rick calls at ten, And no one argues, no one hesitates. Sleep Knits once more the raveled sleeve of care, Obliterates the hurt, soothes the jangled nerves. Tomorrow will be another day, Another cheerless day embroidered With small triumphs, fragile dreams. Homeless by “Homeless” Who Am I? Your sister or brother, your Mother or father, your daughter or your son. I am homeless. Black or white, red or brown, I walk the streets all day looking just to make it. Through the day people look at me and stand back to their friends and talk about me, about how I look and how I smell, never knowing the real person that is inside of me. As you watch your TV and play your tapes, I try to stay warm on very cold days. When you are warm in your home, I am homeless. As you sleep at night in your nice warm bed I am trying to sleep anywhere I can: rooftops and doorways, park benches and so on. Homeless Night by Rodney E. Penilton In the darkness, I saw four people, huddled beneath a gazebo in a park downtown; as I sat feeling depressed about my life, I watched and saw the broad shoulders of a man reaching for the gentle form of a woman, as she pulled thin covers over the small frames of two children, as they lifted theirs heads for a good night kiss. In that moment, I saw love amidst struggle, hope come from despair and Loyalty bred of trust. As the children lay in the arms of the night and the wind, Mother and Father held one another and watched as shadows passed, and dust and leaves did their dance. ‘Imagine the anguish, anguish of our babies sleeping in the park beneath the stars, with no home other than those found each night.’ Tears unseen and questions unanswered, the children know that this is not the way it should be as they watch other kids in new, clean clothes and cool shoes, thinking to themselves, ‘ The stares don’t matter, because mommy said they don’t and daddy promised things will get better.’ It’s Called Pain by Bridget Sapp It comes like a springtime rain, It’s called pain. As the day goes by, All I can do is think of you and cry. It’s called pain. Like Cupid’s famous art You captured my heart. You shattered and broke it, This I can not fix. It’s called pain. I wish I could find, A way to change your mind. God put us together, I thought it would haven forever. It’s called pain. Just like a sad song, I was so wrong. I thought what we had was real, But now it is cold and empty, is how I feel. It’s called pain. I talked with a friend on the phone, But yet I still feel Alone. It’s called pain. ‘Maybe my sister? No. ‘ ‘My aunt? How would we get them there?’ ‘My mother? She is too old.’ ‘Baby, I just don’t know.’ ‘Something has to happen, has to change, they deserve better than this. Baby, I know, we’ll figure something out tomorrow.’ Shutter Speed by Jimmy Heath One check away by James Chionsini twinkling stars cant keep you warm when your sleeping in the park till the break of dawn newspaper pillow and a plastic tarp watching for the pigs that come out after dark lost your job got jacked and robbed your landlord said that’s not my prob doctor bills kill you can’t afford the pills now you’re shaking heart breaking drink as much as you spill waiting on the first to quench your thirst alleviate the discomfort of an asphalt earth trying to find a shelter to get some rest but nowhere seems safe without a knife proof vest if you could just get back to square one start to heal the disease that’s got you on the run feeling invisible going insane scowls and nightsticks fall like rain The Streets of Buenos Aries, Argentina - 2005 Streetvibes Page 15 �569-9500 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) 324-2321 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 921-1131 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 Grace Place Catholic Worker House 681-2365 Tom Gieger Guest House 961-4555 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 Center for Respite Care 621-1868 Crossroad Health Center 381-2247 Emanuel Center 241-2563 Freestore/ 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 HOUSING: CMHA 977-5660 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Community Housing 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 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? Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 381--0111 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 946-7601 Healing Connections 751-0600 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 IJ & Peace Center 579-8547 Justice Watch 241-0490 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 Mercy Fransiscan at St John 981-5841 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 NAMI (Mental Health) 948-3094 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Oral Health Council 621-0248 Over-the-Rhine Soup Kitchen 961-1983 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect, Homeless Kids 363-1060 People Working Cooperatively 351-7921 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 Services United For Mothers 487-7862 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless Worker Center 621-5991 W omen Helping Women 872-9259 MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 10 Years in Publication! BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY September 2006 P y r to S r 1 e ov ge C a 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 September 2006 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Declare Peace Pg 2: New Jails, or Education? Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Pg 4: The Burglar Had A Key Pg 5: Former Homeless Men Offer Solutions Pg 6: Huge Shelter Shortage for Domestic Violence Victims Pg 7: Sprawled Out Pg 8: Earth: Love It or Lose It Pg 9: Violent Attacks on Kalamazoo Homeless Halted for Now Cincinnati Homeless Man Struck and Killed by City Bus Pg 10: Hobo 101 Pg 11: S.F.’s Homeless Aging on the Street Teens Attack Homeless Man Pg 12: Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Streetvibes Pg 13: Marching on in Montgomery 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 September 2006 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Monique Little Lynne Ausman Gina King Andy Freeze John Lavelle Melvin Williams Susan Smith Linda Pittman Berta Lambert Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Andy Freeze Arizona Berta Lambert Cincinnati City Bus domestic violence education Georgine Getty Gina King Governor Homeless News Digest Jails Jimmy Heath John Lavelle Kalamazoo Linda Pittman Lynne Ausman Melvin Williams Minimum Wage Monique Little Montgomery San Francisco Susan Smith Teens veterans West Palms https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/185c033b6fa2e1729c5353b12972535d.pdf 51512b77db42fb945254790463240fe0 PDF Text Text September 2005 STREETVIBES Day Laborer for a Day by John Lavelle photos by Jimmy Heath It’s 4:30 in the morning, and I’m cutting through Washington Park on my way up to the corner of Liberty and Elm. Most people up at this hour in Over-the-Rhine are not going for a morning jog, dressed in their monochromatic American Eagle sweatsuit with matching headband. I am no exception to the norm, sporting my finest blue jeans, flannel, and horribly mismatched brown plastic bag from Kroger. Like many homeless individuals in Cincinnati, I have gotten up this early to try to find work at one of the many temp agencies in the city, all for the purpose of better understanding what it is like to be homeless and have to work day labor. Day labor and temp agencies offer anyone who shows up to their labor halls a chance at performing unskilled labor for a daily check. The work is generally the dirtiest, most dangerous, most arduous, and most undesirable work there is. For a person experiencing homelessness, this is often the only option for solid work. Unfortunately, as one of the new civil rights advocates for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, I have heard I return at a quarter till noon to find a sizable group already numerous accounts of the civil rights and labor violations enacted by some huddled in the shade around the locked up labor hall. It’s the hottest day of these agencies. I figure that the next best thing to talking to day of the year so far, with the temperature in the middle nineties; I didn’t laborers is being one myself, if only for a day. So today I seek my fortune bring any water with me, and I’m really starting to worry about the fact at one of the most controversial labor halls: One Force/Labor Solutions. that there is no water fountain in the waiting area. I arrive at the labor hall a little after 4:30am and join the handful of A half-hour later two guys open up the place, and I repeat the people sitting on the curb by the building, waiting for the hall to be morning’s sign up routine. Another hour and a half of sitting and waiting opened. At 5:00am, a middle aged woman arrives and opens up the goes by before I notice one of the supervisors looking at me. “Hey place. We enter and put our names down on the sign in sheet, then sitting Archie, come here,” he says. “Let me see your ID.” I’ve been called a and waiting in what looks like seating ripped out of an old movie theater. lot of names in my day, but this is a first for “Archie.” I comply, showing The inside looks like a converted body shop, with two large him my driver’s license and waiting patiently. After a few minutes, he garage doors and a front counter that is six feet off the ground, placing the hands it back to me. “You wanna go to Crisco?” I have no clue what exactly he’s talking about, but I decide to play it cool: “Yeah, sure. I can supervisors in a significant position of power. There is no water fountain do that.” He pauses a second and responds simply, “Okay, we’ll see.” and the bathroom is locked up tight. I don’t inquire about a key. On the As I sit down, I can’t help but wonder why I, a new guy, was singled out back wall is a list of shelters and food pantries. The agency is obviously from the relatively large group of around thirty people. Racism is a aware that most of their workers are homeless. common complaint of day labor and temp agencies; I look around and Over the next hour and a half, more workers trickle in; many of notice that I am one of two white guys in the waiting area. them have return tickets from the day before, meaning that they are the Finally at 2:35pm, almost three hours after I arrived at the labor first picked for work. The rest of us are to be picked on a first-come­ hall, one of the supervisors calls out a list of names. Miraculously, my first-served basis, or so I think. Several buses come by around 6:15 and 6:30, and a list of names is called out for work assignments. Yours truly is name is called. We line up to go through the dispatch office, where we submit ourselves to a mandatory breathalyzer test and are given safety not called. The chosen ones are dispatched on the buses to their sites. equipment: a hard hat, safety By 7:00am, almost goggles, rubber steel-toed boots, everyone is gone from the waiting Kevlar gloves, and an orange vest. area, save those of us who had As I get on what very well shown up first at 4:30. When Jesus could have been the same school said that the last shall be first and bus I rode in elementary school, I the first shall be last, I don’t think realize that I hadn’t inquired as to that this was what he had in mind. where I was going. Day laborers I ask the lady in charge, and she are rarely told of their work says that there’s no more work; I assignments or how much they will should try back at noon for the next be paid; from what I understand, shift. asking doesn’t usually get you It is not uncommon for day much of an answer, anyway. laborers to wait two or three hours My answer comes when and not get any work. Those with the bus pulls into the Rumke return tickets get first crack at the Recyling Plant on Spring Grove ongoing jobs, and preferential Road in St. Bernard: I will be treatment seems to be the norm One of many Temp Labor operations in downtown Cincinnati picking through trash. We arrive among many labor hall supervisors. around 3:00pm and spend an hour in a dingy break room waiting for our Also, the word on the street is that One Force/Labor Solutions has been shift to start. There is a men’s and a women’s restroom – although both particularly dicey with their clients, so they’ve been losing contracts left and right. This means fewer jobs for those that show up. My morning has are flooded – as well as two water fountains. The city has declared a heat emergency, so I hydrate myself as best as possible. been wasted, and I am no closer to gaining work or a paycheck. I guess I’ll just come back at noon. “LABOR” Cont. on Page 8 Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless �Streetvibes Streetvibes, the Tri­ State’s alternative news source, is a newspaper written by, for, and about the homeless and contains relevant discussions of social justice, and poverty issues. It is published once a month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Becoming a Streetvibes Vendor is a great way for homeless and other low-income people to get back on (or stay on) their feet. Streetvibes Vendors are given an orientation and sign a code of conduct before being given a Streetvibes Vendor badge. Vendors are private contractors who DO NOT work for, or represent, the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homleess. All profits go directly to the vendor. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group of shelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homelessness in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. GCCH Staff Georgine Getty - Executive Director Allison Leeuw -Administrative Coordinator Monique Little - Education Coordinator Kelly Carr - VISTA Andy Lawrence - AHA Coordinator John Lavelle - VISTA Mary Gaffney - Reception Melvin Williams - Reception Susan Smith - Volunteer Streetvibes Jimmy Heath, Editor Photographer Jimmy Heath Cover Day labor office on Liberty and Race street, Over-the-Rhine 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 Connections by Monique Solanki Human equality is probably something most of us generally agree on. Many societies and religions are based on these principles. After all, irrespective of the age, sexual orientation, race, or socio-economic status of a person, we all share the same basic human qualities - we breathe air, eat food, and have dreams and feelings. Talk to most people and they will agree that all people are equal. But how many of us really abide by these principles? Many times, people forget this idea of equality. One place where this is perhaps most evident is by the way homeless people are alienated in our society. They are people with their own personalities and individuality, their own beliefs and likings, and yet they are so often looked upon as dirty and the scum of society. The truth is that most of us choose to ignore the very existence of homeless people instead of realizing that they could really use our help. How many people like to go out of their way to give extra change to a person who would consider those few coins a necessity? Who knows, those few quarters could buy a coffee. Better yet, a hash brown. A few quarters under the backseat of your car might mean nothing to you, but they could go a long way toward quenching someone’s thirst or feeding someone’s hunger. On a recent trip to San Francisco, I traveled with three big­ hearted people to prepare lunches and share them with the homeless. We used the lunches as an excuse to reach out to those in need - to hear their stories. One man we spoke with named Charles turned out to be a very interesting and wise person. We handed Charles a lunch and he accepted it thankfully, shifting his alcohol to hold onto his blankets and lunch, while standing in a green Billabong sweatshirt. Send your letters or comments to Streetvibes, 117 East 12th Street, Cincinnati Ohio 45202, or email to Streetvibes@juno.com Initially, he appeared skeptical with our questions. He seemed a little distrustful and a bit hesitant to answer, perhaps thinking there must certainly be some hidden motive behind this act of charity and friendliness. Soon, he let his guard down when we casually asked him, “What makes you happy?” The expression on his face seemed to say, “These people really do care.” What I realized when speaking with Charles is that homeless people are used to being ignored. They live life everyday being smirked at. To them, it’s just a fact of life and nothing more; but it obviously is hurtful. Probably as a homeless person, Charles, like so many others, is used to being treated with indifference; he is used to being stereotyped, ignored, objectified, and unseen. No one likes to be looked at as an unwanted being, but social differences have a way of highlighting it repeatedly. At first, Charles said nothing makes him happy- a knee-jerk pessimistic reaction I thought. Perhaps he was being a little cautious about opening himself up to strangers. As our conversation with him began to take on a more friendly demeanor, he changed his mind and said, “God makes me happy, because God gives knowledge.” After maybe 20 or 30 minutes of chatting, it occurred to me that Charles was not just some man on the street. He wasn’t just some bum. He was both an artist and a clever, insightful man. Just as some of us have hobbies, like collecting or playing basketball, Charles has his own hobby, or more so, a gift. He passionately spoke to us about his drawing and sketching skills. However his deteriorating eyesight prevented him from pursuing his ardor. He told us how he spent time with learned artists - guys that went to college and studied art in depth. But they all admitted their art didn’t come When someone steals another’s clothes, we call them a thief. Should we not give the same name to one who could clothe the naked and does not? The bread in your cupboard belongs to the hungry; the coat unused in your closet belongs to the one who needs it; the shoes rotting in your closet belong to the one who has no shoes; the money which you hoard up belongs to the poor. Basil the Great close to the art of Charles. “They drew from the head; they’d draw what they see,” he said; “My art comes from the heart.” When we asked him where his art was, he told us it was in a gallery and said that his drawings would “blow you away;” drawings of slaves, children, and themes of prisons. They even amaze him. He can’t believe that he had created pieces so moving. Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to check out the gallery. He told us more about his artistic abilities and at one point he added that he only drew when he was on drugs. We asked him if he had tried drawing without the influence of drugs, and he shook his head saying that he was “too distracted with the stuff on the streets to draw well.” It generally takes some kind of an incident, meeting, or event to take place before a person really understands equality. When the subject is brought up, many people think of race or sex; but rarely do they think of status, when really that’s one of the most important issues, especially in big cities like San Francisco. Luckily for those on the streets, San Francisco is at least a little more accommodative toward the homeless in contrast to Beverley Hills, which shuns homelessness. Not everyone has reached that understanding, and frankly, many people probably won’t. But it just takes a small amount of people to make a difference in someone’s life. Charles was probably relieved, if not happy, that regular people took the time to talk to him, shake his hand, and listen to him (as well as offer him lunch). This experience was not just about giving out lunches, but also about understanding another person on a personal and equal level. Don’t be Squirrelly! Buy Streetvibes! Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression of the views and opinions of our readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Streetvibes �Homeless News Digest Compiled by Jimmy Heath According to recent news from Washington DC, that “vagrant” in the subway may not really be a homeless person. The government says he may be a terrorist in disguise. An e-mail message from the U-S Attorney’s Office in Washington warns that some terrorists may be posing as street people to conduct surveillance of buildings and mass transit stations for future attacks. The e-mail stresses that there is no known threat of an attack. However, the message says homeless people tend to go unnoticed, particularly in mass transit systems. Police, fire and emergency personnel are advised to be aware of any vagrants who look unfamiliar or out of place — in a recent case in Somerville, Massachusetts, a police officer in became suspicious about someone dressed as a street person and discovered a passport from the Middle East or South Asia and a checkbook with a questionable address. McMahon, Community Human Services’ outreach coordinator. In Williamsburg, VA, from January to May, 85 homeless people asked Williamsburg-area organizations for help finding a place to stay, according to a census released last month by the Salvation Army’s Williamsburg chapter. That doesn’t include women and children who may have stayed at the battered women’s shelter Avalon, said Salvation Army Capt. Greg Shannon. He is working with United Way of Greater Williamsburg and Avalon to compare records of people requesting help, which may raise the total number of homeless people, he said. Of the 85 people already counted, more than a third - 34 ­ were single males. Children age 18 and younger accounted for the nexthighest number, 32. There were 19 adults with children and 17 single women who requested help, according to the census. Indianapolis police last month were investigating the Eastside shooting death of a Community leaders homeless man. concerned about the number of Andre White, 45, was homeless people on Pittsburgh pronounced dead last month at streets are urging the city to Wishard Memorial Hospital. Police establish an “engagement said White was one of several people center,” a concept that has who were fighting about in the 3300 reduced homelessness in Philadelphia, Columbus, Ohio, and block of East Michigan Street. other cities. Police in Muskegon are The engagement center, investigating the death of a where homeless people could be homeless man. housed and receive medical care, The man’s body was found social services and other assistance, last month, behind a shed in the 900 is proposed as part of Allegheny block of Spring Street, in Grand County’s 10-year plan for ending Rapids, Michigan. chronic homelessness. Police say 48 year-old Homeless shelters already Wilmer Martin had several injuries, exist, of course, but those shelters which lead them to believe he was don’t address all of the needs of killed, though they won’t be sure until street people. an autopsy is completed. Many homeless people, especially those who have mental In Long Beach, CA illnesses or abuse alcohol or drugs, downtown business owners want avoid staying in the shelters, feeling police to do something about the they are unsafe or have too many rules, said Bill McBride, an outreach homeless population. “I’m frustrated,” said Dr. case manager for Community Human Erwin Burke, who runs a chiropractic Services, an Oakland social service office on Central Avenue. agency. “We’ve been begging and Besides developing the pleading for 10 years and nothing center, advocates hope to move homeless people quickly into housing, happened,” he said. “It affects my with appropriate case management or business.” Burke voiced his concerns other services. They also want to during a Downtown Business improve coordination of outreach teams and compile better data about Improvement Area meeting at the Tracy Community Center. people living on the street, said Mac Joining Burke in his cry for help were other merchants who said that homeless people hanging around town scare away their customers. “We have merchants that have been dealing with it for years,” said Shawn Perry, manager of The Great Plate Bar & Grill on Central Avenue. “It’s doubled, if not quadrupled, in seven years.” Some DTBIA members said that homeless people should be arrested for loitering, but city officials disagree. “Standing around a half-hour talking isn’t loitering,” said Ellen Gripp, city housing and redevelopment manager. She said a person would have to be committing another crime, such as drinking in public or panhandling, to get arrested. Some merchants were upset that representatives from the Tracy Police Department, who had been invited, did not attend the meeting. In a later interview, Police Capt. Mike Maciel agreed with Gripp. “There are homeless people downtown,” said Maciel. “Is there a homeless crime problem? No. “They’re not accosting people. We can’t attribute thefts or vandalism to them. The crime may be drinking in public at times or perhaps trespassing.” Maciel said police would beef up their downtown presence. “We can and will step up activities and have the (Volunteers In Police Service) go down there more frequently,” he said. Gripp admitted that the problem would not be resolved overnight, but she said the merchants were taking their first steps toward a resolution. Jim Decker, downtown revitalization coordinator for the city, told the attendees to work with code enforcement and police. Decker said he’s found from talking to homeless people downtown that many enjoy their lifestyle of drugs and alcohol and being on the streets. Many of those who call the streets and alleyways of downtown their home are often seen hanging around the outside of Westside Market on Central Avenue. The store has become a gathering place for the homeless and a popular place to purchase alcohol. “The issue is not the people, it’s the lifestyle,” Decker said. “They need to know the lifestyle is not acceptable downtown.” Homeless people could not be found downtown an hour after the early-morning meeting. However, on Grant Line Road near the shopping centers, a homeless man was holding a sign that read ‘Please Help! Homeless & Hungry. Willing to Work!’ Streetvibes Michael, a 36-year-old former auto mechanic, said that although he spends his day standing at the street exit of Wal-Mart holding a sign asking for money, he would rather be working. “The majority that do this are on drugs and alcohol,” he said. “I’ve got friends like that… but I don’t drink. I don’t use dope.” Michael, who has worked off and on the last three years, said he once earned $38 an hour. Now he lives on handouts from passing motorists. In Atlanta last month about 200 people crowded into a City Council meeting on a proposed panhandling ban after homeless people and dozens of their advocates spent the night on the steps of City Hall to show their opposition. Lisa Borders, the City Council president, had to shush the crowd to start several hours of public comment on a resolution that would make it illegal to beg for money near downtown hotels or tourist sites. Among the first to speak was Elisabeth Omilami, who spent the night outside She pleaded tearfully for the council not to pass the ban. ‘’The ability to ask for alms is a Godgiven ability. You can pass laws to protect trees, but what about human beings? God help us!” Omilami said. Although there were some supporters of the ban, most of those who attended the hearing were from groups of activists for the homeless and civil rights organizations who appeared at previous meetings to oppose the measure. A vote on the proposal was delayed last month after a contentious meeting that included shouting matches and hissing from critics. The council was to debate the issue later yesterday, but it was unclear when the panel would vote on it. William Fox, 57, who is homeless, said before the session began that he never panhandled, but that ‘’forcing people not to panhandle is taking away their rights. It’s not American.” Downtown business owners say aggressive beggars are keeping people away from the central business district. Last month, Home Depot cofounder Bernie Marcus, who is bankrolling the $200 million Georgia Aquarium being built downtown, threw his support behind the ban, saying the success of the attraction depends on it. But advocates for the homeless are instead pushing for affordable housing and a living wage for the city’s homeless population, saying people who cannot care for themselves have a right to ask for charity and should not be criminalized. Page 3 �Youths sought in beating of homeless man Show your support! Get your STREETVIBES T-Shirt Today! (Back shown here. Shirt not actual size) 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 by Christine McConville, Police have launched a search for a group of youths who, they say, beat and seriously injured a homeless man last month in South Boston. ‘’We don’t know who did this,” said Lyndia Downie, executive director of the Pine Street Inn, the shelter in the South End. ‘’But until these people are found, we want people to be especially careful,” Downie said. The injured man, whom police would not identify because he was a victim of a violent crime, was taken to Boston Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. He was upgraded to serious condition, said Officer Michael McCarthy of the Boston Police Department. Word of the assault spread quickly among the homeless, who have been on alert after several recent beating deaths in the community. A 32-year-old homeless man who was outside the Pine Street Inn said violence is a fact of life among the homeless. Downie agreed. ‘’It’s a violent life on the streets,” she said. As police searched for the attackers, officers said that one of the city’s most violent homeless men, Dennis Connolly, was probably not involved. Connolly is known as ‘’The Stomper” by police and the homeless because of his alcohol-fueled assaults. ‘’There’s no connection,” McCarthy said. Connolly has spent most of the past year behind bars. He went to jail in October after Kenny Kane, 48 and homeless, was savagely beaten in a public alley between Newbury Street and Commonwealth Avenue. Kane died from his injuries, but police were able to gather only enough evidence to charge Connolly with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, his foot. Connolly was jailed until late July, when he pleaded guilty to that charge in Boston Municipal Court. Prosecutors requested a 2 1/2-year sentence, but the judge sentenced Connolly to nine months, the time he had spent in jail waiting for his trial. He was set free. A few weeks later, on Aug 13, Steven Neiber, another homeless man, was found dead outside St. Anthony’s Shrine in downtown Boston.. McCarthy said police have not established any link between Neiber’s death and Connolly, but they are still investigating. �wish I had known more and had realized that I was no different than has always been what I wanted to the person before me. In college, I do, but my time working at the gained more exposure to Coalition has only reinforced my homelessness and learned more passion for social justice and my about the realities of homelessness. It desire to use a law degree to work was this that led me to a year of against injustice. service and the Coalition. This year My time at the at the Coalition Coalition has allowed has been one of me to talk and interact the most with a wide variety of enlightening and people on a daily interesting years basis. Our afternoon of my life so far. receptionist, Melvin, I lived in a pretty might refer to me as homogenous “Quiet,” but I’ve had suburb between plenty of Cleveland and conversations in the Akron for most Kate McManus office, out in of my life. I say Washington Park, and it was homogenous because almost everywhere in between with many everyone who lived there was white individuals. Through research, and upper middle to upper class. I discussions, and these conversations, had very little exposure to poverty or I have learned about myself, homelessness. In the limited homelessness, major issues homeless instances when I did encounter individuals face on a daily basis, the homeless individuals, I was so politics of Cincinnati, and all the ignorant about homelessness that agencies and individuals who work unfortunately, I probably tried to hard every day to help the homeless ignore the situation. Looking back, I and low-income individuals in It’s Time to Say Goodbye by Kate McManus When I signed up for my year of service through AmeriCorps, I remember thinking, “A whole year… I’m going to be in Cincinnati for a long time and I’m going to learn and accomplish so much while I’m there.” Well, I was right about learning and accomplishing a lot, but a year ended up not being much time at all. I cannot believe that a year has passed so quickly. I feel like I’ve only been at the Coalition for a couple months at the most. But unfortunately, it has been my time at the Coalition has come to an end. I’ll be starting orientation for law school at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law a mere three days after my final day at the Coalition. Over the next three years, as I continue my education, I hope to continue volunteering in one of the shelters in Cleveland or doing pro bono legal work. My eventual goal is to focus on public interest and civil rights in my career as a lawyer. This Adieu their current situation, they would demand and expect nothing less than the utmost respect, as they should. by Rachel Lawson Unfortunately, just because “sometimes/when i wake up/in the morning/and see all the faces/i just you demand to be treated the same as others, does not mean that the rest can’t/breathe” (*Nikki Giovanni). of society feels the same way. I A year ago, I entered the learned how hard it is to receive a doors of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, unaware job, even if you only have a felony and you served your time 20 years that I would meet individuals who would not only change my outlook on prior. To the rest of the world, my own life, but change my housing proprieties, and job sites, that perspective of Cincinnati politics, felony is all that matters. I suburbanites, drug learned that even if you dealers, case once owned multiple managers, etc. houses and cars legally, if To sum it up, you have a drug addiction I received a reality that disables you, the rest check. From the of the world is not silent warriors at the sympathetic to whom you Drop Inn Center to once were. the individuals under Rachel Lawson Fortunately, I had my the bridge who are share of positive and reassuring quite content to hang out under the stories that encouraged me, even on clear sky, one cannot help but to respect and understand that there is a the most depressing days. Such as world most Cincinnatians’ have never the elderly gentleman that was barred from every shelter, who one winter heard or even thought of. day basically ran to the welcoming It’s very easy to lump arms of the PATH Team and is now homelessness into one ugly category sitting watching television in his own and avoid eye contact with the apartment. panhandler in Clifton or call up your Then there is the loyal local shelter because you want redhead who encountered major someone to come and pick up the fumbles throughout her life but who is items you’ve deemed worthy of now standing strong and determined donation. It’s extremely difficult to look to reach almost two years of sobriety. In a way the individuals that I individuals directly in their face, and have encountered have been role empathize with their situation, and at the same time, provide a voice to the models for me, teaching me patience and determination. voiceless. The most education I Threw these experiences I learned while working at the have gained an even greater Homeless Coalition came from the appreciation for those that have not individuals who took the time to sit and a regret for those that have. To down and let me enter their worlds have sometimes means that you don’t with the understanding that despite understand “why everyone doesn’t just get a job” or that you assume all panhandlers are homeless. I wouldn’t trade this year and the experiences I have had for the world. Even on the days that I stood in Washington Park and it seemed that the only guarantee in some individuals’ lives was homelessness, I learned to “breathe” and think that if that appeared to be the only guarantee, I would simply have to ignore that and look for another option. Streetvibes Cincinnati. It’s been a lot to absorb, even over a whole year, but I’m so grateful to everyone who has taken the time to talk to me or explained something that was going on in the City. And I know it’s cheesy, but I just want to let everyone know that this past year has meant so much to me and I’ve learned so much from all of you. Keep fighting the good fight and I know you will accomplish so much. I’ll work hard in law school so I can rejoin the fight stronger than ever. Thank you all for everything and I hope I’ll see you all in the future. To the rest of the Firecats: You guys are great and I’m so glad you let me join up and use my superpowers for good rather than evil. I’ll miss you and all the good times, big projects, heated discussions about blogs and Council, and, yes, even fundraising Wednesdays. Keep on keeping on and don’t forget to keep me in the loop about what’s going on in Cincinnati and with all of you. And one final thing – Extreme HoCo: It goes there… (Although the purpose of this article is to say “goodbye”, I will be starting graduate school at the University of Cincinnati, so I will be basically right around the corner and I look forward to seeing and hearing from everyone in the future.) * For further information about Nikki Giovanni or to read more of her writings please visit http:// members.tripod.com/~Raincloud771/ htm/nikki.htm. Page 5 �Our City’s Janitors Deserve Respect Cincinnati Financial Corporation: Tell Jancoa to respect janitors As support grows for Justice for Janitors throughout Cincinnati with janitors and the community, one janitorial contractor remains opposed to change Jancoa Inc. Recently, Jancoa Inc has gone as far as replacing 18 janitors at Cincinnati Financial Corporation because they participated in a delegation and a legal unfair labor practices protest. Jancoa’s actions are not isolated. Throughout the year, Jancoa has faced: 4 pending Unfair Labor Practices charges under the National Labor Relations Board for firing union activists, threatening newly hired employees who participate in Justice for Janitors, not permitting a female janitor active in the campaign to return to work from her maternity leave, and threatening to change workers into independent contractors in a effort to skirt labor & safety regulations. 6 Department of Labor charges for failure to pay overtime $5,000 in OSHA safety fines Says Marisol Morales, a janitor at CinFin for three years, “I’ve been proud to clean the Cincinnati Financial Corporation building. All I want is to be treated with respect, like a human being. But Jancoa would not do that and when we spoke out, they kicked everyone out. This is the real Jancoa. This is why Justice for Janitors is so needed.” Cincinnati should not be a place where people are punished for exercising their rights. Get active and urge Cincinnati Financial Corporation to address Jancoa’s actions. Visit http:// www.cincijanitors.org and learn about The Problem with Jancoa. Fast-Food Chains More Common Around Schools Do Fast-Food Chains Cluster Around Schools?” A Harvard School of Public Health study of 2002 data on 613 fast-food restaurants and 1,292 public and private schools in Chicago showed that nearly 80 percent of the city’s schools had at least one fast-food restaurant within a half mile of them. The number of fast-food outlets less than a mile from schools was at least three times what would be expected from a random distribution of fast-food restaurants. Previous research has shown that on a typical day, about one third of young Americans eat fast food, consuming more calories, fats and The End of Summer Brings Hope by Ms. Mary Gaffney And to the people who Greetings to my homeless purchase the paper each month friends and especially to the patrons from our vendors, thank you and who purchase papers from our may God forever bless you. Streetvibes vendors each month. Without you the paper would not I hope you have exist and my friends had a happy and would be deprived of blessed summer with the financial help they vacations and family. receive as a vendor. To my homeless As it was said, “the friends and vendors of birds have their nests, Streetvibes, I know that the fox has its den, you are doing the best but the son of man Miss Mary Gaffney has no place to lay his that you can. And as the leafs begin to fall head.” and the squirrels begin to prepare Remember, God loves you for their winter homes, my prayers regardless of your condition the each day are for my friends. problems you may have had in your There are only three months life or what you are now going left to the year! through. Don’t give up; the sun is coming up over the hill. Money read and are interested in by Linda Corey Streetvibes. God bless the vendors Money isn’t everything. I of Streetvibes, the editor and all of have no money, but I am still happy. the readers and writers. I have money to pay my bills and the dollar does not go very far. The bible says that money is the root of all evil. I remember holding a sign and being homeless; money was very hard to get. I now sell Streetvibes. I have met a lot of people who have Linda Corey 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 Page 6 sugars than when they do not eat fast food. McDonald’s Corp. spokesman Walt Riker said McDonald’s locates its restaurants “in high-traffic areas like every other business, to serve customers. It has nothing to do with schools.” The study was published in the American Journal of Public Health. http://msnbc.msn.com/id/ 9053465/ Harry’s Story Harry was 19 years old and seemed to have it all. He was a commodities clerk for an internationally-known financial services provider. He rubbed shoulders with high-level traders on Wall Street. The generous pay helped fund Harry’s college education. Then some of Harry’s friends started cutting classes to drink. Drinking soon led to smoking pot. When a downturn in the stock market caused Harry’s job to be eliminated, he started taking more and increasingly powerful drugs to escape his disappointment. “I can’t explain it because I have a good family, I’m somewhat educated and I’m a man of reason.” Harry said. “I had a tough battle to come to terms with the fact that I was out of control.” Harry ended up working for the New York City Human Resources Administration in the shelter system. When his drug habit became too powerful to manage, he entered a residential treatment program in Harlem. But he left after six months to move in with a woman he met there. They found an apartment and she continued to get high, while Harry struggled to stay clean. “We really didn’t know who God was. We just wanted to do things on our own,” Harry said. “Out of white-knuckling it, I stayed sober for a year and eight months.” Then he succumbed to temptation and started getting high again. “It came to the point where God Streetvibes 20 YEARS SERVING THE NEIGHBORHOOD Empowering our neighborhood children through peace, art and education Peaslee Neighborhood Center 215 East 14th Street Over-the-Rhine Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 (513) 621-5514 allowed me to go down so I could humble myself so I could really hear Him,” Harry said. “So I started getting high and I eventually lost everything.” Harry ended up living in the city shelters while he was also working there. “There’s no real help there,” Harry concluded. “They’ll let you fend for yourself.” At some of the shelters, he said, there are 1,200 beds on a single floor. It’s crowded, noisy and the homeless are treated like numbers, not humans. Through the city shelter system, Harry found out about The Bowery Mission Transitional Center on Avenue D. He entered the residential program there but found out he wasn’t ready yet. Harry started taking drugs again and was eventually asked to leave the program. But he couldn’t forget a conversation he had with a staff security person there. Finally Harry concluded, “I need God. There’s no other way of doing it. I’ve tried everything else.” When he surrendered himself to God, Harry decided to go to The Bowery Mission, where he knew he could tackle the root of his problem, which was spiritual. “The drugs and alcohol were just manifestations of the deeper problems that I had,” he said. His long-range goal is to combine his management and counseling experience to find a job. But he wants to make sure he has a solid foundation before he makes a decision about a career. “I need God. There’s no other way of doing it,” Harry said. “There’s no other way. I’ve tried everything else.” �Know Your Rights Brochure Available! Over-the-Rhine resident Berta Lambert (left) and fellow protester from Australia. Both traveled a nuclear protest walk from Oak Ridge TN to New York City. (750 Miles plus) 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. Healthier School Lunches Compete with Junk Food in School Vending in à la carte lines, with baked goods, services division for the Vista Machines and Stores Health Movement Has School Cafeterias in a Food Fight Chicago is one of many school districts that started replacing high calorie foods and drinks in vending machines and cafeteria à la carte lines. Washington, D.C. students will see good-for-you foods in vending machines for the first time this fall. But other schools still offer sugar-loaded vending in addition to cookies and candy sold at school stores by school fundraising groups. A Pennsylvania State University study of 228 schoolfood service directors in that state showed that high school students are surrounded by fattening and sugary foods, and not just from vending machines. The study found hamburgers, pizzas, and sandwiches to be the most popular french fries, and salty snacks close to the top as well. Some school administrators fear losing income from vending machines that supports many students’ activities. However, when Philadelphia schools instituted a nosoda policy in July 2004, it hardly affected revenues from vending, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools received an increase of $400,000 by selling water, milk, juices, and healthier snacks. Enid Hohn, director of the nutrition Unified School District in San Diego County, says “it is ridiculous” that she serves healthy food in the school lunch program and 10 feet away the school is selling unhealthy food. But she forecasts that in 10 years schools will look back and say: “Can you believe we used to sell that junk to our students?” http://www.usatoday.com/news/ health/2005-08-21-junk-food­ cover_x.htm 1,100 Affordable Housing Units Created in Boston by Jill Furumoto In Boston, nearly 1,100 units of affordable housing have been produced since the city began its second major housing initiative two years ago, according to a City Hall report. More than $13.9 million had also been raised for new affordable housing developments. The initiative, Leading the Way II, aims to preserve 2,100 units of affordable housing and raise $25 million by June 2007. Around 1,400 families and individuals who were homeless or at risk of becoming homeless have also been housed. “The Leading the Way II strategy is so important because we need to continue to address the cities housing needs by building more housing and preserving what we have,” Mayor Thomas Menino said in a statement. “We need to keep moving forward so that working families, the elderly and other residents have access to housing they can afford.” According to the report, 5,400 total units of housing had been permitted as of June 30, putting the city over 400 units ahead of schedule to meet its 10,000-unit target in two years. A prior plan, also named Leading the Way, permitted 7,900 units of housing over three years. “[The program is] not just about creation and preservation; it’s also keeping people in their homes and working to steer people away from predatory loans so they can keep their homes,” said DeWayne Lehman, spokesperson for the city’s Department of Neighborhood Development (DND). Leading the Way II followed the original housing strategy put forth by the mayor in 2000. The first plan called for the city’s housing agencies – including DND, the Boston Housing Authority and the Department of Inspectional Services – to create the new housing and increase the supply of affordable housing. Following the plan’s completion, the second was launched in 2003. “This is the first time the city has set very clear plans and goals to work on housing issues,” Lehman said. “The [first] Leading the Way plan was the mayor’s way of keeping the agency focused on the goal of housing. The second one was launched to keep that focus. It is a motivator to keep everyone’s nose to the grindstone. You won’t see this kind of work in a lot of other cities.” Despite the achievements of Menino’s plans, some advocates for the homeless state that recent federal cutbacks have worsened the housing situation in Boston. “The problem with subsidized housing is that there is not enough of it,” Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless Associate Director Leslie Lawrence said. “There is a need for more federal funding for public housing, which serves the lowestincome people.” According to other advocates, there are no easy solutions. Boston Housing Authority spokesperson Lydia Agro said in an interview that “the subsidized housing system is a very complicated system. There are many types of housing that receive funding from different sources. The federal funds for Streetvibes Section 8 vouchers are frozen, and it looks like they will not be re-instated in the foreseeable future.” The waiting list for public housing re-opened on July 11 and will remained open until July 29,” Agro added. “During this time, all names [were ] put into a pool and a random lottery will determine their placement on a waiting list.” There are many different eligibility requirements and prioritizing factors that determine where someone is placed on a list. Meanwhile, in an interview with Boston’s Spare Change Street newspaper, a Section 8 recipient who wished to remain anonymous said his wait for housing was too long. “I am an elderly and disabled individual, and I eventually connected with the HomeStart agency, which helped me find housing,” the person said. “The wait was long, but I am happy to have a place to live and no longer be homeless.” Reprinted from Spare Change News. © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org Page 7 �“LABOR” Cont. from Page 1 By the time our shift starts at 4:00pm, I have waited well over four hours for the opportunity to be on the clock. I am assigned to the paper line with Tasha (her name changed for this article), where I stand beside a conveyer belt, picking out cans, bottles, plastic bags, and foreign objects from the tons of paper products that drift by. The work is dirty and smelly, despite the gloves and the industrial fans at our station. Mounds of cardboard caked in mud and Godonly-knows-what are the most prominent hazard, along with broken glass bottles and heaps of unused Arby’s coupons. After two hours of work on the paper line, I’m starting to feel a little faint, not so much from the odiferous fumes of wet, decomposing paper products so much as from dehydration. The work is not incredibly taxing, but the hot and humid weather has left me sweating buckets. To my relief, we take a break a little after 6:00pm. All the workers congregate in the break room, where we are given free bottles of Gatorade by the Rumke staff. I load up on Gatorade and water before we resume work after a fifteen minute rest. Once back on the line, we get barraged by a particularly nasty load, leaving my arms coated with a fine, black layer of dirt, dust, and glass particles. Tasha and I converse a bit, and I learn that she has worked temp labor at Rumke on and off for six years; for that reason she is often put in charge of new workers and special projects. That doesn’t sound like temporary work to me. Interestingly enough, we spend much of our time working alongside permanent employees of Rumke. The day and temp laborers, however, do not enjoy their higher wages and health benefits, despite the fact that they often engage in the same work. While sweeping up before the shift ends at 9:00pm, a few of the workers ask me if I plan on coming back tomorrow. I say, “We’ll see,” knowing full well that I’ll resume my normal day-to-day projects with the Coalition come morning. They just laugh and remark, “Yeah, we know what that means.” I feel the privilege that I was born with burn inside of me. It hurts more than usual as we file out at 9:00pm. The bus is surprisingly on time – definitely not the norm from the comments of those around me – and we make our way back to Over-the-Rhine as the sun disappears. Checks are distributed during the ride, causing spirits to lift a little. “Man oh man,” remarks a guy sitting next to me, “that break was one for the record books.” I ask him: “Why’s that? With the free Gatorade and all?” “No,” he replies, “we ain’t never got no break before.” I get back to my apartment a little before 10:00pm, exhausted and dirty. I’m the last one off the bus, except for a guy who is continuing to the One Force/Labor Solutions Covington office to work the third shift. I had been at “work” for ten hours, but only engaged in five official hours of paid labor. Such is the nature of day and temp labor. For my efforts, I was paid $32.50, or $6.50 an hour – not bad by day labor standards. Minus $3.17 for taxes – I kept as much as I could for myself – puts me at $29.33. But here’s the kicker: they take out $5.00 to pay for my transportation to and from the work site. That docks me down to my final paycheck total of $24.33 for five hours of labor (in which I invested five additional hours just to have the “opportunity” to work). But wait, there’s more! It is One Force/Labor Solutions policy to deduct for safety equipment rental that should have cost me an additional $3-4. For some reason I wasn’t charged, perhaps because one of the supervisors liked me or felt bad about calling me “Archie.” I should also factor in the fact that most day and temp laborers do not have bank accounts and must cash their checks at places that charge at least a dollar or two. Many labor halls cash checks, but charge outrageous fees. It is also not uncommon for labor agencies to provide a lunch to workers and charge – again, sometimes OVERcharge – for that meal. Realistically, my final pay could have just as easily been well below $20. That’s for ten hours of my time, not including the time I had spent fruitlessly waiting for work in the early morning. Many of these pay deductions, conditions, and overall practices are illegal in some states. Legal or illegal, they still prey on vulnerable populations and expedite the cycles of poverty and homelessness. These types of work with these types of conditions and these types of wages are not a sustainable way of living. No one can support themselves, let alone a family, on so little money for so much time and effort. And even if there was enough affordable housing in Cincinnati – there is a severe shortage in Cincinnati and Hamilton 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 Page 8 Streetvibes County – working day and temp labor would not even pay for it. The time has come to change this. Stay tuned. Keep your eyes on future Streetvibes for more information and developments on day and temp labor, as well as how anyone can take action. Interested in getting involved in improving day and temp labor conditions? Do you work day labor and wish to file a grievance or help organize? Contact the Cincinnati Fair Day Labor Advocates: Don Sherman @ Cincinnati Interfaith Center for Worker Justice (513)621-4336 or John Lavelle @ GCCH (513)421­ 7803. �y gn b enport i s e v D a Da i n o T 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 �Our first effort is focused on September 11. Many students can remember where they were on that sad day. by Steve Sunderland This year, an interfaith The summer is rapidly group, Jewish, Catholic, expanding to its last few days. I hope Moslem, Unitarian you have had a chance to recharge faiths, will be holding a your batteries. I am still savoring special meeting to each day and feeling that just a little discuss what we can do longer is necessary. to “build bridges of The Peace Village enters hope and another year with you. I am so understanding” in the Dr. Steve Sunderland pleased to be continuing to offer wake of September 11 peace programs that open doors for and all that has mosque to UC, with stops at religious our community. I expect that my happened. On September 10th, institutions and the fire house along move to the College of Education will Saturday, we will be meeting at the the way. add some joy to our work. This year Clifton mosque for a discussion at It would be great for you and the Peace Village continues to work 7pm and then moving to the Clifton your students to attend any and all of on “Peace and Hunger” programs, United Methodist Church for a these events. There is no charge; you “Interfaith understanding” programs continuation of our discussion, can stay as long as you like, and you and on tsunami relief efforts in 8:30pm-10pm. Then, On Sunday, can call me at 513.919.2538 for any Indonesia. I am open to work with September 11, starting at 1pm at the questions. We expect to have all of you on these and related Clifton mosque, we will be having our university students and faculty as well programs. third annual Peace Walk from the as others interested in thinking about The Peace Village and healing from the legacy of September 11. I am working on the final details of a Peace Certificate program for students and faculty involved in service education and reflection activities. I will be back to you with the final version later this Summer. I look forward to seeing you in this important year of peace and justice. In peace and 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. FRAC Food and Hunger Report Food Stamp Ban for Certain ExOffenders Contribute to Recidivism (“US Churches Try to Help Exprisoners Stay Straight,” alertnet.org, August 8, 2005) According to the Department of Justice, of the 600,000 Americans released from prison each year, two-thirds return to confinement within three years after their release, which costs the country billions of dollars. Supported by President Bush and federal dollars, state and local authorities have increasingly relied on churches in dealing with this problem. One Washington, DC faithbased program for former prisoners has not yet resulted in decreasing recidivism. Other factors make it even harder for ex-felons to stay out of trouble than in previous years. For instance, the 1996 welfare law banned anyone convicted for buying or selling drugs from receiving food stamps or cash assistance for life. Tania’s story As far back as I can remember, I wanted to leave home. Eventually, I left when I was 14. Ever since then I have looked after myself and paid my own way. I am determined my baby son will have a better start than that. For the past six years, since I was 19, I have had sole custody of my sister, who was eight when she came to live with me. Often looking after her has been tough in many ways - including financially. When I contacted Hanover, I Page 10 In Indiana an Editorial Says Cuts in Number of Social Service Sites Will Hurt LowIncome People (“Don’t Sacrifice Service,” southbendtribune.com, August 7, 2005) Indiana FSSA Secretary Mitch Roob plans to reduce the number of state employees working at Medicaid, food stamps and cash welfare application centers from 2,500 to 500 and keep open between 18 and 40 centers out of an existing 107. The Secretary reasons that regional FSSA offices will be supplemented by intake processors at health care clinics and other service providers. This editorial says that Roob’s plans might harm low-income people. “The neediest people . . . are the ones with the greatest mobility limitations. . . . [For food stamps,] it will be accessibility rather than eligibility that determines whether some people get needed nutritional help.” While supporting measures to improve social service efficiency, the paper says accessibility to help had just moved back to Melbourne and was staying with my sister and her three children. Two families living in a small house was really difficult and I knew I had to move, but I had no idea where to go. Luckily, Hanover helped me move into a transitional house and I am now on the waiting list for an Office of Housing property. It is a relief to know that when I get stuck the staff at Hanover will always help me. For instance, when I first moved into this house I had no money and my case for those in needs must not be sacrificed. In the District of Columbia Combined Application for Medicaid, Food Stamps, and Cash Assistance Offered (“DHS Streamlines Eligibility for Medical, Food, and Cash Assistance,” dchunger.org, August 5, 2005) The Department of Human Services released a new, simplified “Combined Application for Medical, Food Stamp, and Cash Assistance” to make it easier and faster for Washington, DC residents to apply for these services. The new application is available in English and Spanish, with the cover page also featuring messages in Amharic, Chinese, and Vietnamese. The new form also grants DC residents the right to self-declare bank assets less than $1000 instead of imposing a requirement to obtain a bank statement, for which banks charge a fee. Here in Ohio, School Uniforms and Supplies Too Costly for practitioner, Louise, gave me money so I could buy food. Another time, when I urgently needed clothes, Louise organized a small loan for me, which I have now paid back. Hanover was also really helpful with my sister. They paid for some of her school textbooks, which I couldn’t afford, and another time they helped with some transport costs for her. I don’t think she would still be at school if Hanover hadn’t helped. I have always hated to ask for help, but at the moment there is just no other way. Streetvibes Students (“Basic School Supplies too Costly for Many Northeast Ohio Students,” cleveland.com, August 7, 2005) Some Ohio kids will go back to school in designer clothes and with new laptops, but not the children of Northeast Ohio parents who live at or near the poverty line. Shoes and Clothes for Kids, a local nonprofit that helps disadvantaged families with school supplies and uniforms, reports that they have never received so many requests for aid. Nancy Stroman of East Cleveland Neighborhood Center says, “I have families with both parents working and they’re still struggling.” Families who don’t get aid may end up going without new uniforms, and their children risk being suspended for not adhering to the dress code. Prepared by Food Research and Action Center, 1875 Conn. Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009; 202-986-2200; www.frac.org Let us plant dates even though those who plant them will never eat them. We must live by the love of what we will never see. This is the secret discipline. It is a refusal to let the creative act be dissolved away in immediate sense experience, and a stubborn commitment to the future of our grandchildren. Such disciplined love is what has given prophets, revolutionaries, and saints the courage to die for the future they envisaged . They make their own bodies the seed of their highest hope. Ruben Alves, Tomorrow’s Child �Speaking Truth to Roberts absolute right to do so. The belief line on critical votes. But if they that a president can do whatever he by Paul Rogat Loeb really demanded moderate chooses links this nomination, the From the moment the John appointments, or stood firm against Downing Street Memo and Roberts nomination was the “nuclear option” power grab Plamegate in a common matrix of announced, the media called it a unaccountable power. done deal. NPR and the New York that threatens to end the filibuster, Roberts could certainly be Roberts is also disturbingly Times gushed over his humility, defeated. Whatever the final vote, loyal to dubious corporate interests, humor, and congeniality. With offering a critical perspective gives or at least to principles that allow Roberts’s belief system barely us the chance to help frame how these interests to run roughshod mentioned, you’d think Bush had Americans view this administration over ordinary citizens and just nominated Mister Rogers. and what we can expect from future communities. He argued that In the wake of this media lifetime appointments to a court private individuals could not sue the love fest, I keep encountering that’s our final arbiter of rights and federal government for violations of people who oppose everything governmental power. Settling for environmental regulations like the Roberts has stood for, but see no removal of mountaintops by West use in trying to stop what seems his an appointment as regressive as Virginia mining companies. He inevitable confirmation. But we can Roberts invites Bush to nominate someone still worse for next round. supported the rights of developers make a powerful impact by raising to ignore the Endangered Species the discomforting truth that Roberts Challenging him draws a line and invites our fellow citizens to stand Act. He denied the rights of may be closer to a smiling Antonin up in other ways to this immensely workers injured over time as part of Scalia. However the Senators their jobs, supported criminal vote—and it’s not foreordained, the destructive presidency. How has a seemingly nice contempt fines to force the end of a more we raise key issues and man like Roberts supported a strike, and helped a major car principles, the more they’ll echo politics of contempt for the voice of manufacturer avoid a recall of down the line around future anyone but the wealthy and dangerous seatbelts. nominations and policies. powerful? In a time when the Bush Then there’s Roe vs. Wade. Roberts is being hailed as administration acts as if granted the People of goodwill can disagree the brilliant Harvard lawyer who divine right of kings, it’s troubling about abortion, but overturning that gets along with everyone. He’s that Roberts defended Cheney’s decision would devastate the lives conservative, but reasonable. He right to refuse to name the of women forced to bear unwanted doesn’t froth at the mouth. He corporate participants in his secret children. Roberts has already barely barks. Unlike Bush’s three energy policy meeting. He advised argued, as Deputy Solicitor most recent Appeals Court Jeb Bush on the 2000 election, and General, that “Roe was wrongly appointees, he hasn’t led a right wing ideological charge. He’s being denied being a member of the ultra­ decided and should be overruled.” conservative Federalist Society, Pat Robertson endorsed him as one praised as a nomination Bush then turned up on the Society’s of his top favored choices. In the should be proud of. Washington steering committee. words of Tony Perkins of the ultra­ We need to tell a different conservative Family Research story, and do our best to get it into He’s argued that the Voting Rights Council, Bush “promised to the media, the arguments raised by Act can only be violated by nominate someone along the lines of our elected representatives, and the intentional discrimination, saying laws that incidentally discriminate a Scalia or a Thomas and that is awareness of our fellow citizens. are ok. Most damning, Roberts exactly what he has done.” The actual outcome will probably just ruled that if this administration It’s tempting to decide that depend on a small group of Republican “moderates,” who tend wishes to exempt someone from the Roberts is the best we can get, so Geneva Convention and we should simply accept him, lest to briefly question about Bush’s international law, they have the we get someone worse. But that policies and choices, then toe the traps us in a continuous cycle of lowered expectations, until we accept anyone short of Attila the Hun. I’m not expecting Bush to nominate the next Thurgood Marshall. Even Sandra O’Connor, who everyone now praises, helped put Bush in office to begin with in a decision blasted by legal scholars for its contempt for constitutional precedents, including claims of the participating justices to support states rights. Given the Republicans’ current power, another O’Connor may be the most we can expect, but we have no obligation to accept a candidate as problematic as Roberts. Instead of caving to fatalistic acceptance, we need to approach this nomination as an exercise in truth telling. We can talk, to whomever we have access, about what Roberts represents, and what a court in his image would mean for America. We can lobby our Senators to draw the line, knowing that the more they do, the more the media will question. We can hold up a vision of how America could be, while describing how profoundly our heritage of liberty and justice is being attacked. And then we can keep on, whatever the immediate result, so that we will not be faced with another Justice Roberts ten years down the line. Paul Loeb is the author of The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear, named the #3 political book of fall 2004 by the History Channel and the American Book Association, and of Soul of a Citizen: Living With Conviction in a Cynical Time See www.paulloeb.org What Price is Marriage in the Welfare Law? by Vera Zlatkin, written as representative of Contact Center, Cincinnati Welfare Rights Coalition tvib es Streetvibes money could be better spent on other programs for the poor; programs such as jobs, housing, or child care for poor parents who are working or in school. We also fear that women living in abusive relationships will be coerced into marriage by significant financial incentive making it even less likely that she will be able to leave her abuser. 60% of women living in poverty have been subjected to domestic violence as adults. For these women and their children, marriage may not be the best solution to economic insecurity. ee factor in determining the eligibility of a person or family to receive federal assistance. More than thirty years ago, the Supreme Court held that discrimination against unmarried families is an unconstitutional denial of the equal protection of the laws. (New Jersey Welfare Rights Organization v. Cahill, 411 U.S. 619 (1973)) We are also concerned about the cost, especially at this time when our economy is in such dire straits. The budget bill that cleared the Senate includes $593 million in direct federal aid to the District of Columbia. S. 1446 sets aside $1.5 million a year for marriage development accounts. In addition, the federal government is already spending over $100 million overall on unproven marriage promotion programs. We feel that in this time of deficits and budget cuts, this Str The bill, S1446, introduced by Senator Sam Brownback, which includes a “Marriage Development and Improvement” program for the District of Columbia, we believe, discriminates against single parent families. This program would create Marriage development accounts to low income couples who set up savings accounts to buy a home, send a child to college, or start a business. The government would provide a lifetime payment of $9,000 per couple, which they would have to withdraw within three years and they would have to be married by that time. Single, childless residents of the District of Columbia, who have undergone job, education, and financial counseling, and are between 16 and 22 years of age, may also receive a federal payment of up to $4,500. Single people with children, however, are totally exempt from this program. I am wary that once Marriage Development Accounts are established in the District of Columbia, they will “spread” to other states. Indeed the Federal government is sending a “go light” to marriage promotion policies in the federal welfare law currently being debated in Congress. Some states, such as West Virginia, already financially reward single moms if they get married. Though we are in favor of assistance for low- income parents, we strongly feel that low- income families which are headed by single parents should not be discriminated against by the Federal Government. Marital status should not be a Support Your Vendor Buy 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 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. 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 (70 cent profit goes directly to the vendor) Homeless Coalition 30 Cents Printing and Production: 30 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 Peace comes from being able to contribute the best that we have, and all that we are, toward creating a world that supports everyone. But it is also securing the space for others to contribute the best that they have and all that they are. In every child who is born, no matter what circumstances, and of no matter what parents, the potentiality of the human race is born again: and in him, too, once more, and of each of us, our terrific responsibility toward human life; toward the utmost idea of goodness, of the horror of terror, and of God. �Cincinnati and Other Cities Tackle Chemical Transportation Security Fears over a train tanker leak combined with anger last month when Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken revealed a dangerous, leaking train tanker had been parked along the tracks for nine months. “There is a scenario where there [was a possibility of] an explosion and a dangerous chemical called styrene would be released,” Luken said after spending the morning at the scene with officials. The chemical’s smell lingered over a large part of the city’s east side. But simply smelling the styrene, which was leaking from the tanker, won’t harm you, EPAofficials said. “You can smell styrene at one part per million. So, you’re going to smell it before it has any health effects,” said EPAofficial Heather Lauer. The tanker car, which caught fire last month, had apparently been parked along the tracks for about nine months. A spokesperson for Ohio CitizenAction pledged to investigate the incident. A spokesperson for Westlake Styrene, the Texas-based company that owns the chemical inside the tanker, said that he didn’t know the tanker was sitting on the tracks for so long. “There is a system in place and it’s somewhat dependent upon the rail lines that transport this material,” he said. The material was supposed to be taken to Queen-City Terminal where it would have been “off­ loaded” and stored for future use, the spokesperson said. When a freight train accident took eight lives in South Carolina earlier this year because of unsafe and uninspected train cars carrying toxic materials, it heightened concerns about chemical security in our trains and trucks. Cities across the nation have begun addressing serious deficiencies on this so-called “homeland security” issue because the federal government has done little. Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, and Baltimore are all considering legislation to mitigate the risks of shipping hazardous materials through their heavily populated centers. In 2004, the District of Columbia became the first U.S. city to pass legislation banning hazardous shipments passing through its city limits destined for other locales. The DC Court of Appeals has since stayed the DC ordinance, following a challenge by the Bush administration and the rail industry that argued the legislation violated constitutional provisions dealing with interstate commerce. The Department of Justice asserted that rail security is the responsibility of the federal government and that local Another Vendor Attacked by Carrie Briffett Early in the morning on Christmas Day 1999 a Big Issue street paper vendor was sleeping on some steps when four drug addicts, armed with hammers, smashed in his skull. They had hoped he would have plenty of money on him from Christmas sales of the magazine. They got away with £4.50. (less than $15.00 dollars US) The vendor in question managed to crawl covered in blood onto a main street, where CCTV cameras picked him up, before losing consciousness. Miraculously he survived and is now speaking out about his ordeal. It was however a long, tough recovery. “Part of my skull splintered into my brain and damaged my cerebral cortex [which in part controls movement and sensory functions]. It took me nine months of speech therapy and physiotherapy to walk and talk again because my brain was so badly damaged,” he says. “When the camera picked me up an ambulance and the police turned up right away but I didn’t regain consciousness for 10 days. I had to have 56 operations on my brain to repair it.” His movement is still affected. “My legs are knackered and my circulation is messed up – one arm is cold while the other is hot. I have to stretch all the time to get my legs to work properly. It takes 20 minutes to get them to work in the mornings after I wake up so I can support myself and I have to do exercises that I have been shown,” he explains. The street culture is one of not ‘grassing’ and to do so can mean being ostracized. Consequently the vendor did not press charges against his attackers. And since that time he has been a victim of more attacks. Three years ago he was sleeping in the side doorway of a church and one Sunday morning three drunken students poured petrol on him and his friend, and set him alight causing third degree burns to his chest and back. “They were only arrested for common assault,” he says. “It took me six weeks in hospital to recover. The police arrested them with a jerry can in their hands and they had video evidence. The church was well funded and had cameras set up.” “Someone attacked me only last week – I was kicked in the ribs and they tried to rob me,” adds the vendor, who has been homeless since he was 16 and is now in his mid­ government has no authority in the matter. The DC government is appealing the court ruling. Despite the court decision, several cities are moving forward with their own chemical security legislation. In Baltimore, City Councilman Kenneth Harris sponsored legislation very similar to the DC ban. On May 9 in Cleveland, City Councilman Matthew Zone, introduced an ordinance, which would prohibit rail shipments of hazardous materials through the city unless the fire chief issued a special permit. Several years ago Cleveland adopted restrictions on truck shipments of hazardous chemicals. AChicagoAlderman, Ed Smith introduced legislation to reroute hazardous material shipments around the city. However, the measure was defeated in the Transportation and Health Committee due to opposition from rail corporations. After fear surrounding the London train bombings, the bill was re-introduced and is back in committee, with city officials optimistic about the legislation’s chances for passage. In Boston, City Councilmembers Stephen Murphy and Jerry McDermott recently cited federal inaction and the availability of alternative routes as key factors for submitting chemical transportation legislation. Their bill would prohibit hazardous material shipments within a 2.5 mile radius of Copley Square, a central urban location in Boston. The ordinance is now being considered by the city’s Government Operations Committee, whose members include both Murphy and McDermott. Local safety officials have repeatedly expressed safety concerns resulting from hazardous materials passing through transit systems. These concerns garnered national attention this year when two freight trains carrying hazardous chemicals collided in Graniteville, South Carolina. The resulting spill, which killed nine and injured some 250 others, was the nation’s worst from a train crash since 1978. In the South Carolina incident, a manual track switch was left in the wrong position causing a moving train that was supposed to stay on a main line to collide with a parked train on a sideline. The 11,500 pounds of chlorine released by the collision created a gaseous cloud that hovered over the city through nightfall. Residents used towels and blankets to seal off doors and windows and prevent the greenish-yellow gas from entering their homes. Official clean-up efforts focused on the chlorine release, due to its potentially deadly effects on respiratory and nervous system function; however, the hazardous chemicals cresol and sodium thirties. “Members of the public were walking past and shouted at him and he ran off.” Despite all that he has been through he still has compassion and sympathy for the victims of the Brazil attacks and murders. “What do their government stand for?” he asks. “To allow that is just brutal.” If you see good in people, you radiate a harmonious loving energy which uplifts those who are around you. If you can maintain this habit, this energy will turn into a steady flow of love “Don “Don’’t Leave Home W ithout IIt...” t...” Streetvibes Page 13 �Forgiven Sins On State Avenue by Mike Henson At the corner, near the Mexican store, I see a poor, staggering prostitute. (I do not call her that but that is what people call her.) She has just stumbled out of some maniac’s car and her body is bent leftward in a stumbling, distorted manner like a bow or an arc bent perhasps by the moons of heroin or by the prodding of crack cocaine or by the distortions of her labor serving men in the cramped front seats of cars. She has a name, tatooed at her neck like a shackle and her teeth are gone clouded and gray and there is to her something so twisted and damaged and childlike and holy and pitiable that I cannot understand how any man would want to have her. But the men do have her. Again and again I see them leave her on the street near the Mexicn store in her little shackled body bent and staggering as if one side drives her perpetually forward and the other drags back like a child tugged down the street by an impatient hand. by George E. Herrell I had rubies, diamonds, pearls and yet I felt that I was poor for knowing not my Fathers love I felt I needed something more HOMELESS He sits alone, covered in dirt. Begging for help, as people walk by like he’s not even there. He replied back to the ones who did notice. I had dreams once too, but lost them in a flash. I was once like you, thought I new it all, thought I was on my way to success, but everything went wrong fast, before I could stop it. But the people just stared and laughed. But in spite of all the nasty comments, he just answered back as gentle as can be, and said, you judge me now, but on day you will be judge too, and said a pray for the ones who judge. One day and old man dressed in rags had asked me for a meal I held on tightly to my bags for fear my treasures he would steal I gave the poor man food and clothes and a coat to keep him warm I looked into his smiling eyes then saw he wore a Crown of Thorns! He held out wounded, bleeding hands and said, “child lay your burdens down” Take off your shoes and walk with me for now you stand on Holy Ground I learned a valuable lesson then as he led me thorough the Pearly Gates ask forgiveness for your sins if you heart is true it’s not too late! The homeless by Don Foran Ten men clamber out of the creaking van, Their sweaty bodies meeting a kiss Of cool night air. They drift, silently, sullenly Toward the darkened church. Mattresses lie, two or three to a room, Along walls decorated with children’s Drawings and almost casual crucifixions. Carl, Eddie, Jake and the others Throw their worn packs and bags Onto the makeshift beds, and John, It’s always John, is first to ask If he can have his sack lunch now, Not in the morning as we had planned. “Sure,” I say, almost as anxious as he To assuage this remediable hunger. Several echo John, and soon all Are feasting on pb and j; apples, celery, And other healthy fare remains on the table, But they’re happier now, even communicative. One thanks me for setting a new pair of white socks On each mattress. Another offers a juice cup To a friend. “Lights out!” Rick calls at ten, And no one argues, no one hesitates. Sleep Knits once more the raveled sleeve of care, Obliterates the hurt, soothes the jangled nerves. Tomorrow will be another day, Another cheerless day embroidered With small triumphs, fragile dreams. Homeless by Octavia I am hungry and cold I wonder will I get a home I hear my family laughing I see food on the table I want a nice little home I am hungry and cold I pretend to sleep in a bed I feel warm covers I touch the bed I lie in I worry will I ever get a home I cry because I don’t have a home I am hungry and cold I understand I don’t have a home I say I will get a home I dream to have a home I cry because I have don’t have a home I try to visualize a home I hope I get a home I am hungry and cold He’s Sweet, I Know by Robert Manassa There’s no money in this world that can compare To all of the things he is willing to do do your burdens will Isn’t He (God) amazing In what He can do? Whatever He has done for others, He will do for me and you You may be rich and you may be poor Whatever the case may be His love, His kindness and mercy He will always’s show Thanks be to God for what ho has done for me I was once blind, but now I see A walk with God, I’m sure you’d like to see Page 14 Writers! Submit your Poetry to STREETVIBES ­ email your writing to Streetvibes@juno.com Streetvibes �by William Moore “DEAR JUDGE” ORDER IN THE COURT, I’VE BEEN ORDERED TO COME TO COURT ­ IT’S THE 3RD TIME, I’M BOUND TO DO SOMETIME ­ FOR AN OPEN CANTAINER, SLEEPING IN THE PARK AFTER DARK. AN OPEN - CANTAINER A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING DOLLARS ­ ”DEAR JUDGE” HOW CAN I PAY THIS WHEN I DONT HAVE NO JOB”? BOY, WHOS THE ONE GETTING ROBBED? One check away by James Chionsini twinkling stars can’t keep you warm when you’re sleeping in the park till he break of dawn newspaper pillow and a plastic tarp watching for he pigs that come out after dark lost your job got jacked and robbed your landlord said that’s not my prob doctor bills kill you can’t afford the pills now you’re shaking heart breaking drink as much as you spill THE PLACE WHERE I LIVE!!!! I wake up every morning to a new day. I wonder will I ever find my way. My daughter will be four on the next day. I wonder will we have a place to stay. waiting on the first to quench your thirst alleviate the discomfort of an asphalt earth trying to find a shelter to get some rest but nowhere seems safe without a knife proof vest The notice to vacate came the other day. It says we have to leave by monday. I don’t know what to do or what to say. I want to live here, I want to stay. if you could just get back to square one start to heal the disease that’s got you on the run feeling invisible going insane scowls and nightsticks fall like rain I’m tired lord of being without. My children need a home no doubt. A notice to vacate, disconnection on the phone here and the lights. I just want to scream and fight. Why is life so hard to live? Why do people take and not give? Why is it so hard to keep the place where I live? For what ever wrong I’ve done please lord forgive! Ground Zero As you certainly know by now, public awareness of the issues behind the war and the political corruption in this country is becoming mainstream. Last month, 1600+ cities held candlelight vigils in support of Mrs. Cindy Sheehan’s “ground zero” camp outside the President’s ranch in Texas. (For two weeks while he was on vacation, the President declined photo by (c) 2005, Sam A. Marshall her request to meet with him and Worthington — was pretty explain the contradictions behind the substantial, with about 150-200 Iraq invasion. But during his people in attendance. Although all four corners were full of people, I vacation, he had two hours of free time to ride his bike with bicycling could of course only get three corners champion Lance Armstrong. into the frame at any one time. But all four were pretty evenly distributed. Anyway, as I was in Columbus all week for work, I had And the reaction from passing the opportunity to attend one of nine motorists — lots of honking and vigils, and I took a few photos waving — showed strong support for myself. As you can see, this one — this gathering. in the north Columbus suburb of Sam A Marshall Streetvibes Page 15 �357-4602 Formed in 1984, The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a membership organization. Our member groups serve the homeless through emergency shelter, transitional living facilities, permanent housing, medical services, social services, soup kitchens, and mental health/addiction services. The Coalition also consists of individual citizens who want to take an active role in ensuring that Cincinnati is an inclusive community, meeting the needs of all of its citizens. Join the fight to end homelessness; contact the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless at (513) 421-7803, 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 SHELTER: Both Anthony House (Youth) SHELTER: Men City Gospel Mission 241-5525 Garden St. House 241-0490 Joseph House (Veterans) 241-2965 St. Francis/St.Joseph House 381-4941 Mt. Airy Center 661-4620 Volunteers of Amer. 381-1954 SHELTERS: Women and Children YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter 872-9259 (Toll Free) 1-888-872-9259 Bethany House 557-2873 Salvation Army 762-5660 Welcome Hse. 859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center 859-491-3335 If you need help or would like to help please call one of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless members listed below. OTHER SERVICES: AIDS Volunteers of Cincinnati 421-2437 Appalachian Identity Center 621-5991 Beech Acres 231-6630 Center for Independent Living Options 241-2600 Churches Active in Northside 591-2246 Cincinnati Health Network 961-0600 Community Action Agency 569-1840 Contact Center 381-4242 Emanuel Center 241-2563 TREATMENT: Both N.A. Hopeline 820-2947 A.A. Hotline 351-0422 C.C.A.T. 381-6672 Talbert House 684-7956 Transitions, Inc 859-491-4435 VA Domiciliary 859-559-5011 DIC Live-In Program 721-0643 TREATMENT: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House 784-1853 Prospect House 921-1613 Starting Over 961-2256 TREATMENT: Women First Step Home 961-4663 Full Circle Program 721-0643 HOUSING: CMHA 721-4580 Excel Development 632-7149 Miami Purchase 241-0504 OTR Housing Net. 369-0004 ReSTOC 381-1171 Tender Mercies 721-8666 Tom Geiger House 961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services, Inc 751-9797 Caracole (AIDS) 761-1480 Friars Club 381-5432 Drop Inn Center 721-0643 Haven House 863-8866 Interfaith Hospitality 471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center (Teens) 961-4080 St. John’s Housing 651-6446 Need Help or Want to Help? MIDDLETOWN/HAMILTON (Butler County) St. Raphaels (Food Bank/Soup Kitchen) 863-3184 Salvation Army 863-1445 Serenity House Day Center 422-8555 Open Door Pantry 868-3276 New Life Baptist Mission (Soup Kitchen) 896-9800 Hope House (Homeless Families/Singles) 423-4673 Freestore/ Foodbank 241-1064 Fransiscan Haircuts 651-6468 Goodwill Industries 771-4800 Coalition for the Homeless 421-7803 Hamilton Co. Mental Health Board 946-8600 Mental Health Access Point 558-8888 Hamilton Co. TB Control 632-7186 Health Rsrc. Center 357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van 352-2902 House of Refuge Mission 221-5491 Legal Aid Society 241-9400 Madisonville Ed. & Assis. Center 271-5501 Mary Magdalen House 721-4811 McMicken Dental Clinic 352-6363 Our Daily Bread 621-6364 Peaslee Neighborhood Center 621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids 357-5720 St. Vincent De Paul 562-8841 The Emergency Food Center 471-4357 Travelers Aid 721-7660 United Way 721-7900 VA Homeless 859-572-6226 Women Helping Women 872-9259 Day Laborer For a Day Cover Story BUY FROM BADGED VENDORS ONLY September 2005 STREETVIBES $1 Donation � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2005 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource September 2005 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Day Laborer for a Day Pg 2: Connections Pg 3: Homeless News Digest Pg 4: Vendors Pg 5: It’s Time to Say Goodbye Adieu Pg 6: Our City’s Janitors Deserve Respect Fast-Food Chains More Common Around Schools Pg 7: Healthier School Lunches Compete with Junk Food in School Vending Machines and Stores 1,100 Affordable Housing Units Created in Boston Pg 8: “Labor” Continued Pg 9: Standdown 2005 Pg 10: The Peace Village FRAC Pg 11: Speaking Truth to Roberts What Price is Marriage in the Welfare Law? Pg 12: Streetvibes Vendor Code of Conduct About the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Streetvibes Pg 13: Cincinnati and Other Cities Tackle Chemical Transportation Security Another Vendor Attacked 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 September 2005 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Alison Leeuw Monique Little Kelly Carr Andy Lawrence John Lavelle Mary Gaffney Melvin Williams Susan Smith Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF affordable housing Alison Leeuw Andy Lawrence Boston Cincinnati FRAC Georgine Getty Homeless News Digest Jimmy Heath John Lavelle Kelly Carr Marriage Mary Gaffney Melvin Williams Monique Little Peace Village Schools Standdown Susan Smith Transportation welfare