More Bucks for Busts, Slashing Social Services & Rain Rousts- Come to Freedom Sleepout #72

For the 72nd time, community activists who call themselves Freedom Sleepers [FS] create a one-night refuge for homeless folks against the city-wide ban on sleeping outside in a city shelter for less than 5% of 1000-2000.


DARK AGENDA IN A DARKENING ERA (from City Manager Martin Bernal and his underlings)
For hardnosed veterans interested in confronting a Trump-minded City Council, here are a few of the agenda items and their approximate time:

12:30 pm [Open Interval of the Closed Session] City Manager's Performance Evaluation City Manager Martin Bernal is the most powerful and highly paid official in town; the anti-homeless policies supporting increased police harassment of protesters and homeless must have his approval.
2 pm [Afternoon Session]
#16 $217,000 for more rangers and more surveillance to deal with "crimes" like camping and loitering
#17 More Talk about the Housing Crisis: no Funding.
#18 More power to ticket vehicles for the parking enforcers.
#21 Prohibits growing any recreational marijuana in your fenced off yard even if not visible from the street

5 PM (approx) [Oral Communications] 2 minutes or less at the whim of Mayor Mathews: say what you want to the audience, those watching on tv, and the (shudder) City Council but act with others to create the changes Council refuses to look at.

7 pm [Evening Session] Move to shaft the pitiful remaining social services: redistribute the $1,000,000 Community Programs budget to new areas and thereby substantially reduce awards to programs or projects that support Early Childhood Education, Seniors and Homeless Services. Petition opposing this at 521.seiu.org/CommunityFunding
e-mail the Council at citycouncil [at] cityofsantacruz.com


DEMANDS FOR CORAL STREET REFORM
Last week long-time homeless local Brian Denson spent 4 nights shivering outside the Homeless (Lack of) Services Center surrounded by picket signs protesting exclusion, retaliation, denial of services, and discrimination there. SCPD's Officer Cross reportedly demanded he discard a blanket he was wrapped up in as he sat in a small chair. Also that he stand rather than sit or be charged with "camping" last Thursday night. He was illegally given a Blanket Ban ticket in the early evening of November 17th, several hours before "laying out bedding" becomes a crime.

While FS activists with video, signage, and copies of the law and the Constitution have apparently deterred Sleeping Ban citations on the sidewalk for one night a week, SCPD and their Rampaging Ranger allies engage in regular sleep deprivation and ticketing activities on other nights. Recent Ranger and First Alarm Guard thugs-on-patrol expeditions have ousted homeless people from the shelter of the library, the Metro, and other places into the rain.


BERKELEY'S POOR TOUR TENT CITY ROLLS ON
Free Radio Santa Cruz [FRSC] is airing interviews and updates on Berkeley's "Poor Tour"--featured in the November issue of Street Spirit. This is a homeless newspaper available at the Sub Rosa and also on line at thestreetspirit.org (though the site lags behind the print issue). FRSC is currently streaming at freakradio.org with reports aplenty on line Thursdays 6-8 PM and Sundays 9:30 AM to 2 PM.
For Berkeley Poor Tour Background see http://www.housethehomeless.org/activism-in-berkeley/
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/38166-we-re-homeless-and-we-vote-homeless-people-want-a-voice-in-this-election


ANOTHER POLICE SHOOTING
The Sentinel reports Sheriff Hart has released selected video of Deputy Chris Vigil shooting 15-year old Luke Smith with his AR-15 rifle as Smith--armed with a 4" knife--struggled with a police dog a week ago Saturday. http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/20161121/sheriffs-office-footage-shows-teen-fatally-shot-by-deputy-in-corralitos Initial reports indicate multiple shots. 11 police officers were involved.

Liberation News and HUFF activists will be demanding an independent investigation, release of all video, a change in the shoot-to-kill policies, and other reforms around this shooting and the Sean Arlt slaying [still no video or audio or killer officer name released]. The protest is part of a continuing demand for fundamental police reform in the continuing class war being waged against poor and homeless people, activists, and minorities.

Gather at the Town Clock 1:30 PM Saturday November 26th. Justice for Sean Arlt, Luke Smith, and the unarmed community of Santa Cruz.

Limited info on Smith slaying at: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/general-news/20161119/sheriffs-deputy-shoots-kills-knife-wielding-teen-after-two-stabbed-outside-watsonville/1


OTHER PROTESTS and MEETINGS
More Funding for Ranger Rampaging While Slashing Social Services: Rally Against the Shitty Council
GATHER at 5:30pm at Mission Plaza (103 Emmett St) MARCH at 6:00pm RALLY at City Hall at 7:00pm (809 Center St).

HUFF huddle to scheme on strategies of resistance: 11 AM-1 PM Wednesday 11-23 Sub Rosa Cafe

Santa Cruz-Together to End Solitary, rally 12-2 pm, Wed. Nov. 23 corner of Pacific Ave. and Cooper St. 11:30 am - 2:00 pm – rally, speak-out, readers’ theater, take action, write letters to end sleep deprivation torture of people in CA solitary units. for Santa Cruz

For more event information:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/freedomsle...