B.I.D. in Arcata HALTED!

On Wednesday, December 15, the Arcata city council decided to postpone the vote on whether or not to adopt the Business Improvement District plan in Arcata. The decision came after a powerful case against the BID was made by members of the Arcata community who showed that the BID was not welcomed by local business owners and that other previous BID’s have had negative effects that include corruption, planned denial of accountability, and police brutality.

The BID is part of a related attempt to “solve the homeless problem” in Arcata.
Arcata doesn’t have a “homeless problem,” we have a “community problem.” We have a problem with business owners who don’t know how to relate to the human beings around them. We have a problem with ill-mannered police, ignorant to the plight of the individuals they arrogantly harass and torment. We have a problem that denies people the ability to meet their basic needs. We have a problem that is dividing the Arcata community between those who see themselves as the community, and everyone else who knows that everyone is the community.

By using the phrase “homeless problem” repeatedly in the media, in city council meetings, and in official paperwork, the blame is projected onto only one of the players in this tragic drama. As long as this delusion persists, any attempts to improve the situation are doomed to failure due to narrowness in scope, regardless of how good the intentions. As a community, it is the whole community’s responsibility to see that everyone in the community is taken care of.