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Get the Facts Right At Least : 3/7/2009

It seems the city spokesperson doesn't get it. The lawsuit appears to be saying that you cannot simply throw people out on the street because the calendar clicked another day. Hundreds of people including dozens of Casa residents will be subject to citation and arrest when this happens simply because they have no where else to go. It is not a claim that one has a constitutional right to sleep on the beach but that one has a constitutional right not to be arrested when there is no alternative to sleeping on the beach. The city's policies in requiring the shelter to kick people out is what makes it culpable. How can 200 people receive needed shelter on one day and not need it the next? At the same time fingers need to be pointed at the failure of the county, Goleta and Carpinteria to do almost anything at all to help.

On the beach

: 3/7/2009

Whoa!!!! City Attorney Steve Wiley said "I think the city of Santa Barbara does more for the homeless than any other city in the state". That is a flat out lie! This past week I have been on the phone trying to find shelter for an elderly homeless couple I met at the laundry mat. The woman was in a wheel chair, both of them hadn't bathed in some time. The man wasn't physically able to care for his mate adequately–aside from not bathing, her hair was extremely matted. The only option I was continually referred to was Casa Esperanza. The couple said they had been there, found it not so accommodating, and very dangerous because of the people that were staying there. They chose to sleep in a park instead. I was unable to find other housing for them. This is an atrocity!!!!!!! I would have invited them to my home except my apartment is tiny, not wheel chair accessible, and I have a small child whom I have to consider first, so I just can't welcome people I don't know into my home for safety reasons. I think an excellent newspaper story would be one on Casa Esperanza and how dangerous the place is. Anyone can go there and in one minute assess it's a dangerous place. Several weeks ago when we were having the huge rain storms I met an elderly man in front of Trader Joe's in Goleta. He had a sign and was asking for money. Judging from his physical condition and age there was no way this man was capable of working. I offered to take him to Casa Experanza and he declined, saying he's been there before and it's too dangerous. He didn't want his few possessions stolen there, and he was opting to stay in a tent next to the railroad tracks under a bridge, despite the rain. If this city had acceptable accommodations for homeless people, there wouldn't be so many sleeping at the parks. And dangerous, violent mentally ill homeless people should have separate facilities from homeless people that are not dangerous or violent.

Can't find help but want to

: 3/7/2009

The right to sleep is a human right. A federal court declared laws prohibiting public sleep by homeless people unconstitutional in 'Jones v. City of LA' so Santa Barbara will be forced to repeal its ordinance. For a related film that explores the concept of "right to sleep" see "Love and Fearlessness" at http://blip.tv/file/1165882/

LK

Casa Esperanza : 3/7/2009

It is shocking to think that someone would suggest that Casa Esperanza is dangerous - with only second hand knowledge to go by. Before you throw stones at the agency that is doing the most for the homeless population - an agency that if it were closed would put hundreds of homeless people at greater risk - you should pay them a visit. The shelter is open to the public to visit and volunteer at. And... no you do not have to make an appointment so they can hide all the bad people. I think if you do visit for yourself you will be amazed at how much they offer to those in need and how well they do it. So, please before you throw stones - educate yourself.

Casa Esperanza, a "safe place"? : 3/7/2009

Excuse me, but I stayed at Casa Esperanza when I lost my housing in Santa Barbara and ended up homeless with a baby. The counselor at Casa Esperanza warned me to get out and away from the place during the day, the very first thing in the morning, because, he said, people staying at the shelter have been convicted of just about every crime imaginable, including pedophilia. He knows. He works with the population. He reads their charts. He talks with other mental health and law enforcement professionals about them. The counselor told me this because he was concerned about my baby. During the time that I stayed there, there was a man I was particularly afraid of. I asked the volunteer counselor, a resident of the shelter, about this man, and he assured me that the man was safe. I later witnessed the man engaging in domestic abuse against his wife and preschool-aged son who were also staying at the shelter. This was not the moment I figured out the man was dangerous, however. The day before that, I noticed him starting to go into an agitated state, then start to rage, AT ME, at which point he knocked over a piece of furniture on my baby, who was just beginning to walk around. My baby ended up with a cut in his mouth, bled everywhere, and I had to call the paramedics for help. After this incident, the paid counselor (not the volunteer counselor) at Casa Esperanza apologized to me and told me the volunteer counselor should have never told me that man was safe. I continued for days to watch this man abuse his wife and son, at the shelter (I was in the "family wing" and had the room next to them). I was terrified. I left the shelter just a few days after that, and luckily found someone to stay with while I apartment-hunted. Be careful, renters, not to loose your housing in August when the students have moved back to town. There were more scary things I witnessed at this shelter during my short 5 day stay, but it's too much to write about. My previous posting was about my trying to seek help for homeless people I have recently met. Accusing me of falsely portraying the shelter as unsafe is not only inaccurate, but unproductive. Go spend a few nights there as if you had no where else to go, then put in your two cents worth.

Casa Esperanza "guest"

: 3/7/2009

yes lets please spend more money on the homeless most of whom are from other cities and states and have serious addiction/crime problems better than on the students or libraries or police or fire, yup the homeless is where our frugal city funds should go- hey lets open another shelter- that wont cause more to show up

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished : 3/7/2009

Here is exactly the situation that we were warned about before Casa was built. Build a shelter and it attracts more homeless to the area. Then they force you to expand it to accomodate those extra people that it attracts. The more you give the more they take. Soon you have a homeless mecca that is scareing away tourists and businesses alike. This is one of the most expensive places in the world for anyone to live. If people can't afford to stay here most of them find a town that they can afford. But there are those who feel entitled to take. And take. And take. Perhaps we should burn down Casa and build a new one in the desert. People would then have a place to stay but more would be encouraged to be responsible with and for themselves instad of getting free housing in a nice place.

ACLU - Encouraging people to turn away

Hard Times, and previous poster : 3/7/2009

Sometimes people show up at shelters because very tragic circumstances have happened in their lives. As for the mentally ill, well, their condition is certainly not their fault. (Many drug-addicted people are mentally ill and their drug use is self-medicating behavior to relieve the anguish their illness causes them.) In addition, a lot of people at shelters just don't have the mental capacity to take care of themselves. We should not punish them for that. If you had a child that was developmentally disabled, grew up and couldn't take care of himself, would you spew such hatred if he ended up at a shelter? The couple staying in the room next to mine at Casa Esperanza were Santa Barbara natives. The husband was mentally ill. The wife had her issues, obviously, because she was staying with him. You can't prevent the negative impact some people will have on society. (We can't even prevent the negative impact elected government officials will have on society.) Money does need to be spent on the homeless problem, because the problem is much worse if nothing is done. It's in every town in the U.S. It's a societal problem which is why I get really irritated with people who have no compassion and think the solution is to draw a diving line around "their Santa Barbara", as if they're entitled to this place more than other people who don't fit their specific criteria. We're all in this together, this human race. There is no running away from the problems. If society spent the funds to offer services to people who need help BEFORE they get to the point of homelessness, we wouldn't be reading about or discussing this homeless problem in the first place. Casa Esperanza is more like triage. As anyone can see– those that want money spent on services, and those that don't– it's not the best solution.

Shelter : 3/7/2009

Get real people! The majority of homeless people are addicts, alcoholics, mentally-ill and past criminals - hundreds are not and should not be sterotyped - but most have deep and serious problems. You expect that a shelter that takes in these folks is going be a peaceful shangri-la where people with behavior problems suddenly become happy and productive the minute they walk in? Then on the flip-side there are folks who diotically say that 200 shelter beds is a welcoming magnetic draw, despite the fact that there are 90,000 homeless people in LA County and we can count 800 on the South Coast. It sucks being homeless. It sucks living in a shelter rather that the comfort of your own independence and housing. Hundreds and hundreds of people have had their lives saved by Casa Esperanza - some have not - but the people there never give up and never stop trying to get better. They should be honored for trying. Some folks don't like living in shelters, but today there are 40 people who are desperately praying that they be allowed to stay. Thank God the majority of people in Santa Barbara truly care, know the truth, and always stand up for the people in need and the people who dedicate their lives to helping survive and one day thrive.

Not Giivng Up

To the heartless affluent : 3/7/2009

If we kicked everyone out of town who couldn't afford to live here (also translated in your lingo as "don't deserve to live here"), we'd be kicking out lots of firemen, policemen, paramedics, nurses, government workers, etc., etc., etc. Cottage Hospital would have to close down. Apparently wealth doesn't influence intelligence. Yes, let's kick everyone out who can't afford to live here. Who's going to cook your dinner the next time you go out to a restaurant, or save your life if you get in an auto accident?

not homeless less without home : 3/7/2009

I have spent two and a halve years living on the streets of Santa Barbara I'm disabled and have seen many people being kick out from shelter's for what ever reason's and forced to live in the park's or beach wherever I think as thing's change (meaning a power struggle ) it seem that is a person working at one of the shelter's doesn't live the person will get them kicked out........they do this too believe me ,,,, i think that no one person should have the right to kick some one out.... and if a person is kicked out that person has the right to go in front of a board of people for a hearing(protest it ) also as you get me going I think they should separate the bread from the butter so to speak.. the people who such up from the community and the people who put butter on the community's I mean if they took both shelter's away from the beach and away from the train track's ( where people who get down and out full of dis pare jump in front of the trains )move the shelter's away from Fess Parker Resort. butter doest want to pay 400 a night or so to see homeless pushing shopping cart's around ..... some where more hospital by county holding for court's (county jail) as mental health cut back's from the past forced alot of mental health people to shelter's casa esperanca is a mental holding place---- 80% of people in shelter'e are from drug's and acohale 10% mental they should try to clean them up... these are just my opions breath a lize....... ps If just one life is saved by moving the train away from people really down it's worth every penny.....

march 7 commit

less without home : 3/7/2009

have spent two and a halve years living on the streets of Santa Barbara I'm disabled and have seen many people being kick out from shelter's for what ever reason's and forced to live in the park's or beach wherever I think as thing's change (meaning a power struggle ) it seem that is a person working at one of the shelter's doesn't live the person will get them kicked out........they do this too believe me ,,,, i think that no one person should have the right to kick some one out.... and if a person is kicked out that person has the right to go in front of a board of people for a hearing(protest it ) also as you get me going I think they should separate the bread from the butter so to speak.. the people who such up from the community and the people who put butter on the community's I mean if they took both shelter's away from the beach and away from the train track's ( where people who get down and out full of dis pare jump in front of the trains )move the shelter's away from Fess Parker Resort. butter doest want to pay 400 a night or so to see homeless pushing shopping cart's around ..... some where more hospital by county holding for court's (county jail) as mental health cut back's from the past forced alot of mental health people to shelter's casa esperanca is a mental holding place---- 80% of people in shelter'e are from drug's and acohale 10% mental they should try to clean them up... these are just my opions breath a lize..... ps If justone life is saved by moving the train away from people really down it's worth every penny.....

oldschool62

Ship 'em out?? : 3/8/2009

To the person who thinks we should not build any more shelters in town, but instead build one out in the desert and ship the homeless there: Were you absent the day your high school history teacher talked about the Holocaust and how Hitler rounded up the Jewish people and shipped them out, too? And for the same reason you want to ship the homeless out– because they're different than you, you don't understand them, and therefore you hate them? Have you ever picked up a newspaper and read about all the atrocities suffered by people throughout the world today because people have acted on thoughts like yours? Need a refresher course? An easy place to start is the history of Native Americans in our country. Then you can move on to African Americans. Oh, and of course women. Seems like only yesterday they got the right to vote. That should keep you busy for a while. You'll find plenty of other pockets of humanity to study when you're done with those. Let's move forward on human rights. It's the dark side of human nature that causes history to repeat itself.

Bad things can happen to good people

: 3/8/2009

Get Real : 3/9/2009

The City really needs to assess if they should keep attorney Steve Wiley. He appears to have no problem telling lies to cover up flawed policies. If what he said in this story is accurate, then he is clearly incompetent. Not only does he not understand California State law regarding homeless issues, he is clueless as to what other communities, who are much farther ahead than our city, are doing to help people turn around their lives and support themselves.

SB local

Homeless and/or Mentally Ill : 3/12/2009

03/11/09 CLAYTON, Calif. -- Prosecutors say the suspect in the fatal stabbing of a 73-year-old man at the Clayton post office may have been acting out of frustration when he couldn't cash in old postage stamps. Thirty-seven-year-old Shannon Moore has been charged with murder in the death of Raymond Casso. Authorities say Moore became upset Saturday when he couldn't cash in sheets of old stamps and appeared to randomly attack Casso, who was picking up his mail at the time. Contra Costa County prosecutor Harold Jewett says Moore has a history of mental illness and didn't seem to have a motive for choosing Casso as a victim. The case remains under investigation by postal investigators. Casso lived in Clayton with his wife of 47 years. He had three children and four grandchildren.

Thank you.

previous poster : 3/12/2009

I fail to see the connection here.

Homeless hippie mecca : 3/17/2009

the city i was born and raised in has filled up with yuppies. viva la raza! homeless persons have long brought life to our cities historic downtown district. with their own culture and free way of life many now seek to retire to a more institutional setting where they can be processed to actually live in this city. why not allow for them to sleep downtown and on our beaches? perhaps they would scare off the "tourism". lets bring back our city. make it proud. marijuana is legal. and soon so will homelessness so get ready for some pechuli lovin and lets make peace signs and free love and allow for the school busses to truck in more free loving hippies so we can laugh at all the stupid yuppies:)

true santa barbarian

An Alternative to Capitalism (which will end homelessness) : 2/8/2010

The following link takes you to an essay titled: "Home of the Brave?" which I wrote and appeared in the Athenaeum Library of Philosophy:
http://evans-experientialism.freewebspace.com/steinsvold.htm
John Steinsvold

John Steinsvold

Utopia? : 2/9/2010

Dear John Steinsvold... did you write that utopian paper in 8th grade? Need to get out more my friend and stop dreaming. Utopian dreams are just that. A Dream..
That paper was weak... maybe i should steer you towards "The Venus Product" Resource based economy.... yet still a dream.. as a realist, living in a SB bubble, i can honestly say, you need a dose of realism, buddy.

No Zeitgeist Movement

The Right to Dream : 2/9/2010

II am sure John had no intention of creating a new political agenda with this, nor do I believe that he had any sort of illusion that it would come to a fruition. But I found it thought provoking as " I wish to start all over". Something does need to be said about how "Capitalism" has lead to some disastrous effects on people that are inferentially innocent to it.