Waiting for Tony Madrigal

Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 22:38:52 -0800
From: rowlandsushi [at] yahoo.com
Subject: Tony Madrigal position on protecting the homeless from being sprayed
To: stopoverheadspraying [at] yahoogroups.com

First I want to thank city councilman, Tony Madrigal for the time and energy he has spent working to stop the spray.

There were some questions raised in a previous post by another member about homeless and LBAM. There was talk about providing some sort of protection for those living outside and what can be done to help them by the city and CDFA.

On Sunday, when I walked up to the table, there was a discussion going on. Questions were raised to Tony Madrigal about the LBAM spray and what was being done to protect the homeless. I felt his answers were vague on this issue. After listening to the discussion it prompted me to send him a email on the subject. I truly feel something has to be done and these question must be answered. I want him to state his position and not be vague. Here are the emails that were sent between us.
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On 11/5/07, Rowland Sushi wrote:

Hi Tony:

It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday at your table. Thanks very much for supporting the lbam issue. At that time you said you'd sent an e-mail off to Vice-Mayor Coonerty requesting some action be taken on emergency shelter for the homeless given the impending LBAM spraying, and that you would send me that e-mail.

Can you please do that?

You also said you're looking for an emergency Council meeting to deal with this issue--bravo for that!

I'd like to be clear, whatever other Council members decide (and I know it takes 4 votes), what YOUR position is.

Do I understand this is a correct statement of your position?

"The City of Santa Cruz has the responsibility to protect its homeless unsheltered residents, who are most vulnerable to the untested LBAM spraying. To address that, I support committing city resources to designated a building, garage, or other area where homeless people can safely avoid the spraying as an emergency action, when that spraying happens. I will work with homeless service providers and activists [such as Ken Cole of the Homeless Services Center and Paul Brindel of the Community Action Board's Shelter Project] to identify and make available unused city and private buildings to assist in harm reduction around this spraying."

If it is not a correct statement, please send me a corrected statement along with your e-mail to Ryan Coonerty.

Thanks again for your activism on this issue.

Sincerely, Rowland Morin
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TONY MADRIGAL'S E-MAIL TO ROWLAND MORIN:

Hi Rowland,

Thanks for coming to the event yesterday. I only said I requested an emergency mtg with Council and County to deal with the LBAM issue and that I'd also bring up how the LBAM spraying impact homeless communities too in that emergency meeting to deal with the LBAM spraying if that meeting occurs.

Let's wait until the Mayor responds to my request for an emergency meeting to deal with the LBAM spraying. Hope that's clear Rowland. I didn't state the rest of what you wrote in your email about what you understood to be my position.

take care,

Tony


Date: Tue, 6 Nov 2007 07:15:07 -0800 (PST)
From: "Rowland Sushi"
Subject: I would like to know what your position is.
To: "Tony Madrigal"
:

Hi Tony:

Thanks for your speedy e-mail response.

I would like to know what your position is?

When you were asked on Sunday you stated , all the points below sounded very reasonable to you, Which points don't you agree with or sound unreasonable now.
Please be specific.
I described your position as follows:

"The City of Santa Cruz has the responsibility to protect its homeless unsheltered residents, who are most vulnerable to the untested LBAM spraying. To address that, I support committing city resources to designated a building, garage, or other area where homeless people can safely avoid the spraying as an emergency action, when that spraying happens. I will work with homeless service providers and activists [such as Ken Cole of the Homeless Services Center and Paul Brindel of the Community Action Board's Shelter Project] to identify and make available unused city and private buildings to assist in harm reduction around this spraying."

Could you please tell me which part of this statement do you agree with, and what don't you?

While I'm glad you're interested in having an emergency meeting and in raising the issue of the homeless, my homeless friends and the community generally needs to know how you stand specifically. Whatever you may have said or not said, yesterday, can you please answer each of these questions for me.

1. Is the City responsible for providing shelters from the LBAM-spraying during those times when it is being sprayed?

2. Have you or any other Council member asked for an FYI of the buildings currently available for this use?

3. If not, will you do so immediately (without waiting for a meeting) and make the results public?

4. Have you contacted homeless service providers to get their suggestions? If not, will you please do so and make public their recommendations?

I'm also waiting for a copy of your e-mail to Vice-Mayor Coonerty.

Thanks,
Rowland Morin



Notes from Norse:

Rowland told me his first e-mail to Tony was returned soon after he sent it. His follow-up e-mail has so far been ignored.

I did an audio interview with Madrigal on Sunday which I'll be playing on my Radio Show Thursday night 7 PM at 101.1 FM, streaming at http://www.freakradio.org. It'll be archived at http://www.radiolibre.org/brb/brb071504.mp3 a day or two later.

Madrigal reappeared on Pacific Avenue (or announced he would) last night at 8:30 PM with more gauze masks.

He still had made no public statement regarding any commitment to protecting homeless people during the LBAM Checkmate Spraying.

LBAM activist Inca, who called in to my show a week ago, reported she contacted the Homeless Services Center to learn what protection they were offering, and got no response. They can be reached at 458-6020 to inquire and protest at their inaction.

Madrigal came into office promising to reexamine anti-homeless laws like the Sleeping Ban. When challenged to do so, he severed communication with activists from HUFF (Homeless United for Friendship & Freedom) and HRO (the Human Rights Organization).

Apparently it takes a prettly large public parade, for Tony to jump in front of it.

Madrigal's e-mail address is tonymadrigal [at] gmail.com .

Demand public buildings (or at least enclosed parking lots, bridge areas--now forbidden for nighttime shelter use) be opened up for homeless sanctuary to avoid their being used as involuntary guinea pigs here. Call Mayor Reilly and/or Vice-Mayor Coonerty at 420-5020.