> Rick Stafford wrote: What I would like to see from participants on this list
> is what they think
> >about Green Party candidate Dean Zimmerman's statements regarding the
> >re-opening of the saunas/massage parlors along Lake Street as the solution
> >to prostitutes in our neighborhoods. Something he did at the East Phillips
> >Improvement Coalition and reiterated to the Stevens Square Community
> >resident Becky Moyer last week. Or, his "yes, but..." comment at the Sept.
> >22 rally on Peavy Plaza following the terrorist attack in New York.
> Eva Young wrote: I'd actually be interested in what Dean Zimmerman has to say
> directly about
> this. Is Stafford characterizing his position correctly?
Here is my direct response, sent via Jenny Heiser's e-mail because I am having
some technical problems with the e-mail program on my new computer:
Eva and all,
Thank you for asking me for my comments. I am reproducing here both the
e-letter I sent to the Whittier One listserv, as well as a "Letter To The
Editor" of the Whittier Globe newspaper. Both of these are in response to a
posting by Paulette Will that is inaccurate and, since taken completely out of
context, misrepresents my position on prostitution. I am aware that Dean
Kallenbach, who has never put forward any suggestions on how to deal with the
problems caused by prostitution, is trying to make political hay out of these
statements. I also wish to point out that Becky Moyer and I had a conversation
last week about this topic, as reported by Rick Stafford. However, it was my
understanding from our conversation that Becky was satisfied with my response,
understanding that what I said was lifted wholly out of context by a Kallenbach
supporter/neighbor. I intend to contact Becky to check out if perhaps I
misunderstood or miscommunicated with her.
Post to the Whittier One listserv:
I live on 17th Avenue South and East 24th Street. The other night my
partner, Jenny Heiser, upon returning home in her car, entered our back yard
only to find a prostitute and her client doing their thing in her parking spot.
This is not the first time this sort of scene has been encountered in this part
of town. It is not at all uncommon to find prostitution and its
aftermath (used condoms) in many of the alleys around here. Prostitutes
regularly hang out on a number of street corners in our neighbor-hood making
life miserable for people who live here. The simple fact is that the streets
and alleys of the residential parts of East Phillips have gotten much worse, in
terms of prostitution, since the saunas on Lake Street were
closed a few years ago. The closing of the saunas did not solve the problems
caused by prostitution, they simply moved the problems. Thus, what was a
wonderful gain for businesses of Lake Street turned into a loss for the
residents of certain parts of East Phillips. This is a phenomenon that has
happened previously, i.e. in terms of crack houses. One block organizes to
drive out the crack houses, just to have them pop up in somebody elses life a
few blocks away.
I trust that you can understand that I would like to see prostitution
gone from my alley and the areas around my home. Unlike some, however, I am not
content to just push the problem away into someone else's backyard. I would
like to see a long-term solution found around this issue. Obviously shuttling
the prostitution business back and forth between the
business districts and the neighborhoods is not the answer. I do not have a
definitive solution, so I spend time talking about the problem, asking people
about how the problem affects them and probing for possible solutions. I ask
people for their ideas. I throw out suggestions to people and ask for their
reactions. I ask: Do you think this might work? Do you think that might work?
How about finding an area in an industrial or warehouse type area and moving
the prostitution business there, away from peoples' homes? How about reopening
the saunas on Lake Street? How about sending post cards to the homes of the
Johns? What are other cities doing about this problem. What changes in the
law might help?
For someone to pull one of these probing questions or suggestions out
of context and suggest that somehow it is my "position" on the matter or that I
am advocating such and such a policy is not only dishonest, but it is the kind
of reaction one might expect from those unwilling to deal with this issue head
on.
I really appreciate your inviting me to respond directly about this
serious issue. I hope this clarifies my position to your satisfaction. Please
feel free to contact me again whenever you want to discuss this or any other
issue facing our ward.
Sincerely,
Dean Zimmermann
722-8768
Below, a copy of the letter I sent to the Whittier Globe, in reponse to a
letter from Pauletter Will.
To the Editor:
I would like to set the record straight, I do not advocate reopening the
saunas on Lake Street. I know there are some who claim that this is my
position. I believe these criticisms to be more partisan than factual.
The simple truth is that the streets and alleys of the residential parts
of East Phillips have gotten much worse in terms of prostitution since the
saunas on Lake Street were closed a few years ago. Shuttling prostitution back
and forth between the business districts and the neighborhoods is clearly not
the answer.
While I do not have a definitive solution, I do spend time talking about
this problem, asking people about how this problem affects them and probing for
possible solutions, just as I did at the East Phillips Improvement Coalition
(EPIC) meeting in late August. I ask people for their ideas. I throw out
suggestions to people and ask for their reactions. I ask: Do you think this
might work? Do you think that might work? How about finding an area in an
industrial or warehouse type area and moving the prostitution business there,
away from peoples' homes? How about reopening the saunas on Lake Street? How
about sending post cards to the homes of the Johns? How are other cities
dealing with this problem? What legislative changes might help?
For someone to pull a brainstorming question or suggestion out of
context and purport that somehow it is my "position" on the matter or that I am
"advocating" such and such a policy is not only dishonest, but it is the kind
of reaction one might expect from those unwilling to deal with this issue head
on.
Prostitution is an issue that must be dealt with in our ward.
Prostitution, like drugs, is a part of the underground economy of our ward.
Creative solutions must include dealing with the roots of that economy*more
living wage jobs and more job training programs, for instance. We either think
outside the box, or end up pushing prostitution back and forth
across the city.
I welcome a discussion of real solutions to the problem. I look forward
to this debate moving beyond fingerpointing and misrepresentation for political
gain.
Sincerely,
Dean Zimmermann
Candidate for City Council-Ward 6
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