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Add an EventWas Tough-on-Crime Take Back Santa Cruz Founded by a Corporate Criminal?
In short, TBSC’s goal is to promote “tough on crime” policies. When asked who they are taking Santa Cruz back from, they reply “criminals”, and they encourage people not only to call the police when they see anything suspicious, but to sit in on court cases to show our judges that Santa Cruzans want tough sentencing. Ironically, it appears that their founder Emmanuel “Dexter” Cube is himself a criminal. In 2002, then an investment broker in New Jersey, he was investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and found guilty of violating laws, fined over $50,000 and suspended for over 5 years from trading. This was his second fraud; he was fined $40,000 a few years prior and suspended for a lesser number of days. (http://www.sec.gov/litigation/admin/33-8201.htm, http://www.finra.org/Industry/Regulation/Notices/1996/P004863).
In the past, when people have criticized TBSC for Cube’s alignment with Republican Meg Whitman and her conservative agenda, the group has responded by claiming they were founded by a diverse group. Yet as of this posting, the TBSC number listed in the phone book has Cube’s voice on the outgoing message, and the address of their “corporate headquarters” is the small office where he works downtown—which is not marked in any way as having a connection to TBSC.
It’s time we take Santa Cruz back from this fear-based organization promoting a vision of community based on unquestioned support for the police, and attacks against homeless, political activists, and undocumented immigrants, throwing around the word “criminal” while they themselves feel they are above the law.
I like his name.
I really really want to like the Take Back Santa Cruz folks. I like the idea of people getting together to make things better. In spite of themselves, it is a very anarchist concept. We disagree about the role of police in our society, but I think we have a lot of goals in common. I have reached out numerous times to Analicia Cube, Heather Babcock, and Take Back Santa Cruz with offers of dialogue, coffee, meetings, etc and have been repeatedly ignored of cut off from conversation. Not only am I blocked from seeing the Take Back Santa Cruz facebook group, but anyone who is merely FB friends with me is blocked. My offer still stands because I think it might be possible to find common ground.
I have read Ms. Cube claiming that TBSC is under attack, that they are unjustly being accused of stoking the fires of May Day, that much has been incorrectly attributed to her and to TBSC. I would like to set the record straight.
This was sent to all of the 4500 members of the Take Back Santa Cruz Facebook group the day after the May Day property destruction:
From: Take Back Santa Cruz
To: members of Take Back Santa Cruz groupHello My Community-
We have known that the Anarchist in Santa Cruz (one of the most radical groups in the country) have been planning to take our community down. They believe in no economy or business. We have documentation of the plans and threats they have placed on our community. We have no idea why leadership of both our community and UCSC have chosen to not take direct action. Perhaps the people have not demanded it. Perhaps the people are unaware of the threat as we were before we started our journey 6 months ago.
As you can read in the police report that is available on our site. The one person who was arrested received the information to attack us at Sub Rosa Cafe. This is an Anarchist Cafe located at 703 Pacific on the corner of Spruce. They have been preaching to take down our communities economy and people for over 2 years. There is a sign over the door that reads "NO POLICE OR FBI BEYOND THIS POINT". This property is owned by Busenhart. One of their leaders Wes Modes will be in court on May 14th. Here is an article that you MUST read to understand what is REALLY going on. It was published this week in the Sentinel by J.M. Brown
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_14981220?IADID=Search-www.santacruzsentinel.com-www.santacruzsentinel.com
This clock tower dance party was designed to happen so that the criminals could hide in the chaos and then strike. It was not a sudden mob. You don't bring a full black mask and weapons to go get a cup of coffee downtown. The event was posted on IndyBay which is their outlet to express domestic terrorism. This event was posted on April the 26!! They have taken down their flier of course but you can see part of it on our wall. Now, they will also try and hide under the Arizona conflict. Be advised. This is a scapegoat. They have been threatening us for a long time. Yes, city council and the police chief were aware of the threats and the cafe. Many SCPD officers have been fighting for us on this issue every day they go out there.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/04/26/18645725.php
Also read this. This is when our officers tried to go under cover and squash this in the beginning. As you can see they were not supported. This is the Indy Spin do be advised.
http://santacruz.indymedia.org/
Fliers handed out on campus telling UCSC students:
"This isn't just about you and your problems; this is about us and the possibilities of creating a new form of life that we can build through relations of force. From the indefinite student strike to unlimited human strike!"
"Don't just stop at the university, bring it downtown!"
"LET"S GET GOING, TAKE SPACES, GET WHAT YOU CAN TAKE, SOLIDARITY THROUGH ATTACK."
It goes on for two pages and was given to us 3 months ago. We tried to give the information out but no one seemed interested. So, when someone tries to say this attack on us was due to recent national events it is a lie.
We have stacks of information. Lists of over a hundred names of agitators. I wonder if anyone is going to move on it now? I guess they were a threat after all. Who knew? Oh right we did.
We want to say something very important. We were out there last night and this morning. We saw the shocked faces of your shop owners. Some called asking is "my shop okay". As we walked people were laughing. One guy (who I have on video talking with Robert Norse) was laughing and expressing how much fun it was to destroy our community. I wonder if Mr. Norse plans on helping our community bring these people to justice seeing that he was there. This community had a rough week. We are wounded but we are not beaten. We are tough. Do you hear me? WE ARE TOUGH. We can do this because it is worth it. The time to stand up is now. Do it for the generation before you and the one to come.
Members of the group have told me that the above diatribe, strangely reminiscent of McCarthy era red baiting, was written by Dexter Cube.
And while the Sentinel forums are extremely problematic in that anyone can post anything anonymously, even attributing it to others, there was much incendiary material posted there under the name Take Back Santa Cruz. Here is a sample:
From: Take Back Santa Cruz
To: readers of the Santa Cruz Sentinel Topix forumsThe issue was the ANARCHIST that were hiding under the Communist May Day dance rave. The ones that went downtown..oh sorry I mean walked from Sub Rosa Cafe (which is Wes Modes hang out)..with full masks and weapons. Glass bottles full of paint, backpacks full of rocks, sticks and broom handles, torches and flares. That is the ISSUE!! It's not immigration. They have been wanting to do this to us for years. Look at the pictures. ANARCHIST symbols and quotes like "tear you down brick by brick"
Wes Modes is an agitator.
He recruits UCSC students to do his dirty work.
He assaulted a police officer and plead guilty.
He WAS planning on playing a movie illegally tonight to raise money for lawyers.(BOO HOO Someone snitch on him and called the copyright owners) Guess what? shhh they are going to do it EVERY TIME you run your GUERRILLA DRIVE-IN with your buddy AND chemistry teacher at Santa Cruz High Stacey Falls. It's a felony ;-)
He supports Free Skool which says things like "Let's tear down the world around us and make a new one" They teaches classes like squatting 101, surviving county jail and DIY FIREWORKS!! Hummm You see he believes we should have no economy or government structure. No police. Remind you of a recent incident...HUMMMM
Right! Well, turns out our buddies at 703 Pacific with their "NO POLICE OR FBI" signs and their fliers encouraging mayham might have just been busted...FINALLY. Busenhart owns the property so feel free to contact them and express your dis satisfaction.
This was one of dozens of abusive messages posted on the Sentinel forums, including death threats, personal information, personal photos, and suggestions of firebombing and murder targeted at me and others involved in DIY projects.
This constant repetition of fallacious reporting, specious connections, and downright libelous accusations even took root in the press, culminating in what is arguably the worst reporting of Shitstorm 2010. The award goes to KOIN channel 46 Salinas who's lawyers should have immediately broken out into a sweat.
www.indybay.org/newsitems/2010/05/06/18647202.php
KOIN took the report off of their website after a flurry of angry responses, but the damage had already been done.
You'll see in the KOIN reporting a lot of sly connections that were repeated ad naseum by people on the Sentinel forum posting under the name Take Back Santa Cruz.
I hope you'll consider this when you hear members of Take Back Santa Cruz claim that they are a harmless community group open to everyone working for the good of all citizens who have now been unjustly attacked.
I personally reached out to TBSC numerous times, hoping they might promote the event to their members, or at least maybe I could have a one on one discussion with them. I thought they might see some common ground with the Guerilla Drive-in clean up of trash under the Soquel Ave bridge to positively loiter there. (Although I should note that we made a point of respecting homeless folks' personal property, and had no intention of driving them out). But so far, TBSC has continued to ignore my requests. I hope their group is truly diverse enough to move past Dexter Cube's apparent right-wing bent and be willing to at least meet and talk with people.
We can start there if you're looking for 'a point'.
Convicted means GUILTY of a crime in an American court of law.
You DO believe in the American court system don't you?
Refusing dialog with anyone but the cops and their own members tells me they they want SC to be all for them, and the hell with everyone else. They do not wish dialog. This is Neighborhood Watch Gone Wild. They blame innocent people without evidence and without trial simply due to their differing ideals. These are modern day which hunts. I only hope the police tire of all the ridicules calls they get from TBSC... ... ... ...
someone should tell tbsc to block him from their group, now that he is a 'known criminal.' i guess it was ok before, because he was an unknown one.
Hello-
I am writing to tell you that the information you are spreading is untrue. My husband was never "convicted" of anything. Our lawyer is taking care of this matter. We are adding all the appropriate litigants to the case. I am not sure whether or not you are aware that it is against the law to say someone is a "convicted criminal" when they are not. I would like to give you the chance to take this post down before we continue the process.
Analicia Cube
I reported it as spam.
it is VERY IMPORTANT to point it out in a case like this though, because the founders are completely self-righteous and trying to turn this town into an 'us' vs 'them,' a 'good' vs 'bad', telling perhaps naive people untruths about WHO is bad..... when they too, like most, are shades of gray.
plus, the fact that they support meg whitman tips their hand on the kind of hate-filled place they want santa cruz to become.
GUILTY!
Untrue statements of material fact.
Has not changed much, has he.
It will not change the fact that he is.
A 'smear campaign'? Give me a break. This is the truth. Sorry if you do not like it.
As part of a national conservative effort to take control through local-level politics, the founders of Take Back Santa Cruz have used their cover as a concerned community group to consistently hammer a safety and anti-crime message home to the local press, the police, and elected officials, while at the same time rejected any offers to dialogue with anyone who remotely disagrees.
Dexter Cube, local business owner and conservative lobbyist, is one of the Take Back Santa Cruz founders and administrators along with his wife Analicia Lesnowicz Cube, Heather Lesnowicz Babcock, and Ian Blake Babcock. Both Mr and Ms. Cube have been removed from the list of administrators from the Take Back Santa Cruz Facebook group since the publishing of this article.
To be clear, the important question isn't whether Dexter Cube is or isn't a convicted SEC trader. He is. And though it was a few years ago, it is not irrelevant to the discussion about "crime" in Santa Cruz and the focus of Take Back Santa Cruz in particular.
Take Back Santa Cruz is described in the press as an "anti-crime advocacy group." Their website says TBSC was "founded by a group of community leaders willing to take action against criminal and abusive behavior."
However, TBSC's view of criminal behavior is inconsistent and myopic. TBSC tends to lump murder and assault with other serious social problems like drug use, property damage, and sleeping outside when you don't have a home.
At times, merely having opposing viewpoints is enough the raise the wrath of TBSC. After the May Day events, TBSC sent and posted calls for action against anarchist cafe SubRosa, Indybay as a domestic terrorist organization, Guerilla Drive-In, Free Skool Santa cruz, and specific individuals seen as "agitators."
Much has been made on the TBSC site over the minor infractions of homeless people and activists. Clarkie Clark and Kirsten Attlesey, two TBSC admins, regularly post updates and snarky editorials about the arrests, court appearances, and trials of people trying to make change outside of the system or those merely struggling to survive within it.
In this self-righteous and hysterical context, Dexter Cube's criminal record is relevant and illuminating. Whether two years ago or yesterday, it clearly says that there is a standard of justice for us over here in our suburban westside neighborhood, and another standard of justice for the rest of you criminals.
After TBSC accused them of planning and coordinating the May Day violence, SubRosa Cafe wrote that "most of the accusations leveled at SubRosa are coming from Take Back Santa Cruz, a group of white, upper-middle class, vaguely conservative people." Nothing could be further for the truth. Dexter Cube, whose family is of Filipino origin, is himself a person of color, and many TBSC members are non-white. The categorization of TBSC members as mostly upper-middle class may be more accurate, though there is a wide breadth of socio-economic levels.
The claim that TBSC has a "vaguely conservative" agenda is the least accurate. The founders of TBSC are very conservative for Santa Cruz and talk openly of a pendulum swing to the right, toward law and order, vigorous policing, and an end to criminals and agitators. TBSC members have called for the replacement of most of the city council, and tougher judges. They have alternately railed against the Santa Cruz City Council for not taking a serious enough stand against crime, and praised them for their anti-crime stands, such as hiring more police officers.
The council and SCPD in turn have courted Take Back Santa Cruz with vigor, praising not only their clean-up efforts, but their vigilante, pro-cop stance against crime, vagrancy, and community organization. Ryan Coonerty (who teaches constitutional law) echoing the words of TBSC, suggested that you should reclaim space for the community and, seemingly contradictorily, if you see people standing around in parks you should call 911.
The name of the group itself echoes conservative efforts to "Take Back America." This is a resurgence of Regan's Moral Majority for a more-militant 21st century, going back as least half a decade with GOP strategy manuals and far-right conservative books: "Taking America Back: A Radical Plan to Revive Freedom, Morality, and Justice," "Taking America Back," and "Rules for Radical Conservatives: Beating the Left at Its Own Game to Take Back America." In "2010: Take Back America: A Battle Plan," a GOP manual for a conservative takeover, the author suggests "Your attacks don’t have to be ideological. They just have to resonate with the voters."
That's true. Blackshirts, Skinheads and Neo-Nazis come from "...a wide breadth of socio-economic levels..." too.
As far as racist goes... Filipinos can be racists too, and the Japanese think Koreans are kin to dogs... what of it?
You may have different info, but in this debate, I honestly don't think reckless innuendo helps. We've already seen too much of that from the right-wing nutjobs.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smear_campaign
Help me understand the difference between posting factual things about Dexter Cube and the fictional things he posted on behalf of Take Back Santa Cruz here:
We have known that the Anarchist in Santa Cruz (one of the most radical groups in the country) have been planning to take our community down. We have documentation of the plans and threats they have placed on our community.
The one person who was arrested received the information to attack us at Sub Rosa Cafe. This is an Anarchist Cafe located at 703 Pacific on the corner of Spruce. They have been preaching to take down our communities economy and people for over 2 years. There is a sign over the door that reads "NO POLICE OR FBI BEYOND THIS POINT". This property is owned by Busenhart. One of their leaders Wes Modes will be in court on May 14th.
Wes Modes is an agitator. He recruits UCSC students to do his dirty work. He assaulted a police officer and plead guilty.
He WAS planning on playing a movie illegally tonight to raise money for lawyers. (BOO HOO Someone snitch on him and called the copyright owners) Guess what? shhh they are going to do it EVERY TIME you run your GUERRILLA DRIVE-IN with your buddy AND chemistry teacher at Santa Cruz High Stacey Falls. It's a felony ;-)
Well, turns out our buddies at 703 Pacific with their "NO POLICE OR FBI" signs and their fliers encouraging mayham might have just been busted...FINALLY. Busenhart owns the property so feel free to contact them and express your dis satisfaction.
Until you can address this hypocrisy, maybe you could shut the fuck up about a smear campaign.
Have you pondered the fact that this fiction is only going to make all of us that want a free DIY community look like witch hunting kooks? These are lies. I know because one of the things you claim he said was on the Sentinel "Coo-Coo" Topix Boards without a name. What, now you are Oz?
This is big brother BS!! Mole Hill meet Mountain.
What it comes down to is this:
Would you be willing to meet together for the purpose of increased understanding
and the potential to make Santa Cruz better?
Do we(and Santa Cruz) have something to gain from such a meeting?
If so, lets stop the name calling.
and begin a dialogue.
"I'm MUCH to busy right now..." as he rolled up his cruiser window and drove slowly away"
-----------------------------------
A group of officers stopped by the drum circle early last week.
A location, by the SW corner of the Soquel bridge, officer Harms had indicated just two weeks before WAS appropriate as long as we "didn't fuck up the plants".
We didn't "fuck them up."
This group of occifers on atvs, ostensibly patrolling the 'heroin highway'(tm)(C) by the levee, told us that we couldn't be there. They claimed it as a 'planter' (wood chips, no irrigation, no batterboards or signage).
When I pointed out that I had MORE than clarified what Harms meant when he said "Don't blah blah", this officer said, and I quote...
"So?"
Later, the sergeant said "I'll talk to Harms about it..."
Yeah... RIGHT! Over a beer and laughing about it.
These people, as a cohort, are INTRINSICALLY HYPOCRITES, and anything they say will be used to stall, confuse, and confound.
They HAVE their agenda...
As one person put it on the Topix Forum:
"Westside Dad": "We don't want Santa Cruz to be unique anymore. Get It?"
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/santa-cruz-ca/T8MQPL9AP9V0V0CK3/post210
Got it!
Too bad YOU AREN'T gonna "get it".
Dialog puts them one step closer to having it...
Their words mean shit...
They'll SAY anything.
(They'll even sign things with their fingers crossed behind their backs and a 'so sue me' attitude about the future of the agreement)
Heck! They routinely ignore their own laws when it's to their advantage.
That's where the picture above comes in... Illegal camping in front of a downtown theatre... Ten AM the next morning, and NOT ONE FUCKING CITATION! At lest ONE officer refused to do his duty with the comment:
"I'm MUCH to busy right now..." as he rolled up his cruiser window and drove slowly away"
The problem is corruption, NOT misunderstanding or understanding, or anything else.
They're used to just taking what they want, and if you talk with them... dialog, whatweverthefuck you want to call it, they'll just take it behind your back, while your doing that.
That's what's been happening all along... and that's the way it WILL continue if we compromise with them.
Saw them on routine patrol down or non-emergency detail down the block.
This image: SW corner of Lincoln & Pacific - The supervisory type SUV (License plate: CA EXEMPT 1153569) was parked NOT ONLY in front of a fire hydrant, but so close to the intersection that at least one pedestrian I observed (in the three minutes or so I hung around) almost got run down attempting to cross because he couldn't see around or over the SUV and the driver of the car, who rolled thru the as yet skeletal stop line, couldn't see the ped.
They do this with arrogant impunity.
Harms was spotted driving this one away at 8:30 pm or so.
License: CA EXEMPT 1156720
That's an hour of absolutely illegal parking after first observation
Like the people who cut their paychecks, and their 'cheering section' TBSC, the DTA, they ARE corrupt.
From enforcement practices to parking practices, to their failure to comply with the state charter in re housing, to what they tell their own citizens about crime and WHY the crime they so fear seems rampant, they, the city of Santa Cruz, it's police department, and it's hypocritical (KNOWINGLY) cheerleaders ARE institutionally corrupt, and it precludes ANY 'dialog'.
A state AG investigation for a RICO ACT conspiracy indictment is more in order.
After the May Day property damage and after we'd been directly attacked by law and order groups in town, I still wanted to talk. I had hundreds of conversations with anarchists, shop keepers who's windows were busted, radicals who supported attacks on capitalism, liberal little old ladies, angry local valley-go-home bro dudes, homeless people, conservative homeowners, neighbors, anyone who was interested it expressing their thoughts and feelings. We talked about violence and anarchism and community and doing-it-ourselves and the town and cops and things we love and things we hate.
I wanted more people to be talking, so I helped organize the Downtown Community Dialogues with NVC Santa Cruz and the Hub. And I reached out several times by email and phone, as did others, to Take Back Santa Cruz.
TBSC and the DTA boycotted the dialogues and didn't inform their memberships. They made it clear, dialogue is off the table. They aren't interested in talking to me, or to others they disagree with. They have blocked anyone from their group who is supportive of DIY projects or anyone who is a friend of someone supportive of DIY projects.
Still to this day, I am trying to see the members and administrators of TBSC as human beings and am open to talking with them to try and find common ground. But to be honest, I don't think it's going to happen. I am loosing faith that Take Back Santa Cruz is about community and working to solve problems together and doing good work in the world.
There is a smear campaign going on here, yes, but it's not about Dexter Cube being a corporate criminal. It's a campaign of fingerpointing and misdirected blame directed at real community groups, working within our communities, providing community space, education, and entertainment for free, connecting people, and giving from their hearts
I say this because, as I recall, neither he nor anyone else as Subrosa wanted to say a word after the damage done on May 1. "No comment" seemed to be the only comment. I found it particularly humorous watching Jennifer Charles tell the reporter from Channel 6 that she wasn't going to speak with him because "he wasn't very nice to me this morning".
So. If Subrosa and company get to pick and choose who and when they speak to someone, why should it be any different for others?
Wes, you can speak about DIY and all the peaceful activites of the Subrosa family all you like, but it won't erase the real history of the cafe in the minds of many of us here in Santa Cruz.
-You were at the spearhead of the tree sit and the violence that occurred there. Jennifer the spokesperson, you the band leader.
-You were throwing fundraisers for AETA 4 while they were being charged with issuing death threats to UCSC faculty.
-Your trash orchestra was posting on Peter Youngs website that you'd be happy to help create a distraction while he robbed a bank; "seriously".
-You scrubbed the two pictures that showed you instigating the contact with the cop at the Farmers Market. Scrubbed it here anyway; while leaving Grrants before and after pictures to try and look the victim. But I remember the two that showed you going at it, and the cops have those two, and I suspect its why you had to plead guilty.
So bottom line? What I see is you picking and choosing when you admit to your radical leanings, and when you try to portray it as nonviolent community building. Personally, I see the violent side. And as such, I find this sudden "namastay" presentation as unbelievable.
Put it this way? I don't believe that, were it not for the fact that the town is suddenly down on you and your Subrosa crew and watching you like hawks, that you'd be spending any effort to engage in dialogue with TBSC.
What a crock of shit. Do you think that if you string a bunch of accusations together and randomly conflate hella shit without proof that people are such sheep that they will believe you?
This is a pretty desperate grasping at straws. But, hey why stop there?
* SubRosa staff are responsible for the string of bank robberies in Santa Cruz in the 90s
* There is documented proof that the tree sitters gave material support to the Taliban
* Wes Modes carries a sawed off shot gun in his car
* A group of old ladies walking along the levy were beat up by black-masked anarchists as recently as LAST TUESDAY
* I personally saw Jennifer (real name Bukowski or something Polish) Charles break all the windows out of Urban Outfitters
* The four kids charged under AETA were under watch by the FBI for a decade and are going to be strung up for a string of ELF arsons across the states
* Free Skool Santa Cruz teaches people TO MAKE BOMBS!
* Local anarchists have killed 1 person a day since February AND THE POLICE DO NOTHING!
* Wes Modes is a leader of Hamas
* SubRosa staff have devil-worshiping orgy bible burnings WITHOUT A PERMIT
* Trash Orchestra paid drum circle bums 5 dollars a piece to annoy Farmer's Market vendors
* People HATE SubRosa and has no support! None! EVERYONE hates it! HATES IT! it is loathes and abhored, absolutely disliked. And I will keep repeating it until I believe it!
* The police will arrest anyone even talking about the concept of anarchism BECAUSE THEY ARE TERRORISTS
How about you? Get here a few years ago? In the tech boom, maybe?
...and *I* wasn't invited?
Dang 'Vanguard' Anarchists, they always leave the proles out of the GOOD stuff!
You forgot one tho... Barack Obama, a Muslim, and sleeper agent for Osama bin-Laden, is part of the Subrosa collective and has been seen hanging around 'outside the wire' with the roadie kids exchanging Pruno and Kief recipes while bogarting a bottle of Two Buck Chuck.
And yes, I'm aware of the community events you've been involved in. And imo, some are good and some are bad. And that's essentially my point: its a package deal. Your spectrum of participation shapes your reputation. And I believe your spectrum, and Subrosas, to be a bit more radical and confrontational than its attempting to be presented since May 1.
If you believe I've misrepresented your or the cafe's role in regards to my above comments about your prior actions, from my original post, I invite clarification.
Albeit different ideology, I see little difference between the tactics of TBSC and yourself. You both appear to be unahappy with current community conditions, and as such feel compelled/justified to motivate and activate your respective communities . TBSC with gatherings where violence has occurred or with a cleanup. You by rallying at the treesits or Farmers Market. I have never engaged in either groups activity.
Wes Modes November 4, 2009 at 6:28pm
Heather, I applaud your efforts to take back Santa Cruz. Though I have concerns about the group's support for the other armed gang in town, the police. While I know at times they can be helpful, often they escalate violence, alienate victims, cast suspicions on survivors, and enforce destructive laws. New Year's last year in Oakland was but one of many examples.
Do you think it is possible to take responsibilities for our streets and our own safety without having to court the police and the violence and coercion they represent?
Wes
November 4, 2009 at 8:17pm
Thanks for your ideas, but that is not the aim of this organization. Good luck with your ideals.
Wes Modes November 5, 2009 at 11:25am
Thanks. No I really meant it as a real question. I'd like to hear your thoughts if you have time. Or I guess a related questions is: Why do you and others think it is necessary to court the police in order to take back our town? I'm trying to understand where others are coming from.
Wes Modes November 5, 2009 at 11:28am
Heather, did you block me from this group because I asked questions about how we might Take Back Santa Cruz without relying on the police?
November 5, 2009 at 4:26pm
Wes-
First, I did block you from the group. The reason that I did is because of the statement you must of read on our site that is located under the info tab and to the left of the screen. It states very clearly "We support the Santa Cruz police department. We support emergency services. We support the Santa Cruz fire department." We only want members that agree with that statement. There are many other groups on facebook that share your views.
Second, in regards to your question. "Do you think it is possible to take responsibilities for our streets and our own safety without having to court the police and the violence and coercion they represent?" I wonder if that is truly a question. It looks more like a loaded statement to me. However, I will answer it. We are working on things that the people of Santa Cruz can do to take personal responsibility for their town. None of which will be against the police department or without their knowledge. We here at Take Back Santa Cruz believe that we can achieve our goals by working with as many people as possible.
Again, good luck.
HBabcock
A community group that I'd respect is one that works in its own neighborhood to try to unite people around common issues they share (as did the door-to-door organizers of this block party), poverty, violence, security, and so on. Not one that goes to other communities as an intimidating presence. I want to see less, not more, coercive solutions to our communal challenges. I'm in favor of communities of mutual support, not reactionary authoritarian vigilantes.
Since then (and well before May Day) I sent emails and made phone calls to initiate dialogue.
So let's be real. TBSC doesn't want to talk to anti-authoritarians, and honestly that is fine (a basic tenant of anarchism is voluntary association). But the claims that the anarchists in town are "tearing down our community brick by brick" seem a little flat when we work with community groups all the time and have been reaching out to you since the creation of Take Back Santa Cruz.
the atmosphere of SC from what has been an ugly, greedy class war into
a positive meeting of minds and a caring approach to what has been
wrong in SC for too, too long is a disappointment. again.
The real criminals are the ones allowed to steal the public blind on
Wall St. and walk away on probation (Twice). Or to spend 100's of
millions for campaigns in a year when they want to cast grandma out into
the street. My advice? Leave SC to the dogs that scratch there.
Nothing more pathetic than a beautiful place with such ugly ass people.
They make the Homeless look down right pretty.
Here in Berkeley we have alot of the same problems, and yes, and even the same
type of Assholes with the "can't we all get along"crap. All the while, people are dying and the
moneyed interests are not a whit interested in "getting along". Norse understands this.
While you have your "Save the Vegetable Garden." Fundraiser and have endless
"Community meetings" to toss your ex-friends out of the squat. We are doing ALL
the heavy lifting. When the going gets tough up here in B-Town I can always count on
seeing Norse. But I have NEVER seen or heard of you. When the War is over I'm
sure I will though. We know this is a thankless task that is made only for someone
who can appreciate the spiritual rewards it brings. But to see a snot, put down someone
who you are not worthy of, just takes the cake. I don't know Wes. but you not liking him
makes him O.K. in my book.
I may be considered naive or unfashionable, but I don't really think Dexter Cube's background is terribly relevant. It's not clear to me TBSC has attacked people for their past "criminal history" so they can't really be called hypocrites for supporting Cube.
The important thing is what he, TBSC, and the rest of us are doing now.
Likewise, I think it's a waste of time to respond to ideologically-motivated attacks on Wes. He has his faults; he has his virtues. He's not holding closed meetings with the City Council and the SCPD and motivating the hiring of 8 more cops downtown to crack down further on the poor there.
I could critique Sub Rosa, Wes as a leader, etc., but that's not the topic of this thread.
The issue, as I've seen it, is not whether Cube was a convicted corporate criminal a decade ago. But whether TBSC is a functionally anti-homeless group in its actions regardless of its protestations in 2010. Turning in panhandlers, destroying homeless camps, conflating "drug use" with major crime, attacking the downtown scene as unusually dangerous because of the presence of the street scene---all these seem to me the earmarks of an anti-homeless worldview.
Does TBSC view panhandlers as criminals?
Does TBSC back the useless endless "more police" meatgrinder "war on drugs"?
Is TBSC a stalking horse for political candidates coming up this fall who would back the reactionary Robinson/Coonerty agenda at City Council--which involves more repressive laws against the poor, more power to the cops, and less transparency in government?
Does TBSC have nothing to propose but "more prisons", "deport immigrants" (as an unspoken theme), and vigilante support of a reactionary police agenda?
Is TBSC masquerading as a "public safety" group, but is really a police empowerment group, using the deaths and injuries of the last year as a platform to fan hysteria?
I suppose my conclusions are foreshadowed by my questions. I don't have lots of patience with anti-homeless bigots. Trying to convert racists is not something I want to spend my time doing. People have a right to their opinions, draw their own conclusions from their experience, and we can then judge from what they say and do whether we want to join in or not.
On the other hand, TBSCans have always been invited to call in to my radio show--and have almost never responded. Why bother with your critics if you have the ear and the balls of the City Council in hand?
The focus on Wes is a diversion and smacks of the anti-Communist hysteria of the 50's. Why look at the whole repressive system of Downtown Ordinances creating anger? Why challenge a police force that regularly humiliates poor people and tickets them for non-offenses? When rage erupts, why not blame anarchists, communists, aliens, and jews?
The whole anti-anarchist hysteria has little or nothing to do with real public safety, but seems to be part of a broader cultural war to "clean out" downtown of visibly poor people, particularly rebellious poor people.
As I and others have said, the stupidity of blaming and targeting the poor for the crimes of wealthy is ageold. It also seems to be an inevitable part of a deteriorating economic scene.
If you're saying that in doing these events they are attacking the homeless, then are you admitting that it's the homeless committing the drug sales and use, leaving garbage in our open spaces, and committing gang activity? If this is the case, then shouldn't that fact be looked at? If this is true, then shouldn't you be working with that segment of our population to try and dissuade that kind of behavior rather than enable it?
You also seem to be drawing a correlation between Wes being discussed and that being an attack against the homeless. Wes is neither homeless, unemployed, or poor. Quite the contrary. Please explain why you think talking about Wes and his activities is an attack on the homeless. There seems to be no connection.
As for the behaviors TBSC speaks up about. How do we know for sure that the drug activity, vandalism, littering and gang members are not from housed, employed people/families? When I read what TBSC has to say I don't automatically think it's pointed at homeless. I don't think many people instantly think it's about the homeless. But for some reason you do. Again, are you saying based on first hand knowledge that the connection is because people you know ARE doing these things?
I just see you trying to insert something here that is not obviously connected.
Here is the ACTUAL invitation sent by Wes on facebook. It is FILLED with lies intended to scare people away from TBSC. Notice the free food, nice touch. I like that he also says that he lives in Lower Ocean, when we all know he lives in Felton. This article about Dexter appears to be another attempt to smear TBSC's good name.
I would like to add that on the photo image for this invitation was an African American being handcuffed by a white police officer:
On Feb 26th, a group called "Take Back Santa Cruz" will descend upon the Lower Ocean Neighborhood (in front of the Little Caesar's at Ocean and Barson @ 6:30pm).They will be advocating an increased police presence, more surveillance cameras, and for neighbors to "call the cops first and ask questions later".
While this group claims to promote a "safer" Santa Cruz, we feel that their goals will make most of us in the Lower Ocean neighborhood less safe.
We will not be safer if cameras watch our every move or if the police feel welcome to enter people's homes, harass groups hanging out, and report people they detain to ICE.
Rather than create an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust, where we jump to calling the police before we talk to each other, we want to live in a community where we know our neighbors and take care of each other.
Let's get together to have a good time and talk about the future of our community.
FRIDAY
FEB 26th
@The end of Barson street (down the stairs as you cross the Laurel bridge, at the corner of Laurel and San Lorenzo)
BBQ/Potluck
music
discussion
FREE FOOD!
loitering is a naturally positive occurrence that builds community. your event had no lasting effect as it was merely reactionary. if you really want to 'take back' santa cruz, become the people that you want to be on the streets. you do not need an event to do it, just the willingness to actually get to know your neighbor. all your 'they will fear us to' surly is an awful way to let peace be on the streets of this town.
tbsc sucks ass.
Whatevs... Keep telling yourself whatever you need to.
Here's something that might help: wikipedia.org/...
We've done it before-- the Black Panthers, the Brown Berets, the Motherfuckers.
This is even more necessary for the colored people. With all the pressure of ICE and TBSC cracking down on our immigrant and brown-skinned populations, there is no better time for this than now. I will not sit by and watch ICE deport my people. Let TBSC and ICE try to harass us when we challenge them openly in public. Who's with me?
ya fucking basta.
Many homeless people with medical conditions use marijuana medicinally (or recreationally), yet because of their visibility they are police targets---and the targets of vigilante groups like TBSC.
Santa Cruz has been the leader (shamefully enough) in a series of laws criminalizing innocent behavior like sleeping at night, non-obstructive sitting, peaceful sparechanging, playing music for donation, and even political tabling (in reaction to homeless protests).
When TBSC announces it's going to “clean up” areas and “turn in” “illegal” behaviors of panhandlers, campers, etc., then it doesn't take a law degree to know who is either being targeted or swept up in their shotgun targeting.
Particularly when they call for “more police”, one of whose main major visible pastimes seems to be harassment and ticketing of poor and homeless people downtown and around town.
Using recent shootings and knife-slayings to pump up the fear and hysteria to encourage “community action” around a police department-approved agenda (with many meetings in the police department itself) is additionally misguided if not cynical.
TBSC has never specifically called for the protection of homeless people by reforming the laws and police practices so that we, at least, accord with the legal situation in Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno, and Richmond—whetr the Sleeping Bans, for instance, have been repealed.
Nor have they responded to many invitations to come on Free Radio Santa Cruz. Perhaps they don't want to "lower themselves"?
One reason TBSC prefers not to be transparent and engage in open dialogue may be that they don't feel their prejudices are strong enough to withstand a public debate. Another may be the kind of arrogance we find in City Council members--why bother to engage in dialogue, if you have the power already--or think you do?
The Motherfuckers, even as they served free meals, and 'free stores', scared the living crap out of glorified street thug Bill Graham and his Hells Angels 'protection'... put the HAs on notice about 'fucking with the hippies' and told Billy to his face, that if he didn't let them have a free night at the Fillmore East, there would no longer be a physical entity called the 'Fillmore East'.
Serious biz.
Ben's still out there. Writing poetry with a political edge.
http://e-blast.squarespace.com/
Makes one kind of wonder what Wes and friends will be doing in 40 years considering they run scared over threatening phone calls from do-nothing loudmouths.
Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers (often referred to as simply "the Motherfuckers", or UAW/MF) was an anarchist affinity group based in New York City. This "street gang with analysis" was famous for its Lower East Side direct action and is said to have inspired members of the Weather Underground and the Yippies.
The Motherfuckers grew out of a Dada-influenced art group called Black Mask with elements of another group called Angry Arts. Formed in 1966 by painter Ben Morea and the poet Dan Georgakas, Black Mask produced a broadside of the same name and declared that revolutionary art should be "an integral part of life, as in primitive society, and not an appendage to wealth."[1] In May 1968, Black Mask changed its name and went underground. Their new name, Up Against the Wall Motherfuckers, came from a poem by Amiri Baraka. Abbie Hoffman characterized them as "the middle-class nightmare... an anti-media media phenomenon simply because their name could not be printed."[2]
Early Motherfuckers included Tom Neumann, the stepson of Herbert Marcuse, John Sundstrom, and Alan Hoffman.
The Motherfuckers contributed to New York City's counterculture by setting up crash pads, serving free food, starting a free store, and helping radicals connect with doctors and lawyers. They were opposed to and resisted on principle any attempt to impose order on the political demonstrations they participated in. Among other things, the Motherfuckers instigated brawls with Maoist groups such as the Progressive Labor Party.[citation needed] They were the first to use the term "Affinity Group".[citation needed]
* 1967 - Forced their way into The Pentagon during an anti-war protest.[3]
* Became the only non-student chapter of Students for a Democratic Society.[citation needed]
* 1968 - "Assassinated" poet Kenneth Koch (using blanks).[citation needed]
* Helped occupy and hold one of the buildings at the Columbia University takeover.[citation needed]
* Dumped uncollected refuse from the Lower East Side into the fountain at Lincoln Center on the opening night of a gala "bourgeois cultural event" during a NYC garbage strike (an event documented in the 1968 Newsreel film Garbage).[4]
* 1969 - Organized and produced free concert nights in the Fillmore East, featuring such groups as the MC5, after successfully demanding that owner Bill Graham give the community the venue for a series of weekly free concerts. These "Free Nights" were short-lived as the combined forces of NY City Hall, the police, and Graham terminated the arrangement.[5]
* Cut the fences at Woodstock, allowing thousands to enter for free.[3]
Eventually, as the political and economic climate changed toward 1970–1971, the Motherfuckers ceased concentrated activities in New York City, stopped referring to themselves as UAW/MF, and many members moved to New Mexico, California, and other states. Morea himself moved with his wife to the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, where they lived for five years on horseback, gathering and poaching game. Other UAW/MF members became loosely absorbed into an interconnected network of communes and collectives known as Armed Love (a term coined by Ben Morea). With Black Bear Ranch as a spiritual center, the Armed Love collectives spread out along the rural and urban coastline of California and Oregon, existed in Vermont, New Mexico, and other locations. As Motherfucker Terry C. once stated, "Motherfuckers was just a form. That time is past. It's time to move on."
This and more at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_motherfuckers
UAW may have ben involved in the occupation of Loeb Student Center, but there were a number of players in that 'game' seeing as it was the largest part of the occupation at the Downtown campus
An illumination... TS was using an old LARGE storefront by NYU. The shell of a short-lived restaurant called 'Hungry Charlie's'. They attempted, as Subrosa is doing, a 'community space' and hangout for the movement people and 'hippies'. After the WU came under intense pressure following the Chicago "Days of Rage"(aka "Days of Stupidity") and the deaths of 3 WU members in a failed attempt to build a bomb, also destroying a Village townhouse (AFAIK, by people NOT affiliated with TS), Transcendental Students inexorably hunkered down in their storefront, became increasingly paranoid, institutionally sociopathic as a matter of fact, and eventually blacked out their windows becoming totally, ineffectively, insular.
There's a lesson for the Subrosa kids in there somewhere. Because, in my estimation, you're already insular... A clique', NOT a collective, and therefore easy to isolate and neutralize, or certainly, infiltrate.
To the best of MY knowledge, NO ONE ever infiltrated UAM/MF, but I'm sure TS had been, and the agents probably resided comfortably behind those blacked out windows with the rest of them.
Dudes! All it took were a few crank calls, and it UTTERLY disrupted your storefront operation.
I can only imagine what would happen if the 'weather'(sic) got bad.
UAW WAS involved @ Columbia, but they were not, to the best of my knowledge, 'building occupiers' except for the fact that, like 'Yippie!', with who they were closely affiliated, and damn near every other radical group in the city, they were in the masses occupying the buildings.
As for those living in vehicles, parking on the One between Santa Cruz and Davenport is subject to ticketing. There are no rest stops on the One between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The refusal of City leaders to understand and acknowledge the true causes of violence in Santa Cruz has made the problem worse by now fining homeless people $1,000 for sleeping outdoors. Street people and other homeless refuse to leave Santa Cruz as their friends are here and there is no other place like Santa Cruz in California.
I am sure SubRosa's owner did NOT instigate the breaking of windows on May 1 as that is not the means of anarchism. The shutdown of the Guerilla theater and harrassment at the drum circle are signs that the Bush/Swarzenegger political agenda has not abated despite Santa Cruz being known as a "liberal" town. Liberal politicians should be informed of these oppressive conditions in California as well as tourists who visit Santa Cruz. Causes of violence cannot be buried.
Take Back Santa Cruz claims to be open to the community but the Facebook group, Take Back Santa Cruz is a closed group.
why?
I wouldn't really care other than I've submitted a request to join the FB Take Back Santa Cruz group perhaps 6 times in the last 2 months and each time my request seems to be denied. Does Take BAck Santa Cruz approve all people on Facebook attempting to join or is there a secret password or handshake we need to do to get in?
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