In todays Strib Article on the City Council allowing for flexible shelter hours, it refers to one shelter provider saying it would require fundraising for more staff and other expenses. and goes on with "If the City Council's action is motivatd by a desire to keep homeless people safe...he supports it. But he would not be pleased 'if the main reason is to remove homeless people from pubic view," especiallydowntown."
The City Council did not vote for this in order to shove people experiencing homelessness out of sight...as some sort of devious way to avoid helping people. Let's stop putting our public servants in a double-bind "yes-but" sort of situation. They responded to the research, lobbying, dialouge not only with the Decrim Task Force (half of which was people who had or were currtently experiencing homelessness), they were responding to the recs of the Community Advisory Board on Homelessness, the Downtown Businessess, the Police--- (Deputy Chief Lubinski was concerned for the suffering of people when I heard her speak to supporting this issue), and to countless others over the years. As Council Person Niziolek said "This was a no-brainer"....as Council Person Lisa Goodman told me "I don't know why this did not happen sooner." Well folks, you have to walk your talk when you claim to be an advocate. ..a nd you have to talk to the people who shape our public policy...and not bash them when they listen to the advocates and advocacy groups that seek change. Shelter providers need to step up and work to get some money--- churches have lots of money--- the Council of Churches raised a lot of money for Katrina...I think they and other sources can raise a bit of money for shelters. I am not ok with abdicating responsibility by trying to paint the City Council as having some ulterior motive. Having it both ways never sat well with me i.e. "Public officials don't care about homeless people, they don't listen to us" and then when you get what you say you want you accuse them of some ulterior motive. I communicate regularly with Michael Stoops, Executive Director of the National Coalition for the Homeless. He was suprised that a city the size of Minneapolis did not already have daytime shelter hours. So, shelter providers should not see this change as some radical change to the world. Again, it is time to step up and figure out how to how plan programs and funding for services. The second guessing to me is simply a way to avoid the responsibility to start making day hours available to people experiencing homelessness. Having been a shelter advocate I know the need and I know that it must happen. Margaret Hastings Kingfield REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:mpls@mnforum.org Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
