Taste the Tedium and Terror Tuesday at City Council's Coronations and Chowdown

This sounds unbelievably boring. Are you really going to it? Are you really going to stage a protest? Sounds like a crazy waste of time, but good luck. Hopefully, you'll have more than two attendees to support you and carry signs, so you don't look like the lone silly lunatic in the place.

Folks on Pacific Avenue, the levee, and in the Pogonip have been suffering from property seizures, move-alongs, harassment tickets, and "get out of town" style bullying, according to reports I'm getting

I'm planning to bring complaint forms to document the harassment and create at least paper consequences for some of the cops involved (and indirectly for the policies).

I'm also suggesting people use the time to speak out to each other, share contact information, and organize.

No guarantees anything will happen---but at least there'll be food. It's not really about the City Council at all, except it's also true it's their last meeting of the year, and they're doing nothing, other than maintaining the same bad laws, policies, and personnel they've always had.

Plus, of course, the (outgoing) Mayor (Lane) had a "smart solution Summit" that made no mention of immediate emergency shelter, campgrounds, or safe parking spaces nor a let-up in the criminalization of the homeless for the overwhelming majority of homeless people in Santa Cruz. And there'll be a 5 PM Public Safety (sic) Committee meeting on Monday the 17th to consider further harassment of the homeless in response to the needles-and-feces crowd. Oh, and the incoming Mayor (Bryant) hasn't moved to press for any restoration of the SCPD discarded bikes being given to the Bike Church instead of the more upscale Bryant-spouse connected for-profit Bike Dojo. Or so I am reliably informed. (Bryant still refuses to make her Council e-mails public).

These are all matters than be discussed face-to-face with the Council gang as they munch out at the Civic.

I've confirmed with Lane that the feed in the Civic will be happening; incoming Councilman Micah Posner has extended a hearty welcome to homeless people and anyone else who wants to come.

To file an Internal Affairs Complaint (or at least get the form to do so), go to http://www.cityofsantacruz.com/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=9334 . You then download it, fill it out, and go into the copshop M-Th 9 AM - 4 PM. I'd advise asking for a stamped dated copy to prove you've filed it. I'm not clear if they require ID.

I don't advise people to file these complaints with any expectation of having one sustained. Rather they establish a record of what has happened (not available to the public unless you publicize your copy) and are available to defense attorneys in court cases that challenge the credibility or violence of officers. Last I heard, they remain in the files for 5 years.

Property owners for securing property seized by police have been expanded, according to Sara at 420-5800 X3. The hours are now Tuesdays and Thursdays 12:30 PM - 2:30 PM.

Tomorrow on Free Radio Santa Cruz, I'll be playing a bit of audio, including an angry interview with the owner of the Bike Dojo between 6 and 6:30 PM at 101.3 FM, streams at http://tunein.com/radio/FRSC-s47254/. To catch archives of the show (and others) go to http://www.huffsantacruz.org and look under "Bathrobespierre's Broadsides". Call in at 427-3772 if you have any thoughts.