Homeless Victory in Fresno, CA

[annm4peace]

(there are many empty homes and buildings in Fresno, CA, yet "Christian and Conservative" controlled Fresno tells people to pull themselves up by their boots straps.. they forget these people don't have boot straps)


Homeless Victory in Fresno
by Mike Rhode
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/06/18634551.php

Alan and Charlene Simon live at the Ventura and F street homeless encampment. They did not move when the City of Fresno told them they were being evicted.



he City of Fresno was stopped for the second time in a month from evicting the homeless from an encampment at Ventura and F street in downtown Fresno. Last month, the city posted signs saying they were going to evict the homeless 8 days before Christmas. Homeless advocates talked about building a manger scene, with the baby Jesus and Mary. The city backed off from the eviction, probably not wanting video coverage of city workers dragging off the baby Jesus and throwing him into a dumpster.

The victory for the homeless today came after the ACLU presented a letter to a City Council member yesterday, objecting to the city’s due process for the eviction. A copy of the letter is below. The city is claiming that the ACLU letter played no role in their decision to scuttle the eviction, but Fresno ACLU chairperson Bill Simon said “the timing of all of this makes it look like our letter did make a difference.” The City of Fresno settled a lawsuit with the ACLU in 2008 for $2.3 million. That class action lawsuit was filed to stop the city from taking and immediately destroying homeless people’s property.

I interviewed Bill Simon and Phil Connelly, both board members on the local ACLU chapter, on KFCF 88.1 FM this afternoon. That interview, which is below goes into some detail about what happened today. Also below are photos from the Ventura and F street encampment and the location where many of the displaced homeless people moved to when they thought they were being evicted.

See more pictures and listen to the interview by Mike.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/01/06/18634551.php

[pinto]

1. Kick

:kick:

[rwheeler31]

2. Excellent keep fighting.

[EFerrari]

3. You GO, Fresno!

:yourock:

[NYC_SKP]

4. Kick and Rec... nt

[The Doctor.]

5. Where does the city think they can go?

WTF is wrong with people?

God, I wish that some city board members found themselves evicted and with nothing one day.

[Ignis]

6. Excellent news! Three kicks for the ACLU.

:kick: :kick: :kick:

[humblebum]

7. This country should not even have a homeless problem.

Prior to 1980, there was very little of it. We need to be asking "what has changed?" and correct the problem.

[Bjorn Against]

8. You are absolutely right...

There is absolutely no reason that anyone should have to live in poverty in the richest nation in the world. The gap between rich and poor in this country is far too extreme and we need to work to close that gap so everyone can have enough of an income to provide for their basic needs.

[Ignis]

9. Reagan's policies had a lot to do with it.

Especially his casual disregard for the mentally ill.

[GreenPartyVoter]

12. So true!

[MNmom]

10. When the top 1% has more wealth than the bottom 95% combined,

it is no surprise that some of those 95% are homeless. The wealth disparity in this country is obscene.

[Greyhound]

11. Good for them, K&R.

I wonder how much of the $2.8M the victims got?
:kick: & R

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. wonderful