What the ?!#%?
Amid all the hype about "the homeless problem" and the trashing of the plaza and downtown area, Arcata's economic development committee approved an application to sell alcohol at the Arcata Theater.
(Feb. 14, 2005) http://www.arcatacityhall.org/com_com/econ_dev_agendas/2005_02-14.pdf.
Who can deny that alcohol abuse is at the root of Arcata's problems with the trashing of public places and inappropriate behavior? What effect do committee members think that adding another drinking establishment downtown will have?
With city officials complaining that meeting the basic needs (food clothing and shelter) of those in need would attract more of the "wrong kind of people," the failure to acknowledge that another drinking establishment will attract more alcohol abuse and drunken behavior is pure hypocrisy.
7 comments:
You seem to be suggesting that homeless people will be paying the cover charge for entrance/entertainment at the Arcata Theatre Lounge, and also be buying alcohol, and then leaving and causing problems in the downtown area.
1) Where do homeless people get so much money? I'll be lucky if I can afford to visit the Lounge once a month.
2) Why do you have so little faith in the homeless? Apparently you think they are responsible for all of Arcata's ills.
Please, stop maligning the homeless.
I'm not sure that I agree with Plazoid's assertion that homeless people are all a bunch of carousing drunkards.
Thank you for your comments.
I'm not sure that you are actually reading what's on this blogspot.
Your assumptions that homeless people are the ones exhibiting drunken and destructive behaviour is illustrative of the prejudices held in Arcata against unhoused people.
Thank you Cpt. Ottinger for your comments, but I am not sure that you are actually reading what is posted at this website.
The ordinances mentioned have NOTHING TO DO WITH ALCOHOL ABUSE. One of the ordinances forbids SLEEPING in a public place and the other forbids crowds of people from preventing the use of public sidewalks. REPEATEDLY, these ordinances have been used to justify harassment of INNOCENT homeless people.
The ordincances to which I am referring are:
Arcata Municipal Code
TITLE X - PUBLIC PROPERTY
CHAPTER 1 - PARKS AND GROUNDS
SEC. 10004.
and
Arcata Municipal Code
SEC. 4560. Sitting or Lying on Public Sidewalks, Obstructing Movement(ORDINANCE NO. 1320)
Thank you, Captain, for your prompt reply. However, I really wish that you would READ THE ARTICLES before commenting.
Arcata's problem with drunken and destructive behaviour is not specific to homeless people - IN FACT, most drunken and destructive behaviour is most likely done by housed people. To ASSUME that any mention of drunken behaviour applies only to homeless people, AS YOU HAVE, is prejudiced. Hence, your confusion.
In the future, please take the time to READ the article before posting a comment. Thank you.
In response to your comment: "As for the sidewalk ordinance, well, if they were obstructing the flow of traffic, they get arrested just like anyone else." Are you serious?
I mean, really, you're kidding me right? Just a little joke, like humor, or something like that?
I'm not even paraphrasing your words! Look - exact quote! I guess that's my respone to: "Don't twist my words by making stuff up. The record is all here for you to read."
(...continued)
And if you DO indeed take the time to READ what has been written, you might find that you are capable of making sensible comments.
I believe in you, Cap'n. You just need to try a little bit harder.
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