Carpet Bombing

There was a little fear on faces this morning as the announcement came regarding the Urban Camping Ordinance to be submitted to the city council this evening. Urban Camping, according to the ordinance, involves anything down to laying down a “bed roll” on public or private property, with a $100 fine on the first offence, and a $300 fine and/or up to 30 days in jail for the second.

The City Council will receive the Ordinance at tonight's meeting at 3575 Pacific Avenue, the Mobile just beyond “The Barn.”

This affects every single homeless person I know. If passed, we all become criminals...

The issue I am specifically taking against the ordinance is this; that it makes the “use camp paraphernalia” unlawful.

In the ordinance itself, Camp Paraphernalia is defined in this manner:

“Camp paraphernalia” includes, but is not limited to: bedrolls; blankets; tarpaulins; cots; beds; sleeping bags; tents; hammocks; items used for cooking food; or any other equipment used to “camp.” Camp paraphernalia also includes other personal effects when used or stored with camp paraphernalia as described herein.

I first heard this was coming down the pike a couple of months ago, that Police Chief Harris was working on it and would present it as soon as it was ready.

Well, here it is... and Chief, sorry, I had hoped this would be a little more targeted against those who are a problem, instead of what amounts to legal carpet bombing... Use of a blanket is a criminal offence? Really?

This said, the city needs an ordinance to keep some of these problem camp sites from getting established. It has to happen. Speaking with Mayor Marchand a while back he noted that there were certain places that there would be zero tolerance for Urban Camping, such as the Arroyo Mocho. Many of you may remember the disaster that was the camp site just north of In and Out Burger on the Creek at North Livermore and I580. There was another, less conspicuous, but equally disastrous one a little east where a fire broke out and, rumour has it, where meth was being cooked... (Considering who was camping at that site, it would be consistent with their history...)

One of the local land owners described that site to me as a “Squalid Garbage Dump.” Another person I know said “There was no place to stand (without standing in garbage)”.

At the same time, nobody has ever counted the number of homeless who are also employed here in Livermore. And, though there may be such a survey, I've never heard of anyone counting employed homeless on any level, National, State or Local. Those of us who are working get lumped right in with those who... well... cause problems... with this ordinance.

I shouldn't be surprised, actually. Most volunteers who help the homeless lump us all together anyway... we're all the same so far as they're concerned. If you've followed this blog at all, and yeah, I know I've not written a word in a long, long time, you'll know I hold a very different view.

Just so you know, you cannot “Look Homeless” and get a job. You certainly can't “smell homeless.” I always get a kick out of people who tell me “You don't look homeless!” How many homeless people, who are not flying signs or wearing scraggly beards and filthy jeans would you recognize?

I was looking at the sad, haggard face of a friend of mine this morning. He's wondering what he's going to do if this passes... He'll lose his job. He'll have to leave town, most likely, and where will he go? He's been here his whole life.

I had nothing for him...

Jeremy Thomas of the Coco Times published this piece on Saturday the 24th.

The Ordinance can be read as part of the current City Council Agenda on Page 40 of that document.