Taking it to the streets (or sidewalk) in Anchorage

[Blue_In_AK]

Sensing Impending Doom, Mayor Sullivan Pulls the Sidewalk Ordinance: http://www.themudflats.net/2011/07/26/sensing-impending-doom-mayor-sullivan-pulls-the-sidewalk-ordinance/

Yes, you can still fight City Hall!

The latest news from Rosemary Shinohara at the Anchorage Daily News is that Mayor Dan Sullivan has requested a “postponement” of consideration on the new sidewalk etiquette ordinance:

<snip>

Mr. John Martin, a homeless man, started sitting peacefully downtown to protest the closing of the Campbell Creek camp he called his home and Mayor Sullivan’s policies towards Anchorage’s homeless. Mr. Martin’s one wish…to be able to speak to the Mayor one-on-one about these issues. To be very clear: this is his only request and would have been a simple way for the Mayor to end all of this.

Not Mayor Sullivan…his solution is to establish a new, very bad law:

<snip>

Mayor Sullivan refused to speak to this man one-on-one. However, he had no problem “telling” Mr. Martin in television, radio and newspaper interviews that he should “get a job” and “take a bath.” He also emphasized and misrepresented irrelevant legal troubles from Mr. Martin’s past:

<snip>

Reports from the Anchorage Daily News are here:

Homeless man's sit-down protest irritates mayor: http://www.adn.com/2011/07/19/1975453/homeless-mans-protest-irritates.html
Sidewalk protester arrested after Mayor rejects meeting: http://www.adn.com/2011/07/20/1977416/mayor-takes-sidewalk-protester.html
Proposed city sidewalk rule: Stand, play guitar, just don't sit: http://community.adn.com/?q=adn/node/157657
Mayor seeks postponement of his sidewalk-sitting proposal: http://www.adn.com/2011/07/25/1984845/mayor-seeks-postponement-on-his.html



I just have to say that after reading the comments on all these articles, I'm very proud of Anchorage residents for standing up for our rights to free speech and to petition our government. Only our CONservative mayor could turn a convicted sex offender into a folk hero. Mayor Sullivan's disdain for the homeless is absolutely shameful.

[Blue_In_AK]

1. The Assembly voted tonight to permanently postpone

the mayor's ordinance. All the testimony from the public was against it.

Power to the people. :hippie:

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. In the agregate it will be victories

big and small, that will change where we are going.

WELL DONE.

[roguevalley]

3. and since when does this fucking tool have the right to tell a

constituate that he won't speak to him. I spelled constituate wrong. :-D This is a good thing. I am SICK of criminalizing the poor. Its hard enough to be homeless up here without some douchebag making sitting on a street illegal. I hope sully ends up homeless some day. He needs a lesson.