9/9/13:Week 3 of the City of Fresno’s demolition of homeless encampments in the downtown Fresno, CA

[annm4peace]

Most cities find shelter for the homeless before they tear down their encampments.
Fresno even received Federal dollar but they gave it to developer to built about 100 unites with thousands are needed. (yes Fresno has corruption.. but why doesn't the Feds or CA AG do something about it)

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/09/09/18742970.php

While city officials claim to be on the verge of bankruptcy they did manage to find enough money to destroy the only shelter hundreds of homeless people had. The city would not help by providing drinking water, portable toilets or trash bins, but they were out in force to bulldoze tents, tarps, and wood structures built by the homeless in downtown Fresno.


Rounding up the homeless dogs
by Mike Rhodes Monday Sep 9th, 2013 2:15 PM



Homeless minister Ray Polk gives religious service on H street before the destruction (even of his make shift chapel)
by Mike Rhodes Monday Sep 9th, 2013 2:15 PM

(to see the many attacks on the homeless by the City of Fresno
http://fresnoalliance.com/wordpress/?p=1313


Bulldozers operated within a few feet of the homeless, who were trying to leave
by Mike Rhodes Monday Sep 9th, 2013 2:15 PM


Typical street scene today on H street


The City of Fresno Destroyed the Only Shelter these Homeless People had
by Mike Rhodes Monday Sep 9th, 2013 2:15 PM



* Another example of homeless people using creative modes of transportation to escape the demolition

Being homeless doesn't mean you don't have a job, or a car, or loved ones, or pets, or a need for dignity
It doesn't mean you are a druggy or a drunk or a mental illness. It just means you don't have a home.



Josh and Martha take a short break from packing
by Mike Rhodes Monday Sep 9th, 2013 2:15 PM


Dignity in the midst of chaos

[annm4peace]

1. help Fresno's homeless by signing the petition

For further information about Fresno Homeless Advocates, see http://helpfresnoshomeless.org/ or email [e-mail].

sign the petition'
http://www.change.org/petitions/city-of-fresno-end-homeless-camp-demolition-establish-humane-affordable-housing-policy

************************************************************
(see story of last weeks demolition)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023607312


By Jessie Speer


The author, Jessie Speer (center), with Ray Polk (left) and Larry Collins (right) at the H street homeless encampment, which the City of Fresno plans to bulldoze on Sept. 9.
Imagine a young woman. Close your eyes and see her in front of you—her hopeful gaze, her restless hands. Now imagine one morning she can’t get out of bed. The doctor says it’s brain chemistry, but her family can’t afford the treatment she needs. There is no shelter space, so she ends up living in an encampment on the banks of a canal near downtown Fresno. One day the city announces it will bulldoze her tent, destroying everything she has.

This is not a nightmare. This is the real story of a young woman I met this summer while conducting interviews for a master’s thesis on Fresno homelessness with Syracuse University.

************************************

[annm4peace]

2. Dispatch from the War Zone - Week Two in Fresno, Ca. Sept 3rd

(I only posted some of the pictures, there are more on the link)


The City of Fresno is in their second week of destroying homeless encampments in the downtown area. The photos of the demolition and people trying to escape (below) are from the encampment that is located between E street and highway 99 with California Ave and San Benito on either end of the encampment. These photos were taken on Tuesday, September 3, 2013.




The city work crews gathered at 7 a.m. and were soon walking through the encampment telling the homeless residents that they have to move on. Most homeless people I talked to did not have anyplace to go. Several said they would go to the H street encampment that is scheduled to be destroyed (by the city) next week and some said they would sleep on a nearby sidewalk. As I arrived at about 6:30 a.m. some people were still sleeping on sidewalks by the Poverello House, the location of last weeks demolitions.

It was the Poverello House, which is a social service organization that provides meals for the homeless, that pushed the city to destroy the homeless encampments. They argued that the encampments, with their run down appearance and alleged crime was preventing clients from entering their facility.


Mike who is editor of the Fresno Community Alliance can always use donations to support getting more of the papers out. click on the link: http://fresnoalliance.com/wordpress/?p=1313 see contact on the right.

******************************************************************
Yes, the City of Fresno could do better.. instead they choose to spend tax dollars in harassing and abusing the homeless then in helping them.

click below if you want to click on their name so you can email them.

http://www.fresno.gov/Government/CityCouncil/Default.htm

To contact any of the Council Members, please call [phone]

Blong Xiong (supports the homeless)
Councilmember District 1
Email FAX [phone]

Sal Quintero
Councilmember District 5
Email FAX [phone]

Steve Brandau
Councilmember District 2
Email FAX [phone]

Lee Brand
Councilmember District 6
Email FAX [phone]

Oliver L. Baines III
Councilmember District 3
Email FAX [phone]

Clint Olivier
Councilmember District 7
Email FAX [phone]

Paul Caprioglio
Councilmember District 4
Email FAX [phone]

***
Ashley Swearengin, Mayor
2600 Fresno Street
Room 2075
Fresno, CA 93721
[phone]

*********

and incase you need more info check out these two links

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023547400

history of attacks and abuse on the HOmeless by the City of Fresno
***********************************

If you do call the Mayor's office, please post the staff's comments if you can, especially if you are from another state..
The Mayor is a rightwing born again Christian as was the previous Mayor, and the Chief of Police is also. The hateful kind of born again Christian as oppose to true follower of the works of Christ.. more followers of the power and money

[annm4peace]

3. Week 1, Day 2.. and the assault beings... where is the national news?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023547400

Mississippi - the Last Man Standing


This shows what F street (south of Ventura) looked like this afternoon.



The last shelter standing was the one Mississippi was standing next to when I arrived at about 1:30 p.m.

Mississippi seemed a little perplexed as to why they had not removed his structure on Santa Clara (between E and F street), but he was not complaining. We took a few photos of him outside the shelter and talked about him being the last holdout.

When I returned 45 minutes later, Mississippi was sitting in a chair where his shelter used to be.

He said one of the undercover officers (there are a lot of them out there these days) drove by, opened his window,
and said “What makes you think your so special?”

I guess the officer did not like Mississippi’s answer, because immediately after that conversation, workers from the sanitation department arrived, cut the tarp from the fence, threw everything into the street, a bulldozer picked it up and put the remains of his shelter in the back of a garbage truck.

All of the Golden State off ramp encampment (there was probably 50 people living there), Santa Clara street (where another 50 people lived), F street (about 30 people), and G street south of the Rescue Mission (another 50 people lived there) are all gone. The people have moved to other encampments or they are planning on returning once the dust settles.

Next Tuesday, September 3 the City of Fresno will begin again, this time destroying the encampment across Golden State blvd, west of E street, between California and San Benito. There are at least 100 people living at that encampment, probably more because of all of the new arrivals.

There is a new homeless advocate group that has organized and is attempting to stop these ongoing attacks against the homeless. For more information about what they are doing - they have a meeting this Thursday, are circulating a petition, plan to attend this weeks City Council meeting, and much more, go to: http://www.helpfresnoshomeless.org/

http://fresnoalliance.com/wordpress/?p=1313

It would be one thing if the City of Fresno had shelter for these people to go to but they don't.. the couple of homeless shelters there are in Fresno are full.

100's of these homeless are displace again.. the groups and individuals that have been trying to help will have a had time finding these people.

Shameful. It happens again and again. But who cares? There are 100's of churches in Fresno and some are trying to help. But the city of Fresno made it illegal for churches to allow homeless to set up tents on their land, or to even sleep on their steps.

There are empty hotels and 100's of empty houses... some of these homeless people used to be in those empty houses.

the majority of people in Fresno don't care, the vast Majority of Californians don't care. The Gov of CA doesn't care, the AG of CA doesn't care. The AG of the US doesn't care.

One Tomahawk missile costs 1.4 Million dollars. 1.4 Million dollars could go a long way in Fresno it went to build shelters.

*************************************************
You can post encouraging words or outrage on the Indymedia website.
Let those advocates and homeless know that others do care, on the link below

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/08/27/18742188.php

[annm4peace]

4. please share with others, especially faith and human rights groups

The city of Fresno continues the abuse cause they know there isn't enough people in Fresno who care and will take actions.

and they know those in wealthier parts of the State Ca can just turn away and ignore it..

and the rest of the country doesn't know.

We have to expose what is happening in Fresno and other places like Fresno.

Mike and others in Fresno have been writing/reporting the abuse for years, and showing picture after pictures.. You would think the Feds would have enough evidence in the pictures and reports of the human rights abuses but I guess they don't care.

Do you?

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Community-Alliance-Newspaper/147659788596394

[annm4peace]

5. I hope someone adopts the dogs

I wish they could adopt the people too.

[Liberal_in_LA]

6. kick

[Joe Shlabotnik]

7. This is heart breaking.

Thanks for posting though.

[annm4peace]

8. I found out the dogs will most likely end up euthanized

since the Humane society already has lots of dogs.

the dogs looked healthy, they should have let the homeless people keep their pets.

maybe some people can foster the dogs.

Now if we could only get help for the people.

[annm4peace]

9. update on info and pictures of the homeless people's pet dogs.

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2013/09/09/18743007.php

Fresno Homeless companion animals seized and taken to animal 'shelter" with a kill rate of over 70 percent. I wonder how long they will survive before being murdered by the heartless bastards that run this city.

In the last 3 weeks Fresno city officials have been destroying homeless encampments in the downtown area. They come in with multiple garbage trucks and bulldozers at 7am and tell folks to pack up and leave. One really disturbing thing they do is when folks are busy trying to save all of their worldly belongings Animal Control and Undercover Police Officers round up the companion animals of the homeless. These animals are then taken to the local SPCA shelter which has a kill rate of over 70%. Talk about a bunch of heartless bastards.
§



who holds a dog like this? I hope someone can take in these dogs.

http://ccspca.com/contact/