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hillertexas
11-25-2007, 12:16 PM
I thought this deserved a new thread. THIS PROTEST IS CONFIRMED

With the national media coming to town for the CNN YouTube GOP Debate, advocates for the city's homeless announced on Friday their plans for four days of protest, including a "sleep-in" and hunger strike.

The protest is to begin on Sunday evening with the homeless and their supporters gathering for a meal and interfaith service outside the theater at 400 First St. S in downtown. Wright and a small group will start their hunger strike, he said. Then on Wednesday, timed to the debate, they plan a "lively rally."

Activists will try to embarrass St. Petersburg on a national stage next week.

They are urging the homeless to camp outside the Mahaffey Theater, the host site of Wednesday's GOP Presidential debate.

Activists say they're being ignored by the presidential hopefuls and their own city. That's why they literally want to frame a homeless camp around the debate.

__________________________________________________ __________
If the homeless are planning to protest at the debate, we better have care packages ready to give to them when they are there. We can help people, get good media attention (It appears that the protest will be getting alot of media attention as it already has - see page 2 of this thread), and put Ron Paul in good graces with the homeless community

What do ya say we:
1. confirm the homeless protest (DONE)
2. decide on what the care package will include (a slim jim in each one - homeless can vote)
3. supporters can put packages together and bring them to a location or mail to someone in the debate city.
4. local meetups can distribute

FreedomLover
11-25-2007, 12:24 PM
Don't encourage them, but if they come anyway then sure give them stuff if you want.

Malakai0
11-25-2007, 12:29 PM
Don't encourage "them"?


Homeless people are individuals, stay away from that group-think collectivist term, "they".

In today's shaky economy, especially down in Florida where illegal immigration eats lots of jobs, it's not hard to make a small mistake and end up homeless.

These individuals have a legitimate complaint with the system, be respectful and supportive and let them spread it.

constitutional
11-25-2007, 12:31 PM
"get good media attention" The only media attention we might get is from CNN since other news network rarely cover debates of other news network. And I doubt CNN will mention anything to do with homeless protest at their debate.

FreedomLover
11-25-2007, 12:32 PM
Don't encourage "them"?


Homeless people are individuals, stay away from that group-think collectivist term, "they".

In today's shaky economy, especially down in Florida where illegal immigration eats lots of jobs, it's not hard to make a small mistake and end up homeless.

These individuals have a legitimate complaint with the system, be respectful and supportive and let them spread it.

I'm saying don't go around homeless shelters getting them to protest against CNN just to give them packages of food if they weren't going to go anyway.

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 12:34 PM
I'm saying don't go around homeless shelters getting them to protest against CNN just to give them packages of food if they weren't going to go anyway.

I think the homeless are doing their own protest. We wouldn't be encouraging them to protest. Just giving them care packages while they are there.

Smiley Gladhands
11-25-2007, 12:35 PM
Is it wrong that I want to give Ron Paul shirts to homeless people so they'll be walking billboards? Probably.

Am I going to do it anyway? Maybe.

jgmaynard
11-25-2007, 12:37 PM
Man....... A Ron Paul inspired food and clothing drive for the homeless protesters at the debate... Would Hannity pop out his eyeballs if all the clothing had "Ron Paul" on it? Possibly. Would it be sweet seeing it happen? Boo yeah. :D

JM

AlexMerced
11-25-2007, 12:40 PM
Is it wrong that I want to give Ron Paul shirts to homeless people so they'll be walking billboards? Probably.

Am I going to do it anyway? Maybe.

hey, a self-interested gift is a gift nonetheless

constituent
11-25-2007, 12:43 PM
I'm saying don't...

sounds like a freedomlover to me.

constitutional
11-25-2007, 12:48 PM
sounds like a freedomlover to me.

how about we respect his opinion? You make no sense, how does not giving stuff to homeless people make you not "loving freedom." :p

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 01:01 PM
Is it wrong that I want to give Ron Paul shirts to homeless people so they'll be walking billboards? Probably.

Am I going to do it anyway? Maybe.

LOL...that's the funniest thing I have read in days :)

PatriotOne
11-25-2007, 01:10 PM
I like the idea but at the same time I am bracing myself for another article like this one ;)


‘Hobos’ For Paul

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/08/11/hobos-for-paul/

August 11, 2007, 4:41 pm
‘Hobos’ For Paul
By Jeff Zeleny

AMES, Iowa – The National Hobo Convention, the annual summer festival being held this weekend in the town of Britt, will have to wait until next year. Today, Dan and Laura Doucette had a Republican straw poll to attend.

The Doucettes hit the road for a two-hour drive to Ames, taking a rare pass at the Hobo convention that has been taking place every summer since 1933. They are Ron Paul supporters. They found out about him on the Internet. They follow him on Ron Paul Radio. (In case their alliances weren’t clear, they wore gray Ron Paul T-shirts.)

“He’s against the war. He wants to get rid of the IRS. He wants to abolish the Patriot Act,” Mr. Doucette said, explaining his fondness for Mr. Paul. “He stands for freedom.”

The Doucettes, both 46, are among the thousands of Iowans who arrived on the campus of Iowa State University today to take part in the first Republican presidential straw poll since 1999. Throngs of Iowans came by bus, paid for by a few campaigns, or traveled here on the their own to show their support for their favorite candidates.

In conversations around the grounds here, voters said the issues at the top of their list included immigration, abortion, gun rights and taxes.
John and Teresa Willard, who boarded a bus this morning in the town of Independence, stopped for a moment to talk after they had cast their votes for Tommy Thompson, the former Wisconsin governor. They had pink stains on their thumbs, a sign to officials here that they had voted – and could not vote again.
They hadn’t necessarily planned to come to the straw poll, but not long ago, Mr. Thompson was stopping by the city café in Independence and met Mr. Willard. So Mr. Willard took him up on his invitation to attend the straw poll.
“He did a good job in Wisconsin,” said Mr. Willard, a 66-year-old retired John Deere factory worker. If Mr. Thompson didn’t win first or second place, he said he would end his campaign. Under that scenario, the Willards said they would weigh the rest of the field before the Iowa caucuses, which are set to open the presidential nominating fight in January.
Teresa Willard said she knew who she would not consider: Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain and Fred Thompson, all of whom decided against participating in the straw poll.

“They’ve lost my confidence by not showing up,” said Mrs. Willard, 60, who works at a day care center. “I’ll look at the others who are left.”

Knightskye
11-25-2007, 01:13 PM
Do homeless people synchronize their watches? Or is this a small group planning to protest? What are they protesting?

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 01:18 PM
Do homeless people synchronize their watches? Or is this a small group planning to protest? What are they protesting?

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5022545&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

ST. PETERSBURG - Activists will try to embarrass St. Petersburg on a national stage next week.

They are urging the homeless to camp outside the Mahaffey Theater, the host site of Wednesday's GOP Presidential debate.

Activists say they're being ignored by the presidential hopefuls and their own city. That's why they literally want to frame a homeless camp around the debate.

"In particular, bring to light the unjust, harsh, punitive actions by the Mayor, City Council and St. Petersburg police," said activist Eric Rubin.

The city is supporting a plan to open a larger homeless center. But some activists are very critical of that plan.

They fear those who seek shelter will have to submit to criminal background checks, which could send some to jail on outstanding warrants.

The activists leading this demonstration outside the upcoming debate have four demands. They want the homeless to co-manage their shelter, they don't want the city to hassle those who prefer to stay on the street, they want more land for homeless women and children, and they do not want background checks.

WE HAVE TO GET ON THIS GUYS!

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 01:20 PM
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=5003528&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

T. PETERSBURG - St. Petersburg police are gearing up for protests and rallies expected to attract hundreds of people next week. All of the activity centers on a debate by Republican presidential candidates in the Mahaffey Theater.

Homeless advocates will kick it off with a religious service outside the theater Sunday night, followed by a sleep-in on the sidewalks outside the theater Sunday through Wednesday night.

A variety of groups and students from the University of South Florida-St. Petersburg and Eckerd College will take part.

Other groups plan to piggyback on the homeless event.

"We're expecting people from all over the state for the rally itself (Wednesday night) and there's a wide range of issues that the rally is going to discuss," said Reverend Bruce Wright of Refuge Ministries.

Supporters of candidate Ron Paul have pulled a city permit for another large rally in Pioneer Park. The park is very close to the Mahaffey and the permit says 500 or more people will attend that rally. Organizer Daniel Tucker says invitations were extended to more than 20 other organizations.

"We have tried to include every possible group you could imagine that follows the same lines that the system is broken and needs to be fixed," Tucker said.

St. Petersburg police spokesperson Bill Proffitt would not say how close to the theater protesters will be allowed to gather.

"If they're inside the secured area, we'll ask them to leave" he says, adding "and hopefully they'll go out onto a public sidewalk and continue their protest."

Local Republicans have also pulled a permit for a gathering in Vinoy Park. That event will also attract more than 500 people.

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 01:21 PM
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/24/Southpinellas/Protest_set_for_prime.shtml

ST. PETERSBURG - It has the makings of a public relations nightmare: CNN, big-name politicians - and more than 100 homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks outside the Mahaffey Theater, the site of Wednesday's GOP presidential debate.

With the national media coming to town, advocates for the city's homeless announced on Friday their plans for four days of protest, including a "sleep-in" and hunger strike.

While organizers said they would act peacefully and within the law, the specter of a confrontation with police looms, recalling the incident in January when officers slashed the tents of homeless people. Advocates said that with a spotlight on St. Petersburg, they have the advantage. The city, they believe, can't risk another black eye.

"I'm sure Mayor Baker doesn't want another embarrassment, but the possibility of embarrassment falls on him, not us," said the Rev. Bruce Wright, an advocate for the homeless who is organizing the protests. "It's really hard to say what their response is going to be. I would hope that they would adhere to protecting the constitutional right of dissent, of protest, of free speech."

Several phone calls to Rick Baker's cell phone went unanswered on Friday.

Bill Proffitt, a police spokesman, said he had heard of the protest but did not know what exactly was planned. He said he did not anticipate any problems, saying the department routinely staffs large events and expected several other groups of protesters.

"We don't know what they're going to do until we get there," Proffitt said. "We have a plan to secure the area around the Mahaffey, and we're going to do that. If they are inside the perimeter, we are going to ask them to leave. ... If they are outside the perimeter, they can protest, as long as they do it lawfully and peacefully."

The protest is to begin on Sunday evening with the homeless and their supporters gathering for a meal and interfaith service outside the theater at 400 First St. S in downtown. Wright and a small group will start their hunger strike, he said. Then on Wednesday, timed to the debate, they plan a "lively rally."

Wright said the group will sleep on the sidewalks but won't block them, which is prohibited. Part of the reason they're protesting, he added, is to raise concerns about the government-sanctioned tent city that is scheduled to open next weekend at 49th Street and 126th Avenue.

Wright and other advocates say the location, the center of the county rather than St. Petersburg, seems like an effort to make the homeless invisible. They also worry that when Pinellas Hope opens, the city will begin enforcing an ordinance passed in March that bars sleeping on any right of way if shelter space is available.

St. Petersburg council member Bill Foster said that ordinance will be strictly enforced once the tent city opens.

"Those who don't want to go to the tent city because they are afraid of the system, we will not tolerate them," Foster told the Times earlier this month. "The red carpet is gone."

Proffitt said he didn't know what the Police Department planned to do when Pinellas Hope opened.

"That's the $64,000 question," he said. "I imagine we're going to nail that down next week."

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 01:46 PM
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/23/images/tb_sleepin_450.jpg
Rev. Bruce Wright (left) listens to Kathy Hines who is the overseer of the homeless encampment along 18th Street North in St. Petersburg. Hines is known as "Mom" in the homeless community.

constituent
11-25-2007, 01:49 PM
how about we respect his opinion? You make no sense, how does not giving stuff to homeless people make you not "loving freedom." :p

it's the do/don't do bit. i'm determined to point it out from here to the end.

sick of the authoritarian bent that has been slowly creeping in here at ronpaulforums.com

everyone is doing their own great job, keep it up!

angelatc
11-25-2007, 01:54 PM
Is it wrong that I want to give Ron Paul shirts to homeless people so they'll be walking billboards? Probably.

Am I going to do it anyway? Maybe.

I'll probably catch grief for saying this, but a very good friend of mine used to distribute clothing to the homeless in St Pete. Believe it or not, they were pretty picky about the clothes they would accept.

I'm not talking about the stuff that was not usable (stained, ripped, etc.)

She would have to sort out the discount brands before taking stuff out to pass it out, because they wouldn't wear "cheap" clothes.

chandlerLBT
11-25-2007, 01:55 PM
With the national media coming to town, advocates for the city's homeless announced on Friday their plans for four days of protest, including a "sleep-in" and hunger strike.


if they're going on a hunger strike, why would we give them food?

angelatc
11-25-2007, 01:56 PM
http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/23/images/tb_sleepin_450.jpg
Rev. Bruce Wright (left) listens to Kathy Hines who is the overseer of the homeless encampment along 18th Street North in St. Petersburg. Hines is known as "Mom" in the homeless community.


Mom has money for cigarettes?

Somebody should coordinate a job fair at the same site.

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 01:58 PM
if they're going on a hunger strike, why would we give them food?

That's a very good point.

Some non-food brainstorming:
blankets
sleeping bags
clothes
winter wear
books

angelatc
11-25-2007, 02:00 PM
It's St Pete. They don't really need much winter wear.

Adamsa
11-25-2007, 02:03 PM
The homeless probably aren't going to be very receptive to an old right Republican.

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 02:04 PM
What about a Free Coffee Station. People on hunger strikes drink, right?

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 02:05 PM
It's St Pete. They don't really need much winter wear.

LOL...true, oops.

me3
11-25-2007, 02:06 PM
The homeless probably aren't going to be very receptive to an old right Republican.
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion.

Adamsa
11-25-2007, 02:09 PM
I wouldn't jump to that conclusion.

I did say probably. :P

constituent
11-25-2007, 02:09 PM
The homeless probably aren't going to be very receptive to an old right Republican.

who are "the" homeless i wonder?

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 02:11 PM
http://archives.cnn.com/1999/US/12/06/nyc.homeless/index.html
Giuliani defends N.Y. crackdown on homeless December 6, 1999

Exerpt:
"Chanting "housing, not hate," homeless people and their supporters Sunday held the first of two rallies and all-night vigils organized to oppose regulations recently announced by Giuliani. "

"Giuliani has also come under fire for ordering police to arrest homeless people who refuse orders to move from the sidewalks."

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 02:15 PM
who are "the" homeless i wonder?

From Wikipedia:
United States: Chronically homeless people (those with repeated episodes or who have been homeless for long periods) 150,000-200,000 (some sources say 847,000-3,470,000)[44] though a report in January 2006 said 744,000.[45]

Veterans make up one in four homeless people in the United States, though they are only 11 percent of the general adult population, according to a report released this past week by the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 02:17 PM
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9805E2D9153CF933A15752C1A96F958260

In Wake of Attack, Giuliani Cracks Down on Homeless

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani declared yesterday that the homeless had no right to sleep on the streets and his police commissioner added that they could be arrested if they refused shelter. Their remarks came three days after an office worker in Midtown Manhattan was critically injured in a random attack by a man the police say may have been homeless.

''Streets do not exist in civilized societies for the purpose of people sleeping there,'' the mayor said yesterday during his weekly radio call-in show. ''Bedrooms are for sleeping.'' He added that the right to sleep on the streets ''doesn't exist anywhere. The founding fathers never put that in the Constitution.''

Mr. Giuliani referred several times to yesterday morning's front-page headline in The Daily News. The headline, ''Get the Violent Crazies Off Our Streets,'' was for a two-page editorial inside that demanded the city remove the ''dangerously deranged'' from city streets and put them in institutions.

In a later telephone interview, Police Commissioner Howard Safir said that if people sleeping on the sidewalks refused help from police and then ''don't obey, we're going to arrest them.''

Mr. Safir said the police would visit the homeless encampments in their precincts more often than before, but would not specify the frequency, saying that was up to the ''discretion of the police and the commander.''

Mr. Safir said the homeless would first be offered services. If they refuse, he said, ''We will either summons them or arrest them. If they're blocking people's access to property, we'll move them along.''

Advocates for the homeless, who are fighting a plan to require that the homeless work as a condition of shelter, reacted with disbelief. ''Now the new plan being introduced by Mr. Safir is, 'We're not going to take you to Bellevue, we're going to take you to Riker's Island?' '' said Mary Brosnahan, the executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless.

Norman Siegel, the director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said the mayor had no legal basis for saying that the homeless had no right to sleep in the streets. ''It's not a crime to sit or sleep on a public street, providing that you're not blocking the entrances or exits to buildings, and that you're not blocking pedestrian traffic,'' Mr. Siegel said. He added that the choice ''cannot be living on the streets or locked up in jail.''

Renewed attention has been focused on the homeless and the violently mentally ill since Tuesday, when Nicole Barrett, who was crossing Madison Avenue at 42nd Street, was struck from behind for no apparent reason by a man wielding a brick. The police have yet to find the attacker, and do not know whether he is homeless or mentally ill.

But the public and media outcry over the attack has fueled concerns that people who are dangerously unstable are wandering the streets, and the random nature of the assault reminds New Yorkers of the schizophrenic who pushed a woman into the path of a subway train last January.

Of the attack on Ms. Barrett, Mr. Giuliani said on his radio show that ''the presumption is that this was done by a mentally ill person.'' He added that ''you're going to have a lot of fear, you're going to have a lot of reaction, and you're going to have a lot of over-reaction.''

Mr. Safir said the police would probably not be stepping up efforts to roust the homeless from the streets had the brick attack not occurred.

Mr. Giuliani, who is a likely candidate for the United States Senate against Hillary Rodham Clinton, has taken credit for the dramatic drop in crime over the last several years. He is broadcasting television commercials upstate that stress his achievements, including the reduction in crime that he considers a cornerstone of his administration.

Although Mr. Giuliani said on his radio show that he did not agree with the Daily News headlines, he said he did agree with the substance of the editorial, which said that while not all mentally ill people on the streets were dangerous, ''a few of them are murderous.'' The editorial urged the city to ''get them off the street. Now.''

The police began rounding up the homeless in a series of Manhattan sweeps in the mid-1990's, and many either moved out of tourist areas and went to less patrolled places -- or faced arrest and court summonses for such public nuisance violations as impeding the flow of pedestrian traffic. Police officials said yesterday that the homeless could be arrested on charges of disorderly conduct or trespassing.

Advocates for the homeless said yesterday that Mr. Safir's announcement would be the first time that the city had threatened the homeless with arrest as a broad policy. Police officials said it was simply a ''re-emphasizing'' of existing policy.

To bolster the police argument, Marilyn Mode, the Police Department spokeswoman, said that in 1998 the department responded to 64,424 complaints about people who were described as emotionally disturbed, of whom 24,787 were removed to a hospital and 551 were arrested. ''This is re-emphasizing basically what we've been doing all along,'' she said.
Advocates for the homeless said yesterday that the city's statements were bizarre in the wake of the Giuliani administration's announcement last month that the homeless would have to work to get shelter -- one of a list of rules that those who want to keep their beds will have to obey. ''Where's the logic here?'' said Ms. Brosnahan. ''We're going to round them up and bring them to a shelter, and if they refuse work, they're going to be thrown back on the streets?''

As the cold weather brings a seasonal surge in applicants for shelter, the city's shelter system is already short of regular bed assignments for people seeking shelter for the first time, said Patrick Markee, a policy analyst for the Coalition for the Homeless who monitors the shelters under a court decree.

On an average night last month, there were 7,198 single adults in the city's shelters systems.

The night before the Mayor's announcement of a crackdown, Mr. Markee said, 34 men applying for shelter for the first time at the 30th Street Shelter intake center near Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan waited into the night on chairs, and finally were bused to one-night bed assignments in a shelter in East New York, Brooklyn.

Awakened at dawn, they were handed tokens and told to go back to the center to begin the process anew.

Last winter, hundreds of men were stuck for weeks at a time on this overnight circuit because of a shortage of what the city calls ''assessment beds,'' used to sort the homeless into more specialized shelter programs, like those for the mentally ill, run by private nonprofit agencies under contract to the city.

Ms. Brosnahan and other homeless advocates said yesterday that the number of homeless had increased on the streets in the last 18 months as shelters had become full and more bureaucratic about who they admitted.

She also said that Mr. Giuliani had not provided enough money for homeless housing. ''It's not that these people have a right to freeze to death on the streets,'' she said.

''It's that they don't have enough housing.''

She said the mayor ''has now painted himself into this increasingly reactionary corner.''
Mr. Giuliani counters that the attitudes of some homeless advocates toward people who sleep on the streets have been misguided.

''There were times in which we romanticized this to such an extent that we invited people to do it,'' he said yesterday.

constituent
11-25-2007, 02:27 PM
i know who they are....

i even fit into that "chronically homeless" category.

that's kinda my point though.

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 02:50 PM
I think this is the most important point:
"Activists say they're being ignored by the presidential hopefuls and their own city. That's why they literally want to frame a homeless camp around the debate."

Let's show them that one presidential hopeful will not ignore them.

Birdlady
11-25-2007, 03:02 PM
There was a thread about this very early this morning.
I wanted to warn people that police in Florida (specifically Orlando) arrested a man who was feeding the homeless. If you are going to be handing stuff out to them understand the ordinances and laws in the town where this debate is being held. You could be arrested. I have no idea what the laws are like there, but if you decide to intentionally break a law decide whether or not this is the time and place for it.

I also wanted to say that most Americans are literally 1-3 paychecks away from being homeless. Now do I feel that the government should be taking care of them? NO! However be a little compassionate because you and I could be in this situation! Just one bad accident, medical emergency or a frivolous lawsuit and most of us would be on the streets too.

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 03:55 PM
http://www.stpeteforpeace.org/

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 03:56 PM
http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?t=41323

hillertexas
11-25-2007, 04:03 PM
From http://www.stpeteforpeace.org/index.html#weds:
Wednesday Nov. 28, 6:00pm. Protest the warmongering Republican presidential candidates (except Ron Paul). Join antiwar activists, political candidate supporters, homeless advocates and others as we tell CNN (host of the debates) that the system is bankrupt! Meet by 6:00pm in front of the Mahaffey Theater, 4th Avenue and 1st Street, South.

derdy
11-25-2007, 04:05 PM
are the homeless people hunger striking or is it just the advocates?

ladyliberty
11-25-2007, 10:22 PM
i plan to contact rev wright in the morning and get more details.

TheIndependent
11-25-2007, 11:41 PM
An obviously good outreach opportunity to the homeless, their advocates, and others alike.

ladyliberty
11-26-2007, 07:31 AM
Well I spoke breifly to Rev. Wright and I plan to call him back in half an hour when he is able to talk more. He said the biggest way we can help the homeless situation in St. Pete is to donate financially - make our checks payable to the Refuge Ministry - with the Wed 28th homeless event listed in the comment section of our checks. This way we will not have to be concerned that the money will be used to feed an alcohol or drug addiction and that it will be used in a meaningful way to actually help a person get back on the road to recovery.

He said they are always looking for donations of Back Packs, Sleeping bags, and Blankets this time of year. They have plenty of food items right now, thanks to a huge Thanksgiving drive this month. Another thing he said they need was videotaping equipment, even if it is the old VCR video recorder - they want to be able to document the police harassment that has been occuring, every single time it occurs.

I will report back later.

I for one, plan to write a letter to the editor and send it to the newspapers. My family was homeless the summer after Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated - 1968. My step-father was a manager at SITE gasoline stations and as they closed, my father would transfer to a different town and manage the station for awhile, and when that one closed he transferred, etc. So we were far from home and our family and loved ones when they closed the very last one in Bessemer Alabama, and we put everything we owned and our little family of 4 into a old beatup raggety Studebaker and drove south to my Uncle Charles' house in New Port Richey, because we heard they were hiring people to build Walt Disney World in Orlando. It took us two whole weeks to get there, living on the side of the road, eating crackers and sleeping in rest areas. Once we got there, my parents applied for jobs, but those jobs were already taken by other people. I do not know how they managed to feed us and get enough money scraped together to leave Florida, but they did. That was the leanest summer we ever had. So we got back in our little beat up raggety Studebaker and drove north to Decatur IL to stay with my grandfather - it was their coldest winter on record that year, but my father finally found a job and we had a home to live in again.

So I know what it is like to live one paycheck away from being homeless. It had a very profound affect on my life.

Anyways, those of you who want to help, please feel free to do so. Those of you who think it is a bad idea, I will pray that God will watch over you and protect you and that you will never find yourself in that situation. I would not wish it on anyone.

For more info or to help

call (727) 278-1547 or (727) 560-9716 or

email forthehomelessbythehomeless@yahoo.com

Birdlady
11-26-2007, 07:40 AM
Well I spoke breifly to Rev. Wright and I plan to call him back in half an hour when he is able to talk more. He said the biggest way we can help the homeless situation in St. Pete is to donate financially - make our checks payable to the Refuge Ministry - with the Wed 28th homeless event listed in the comment section of our checks. This way we will not have to be concerned that the money will be used to feed an alcohol or drug addiction and that it will be used in a meaningful way to actually help a person get back on the road to recovery.

He said they are always looking for donations of Back Packs, Sleeping bags, and Blankets this time of year. They have plenty of food items right now, thanks to a huge Thanksgiving drive this month. Another thing he said they need was videotaping equipment, even if it is the old VCR video recorder - they want to be able to document the police harassment that has been occuring, every single time it occurs.

I will report back later.

I for one, plan to write a letter to the editor and send it to the newspapers. My family was homeless the summer after Martin Luther King Jr., was assassinated - 1968. My step-father was a manager at SITE gasoline stations and as they closed, my father would transfer to a different town and manage the station for awhile, and when that one closed he transferred, etc. So we were far from home and our family and loved ones when they closed the very last one in Bessemer Alabama, and we put everything we owned and our little family of 4 into a old beatup raggety Studebaker and drove south to my Uncle Charles' house in New Port Richey, because we heard they were hiring people to build Walt Disney World in Orlando. It took us two whole weeks to get there, living on the side of the road, eating crackers and sleeping in rest areas. Once we got there, my parents applied for jobs, but those jobs were already taken by other people. I do not know how they managed to feed us and get enough money scraped together to leave Florida, but they did. That was the leanest summer we ever had. So we got back in our little beat up raggety Studebaker and drove north to Decatur IL to stay with my grandfather - it was their coldest winter on record that year, but my father finally found a job and we had a home to live in again.

So I know what it is like to live one paycheck away from being homeless. It had a very profound affect on my life.

Anyways, those of you who want to help, please feel free to do so. Those of you who think it is a bad idea, I will pray that God will watch over you and protect you and that you will never find yourself in that situation. I would not wish it on anyone.

For more info or to help

call (727) 278-1547 or (727) 560-9716 or

email forthehomelessbythehomeless@yahoo.com

That's a very touching story. Thank you for sharing it with all of us. This is another reason why we should not look at the homeless with contempt because we don't know what happened to them to get to where they are now. It is probably a very similar story to yours with your father. More and more veterans are the highest percentage of homeless too, which is a complete outrage.

ladyliberty
11-26-2007, 07:58 AM
Here is the mailing address for anyone not attending the CNN Debate but wants to contribute:

make checks payable to: The Refuge Ministry

mail to:

Rev. Bruce Wright
1818 29th Ave. N.
St. Petersburg, FL 33713

ladyliberty
11-26-2007, 08:53 AM
From the Tampa Tribune:

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov/26/st-petes-homeless-stake-out-venue-gop-debate/

St. Pete's Homeless Stake Out Venue Of GOP Debate

By Chip Osowski of New Channel 8

Published: November 26, 2007

Video, Interviews From The Scene | Photo Gallery

ST. PETERSBURG – The Bay area's homeless soon may be in the national spotlight.

This morning, dozens of homeless people are camped out in front of the Mahaffey Theater. They're vowing to stay there until Wednesday, when CNN and YouTube will host a Republican presidential candidate debate at the theater.

Advocates for the homeless say this protest will raise awareness of St. Petersburg's homeless situation and the problem nationwide.

"The mayor and the powers that be do not want to be embarrassed before the world at our homeless problem," said Bruce Wright, one of the protest organizers.

"I don't think this puts a black mark on St. Petersburg at all," said Beth Herendeen, a spokeswoman for the city. "It's something the country is dealing with."

St. Petersburg has more than 2,500 homeless residents.

A city ordinance prohibits sleeping in the streets if there is room in a shelter. City officials say it's OK for people to protest, but they might have to do it elsewhere. Security personnel might set up a perimeter around Mahaffey Theater before the debate.

nexalacer
11-26-2007, 08:56 AM
hey, a self-interested gift is a gift nonetheless

all gifts are self-interested. if you didn't want the pleasure you receive from giving a gift, you wouldn't give it.

ladyliberty
11-26-2007, 10:13 AM
I posted a comment on this article. Perhaps someone else might want to post a POSITIVE comment there as well? Email sent to Editor of Tampa Tribune as well. (St. Pete Times is VERY anti-Ron Paul!)

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2007/nov/26/st-petes-homeless-stake-out-venue-gop-debate/

JMann
11-26-2007, 10:16 AM
I doubt the homeless are planning anything.

hillertexas
11-26-2007, 10:17 AM
I doubt the homeless are planning anything.

this is confirmed (see page 2 of this thread)

ladyliberty
11-26-2007, 10:18 AM
*bump*

video of the homeless protest

http://tbo.com/video/xml/MGB1NPRXG9F.html

ladyliberty
11-26-2007, 10:23 AM
Bay News 9 Coverage of the protest -

http://www.baynews9.com/content/16/2007/11/26/305537.html

plus video link -

http://www.baynews9.com/VideoPlayer/?Homeless_Sleepout_1126

austin356
11-26-2007, 10:27 AM
I think Paul would be popular with the homeless, if he frames his message as attacking the powers that be and the big banking complex.

hillertexas
11-26-2007, 10:29 AM
I think Paul would be popular with the homeless, if he frames his message as attacking the powers that be and the big banking complex.

agreed

ladyliberty
11-26-2007, 10:31 AM
and even good ole St Pete Times is covering this too -

http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingnews/2007/11/homeless-wait-w.html

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/26/Southpinellas/City_plans_to_fence_i.shtml

ladyliberty
11-26-2007, 10:33 AM
I think Paul would be popular with the homeless, if he frames his message as attacking the powers that be and the big banking complex.

Well I think it is an outrage at how their Constitutional Rights are being abused - they are only the first of many "groups" who will be targeted. The City Planners are not really trying to help them they want to exterminate them in any way that they can!

hillertexas
11-26-2007, 10:48 AM
If Ron Paul doesn't win, we will all be homeless when the economy crashes :(

ladyliberty
11-26-2007, 12:48 PM
If Ron Paul doesn't win, we will all be homeless when the economy crashes :(

AMEN to dat! :eek::mad:

Hope
11-26-2007, 12:52 PM
I've known a lot of homeless people, and they were all con artists. There's a small minority that are truly mentally ill, but most of them choose that way of life.

Maltheus
11-26-2007, 04:16 PM
I've known a lot of homeless people, and they were all con artists. There's a small minority that are truly mentally ill, but most of them choose that way of life.

Yeah, I got the impression that this was more about the homeless activists than the actual homeless.

ladyliberty
11-27-2007, 10:42 AM
i think this is a very real problem and i would like to know what each candidate has to say about it

hillertexas
11-27-2007, 11:19 AM
bump

noztnac
11-27-2007, 07:07 PM
Ron Paul supporters should bring them sandwiches pizza and Ron Paul t-shirts.

ladyliberty
11-27-2007, 07:47 PM
I am going to fill a back pack with toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, disposable razors, bars of soap, and other toiletries. I have a never been used sleeping bag taking up room in the closet, and I will add in a couple of slim jims into the mix. I plan to give this to Rev. Bruce Wright for Refuge Ministries tomorrow afternoon.

noztnac
11-27-2007, 07:55 PM
I am going to fill a back pack with toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, disposable razors, bars of soap, and other toiletries. I have a never been used sleeping bag taking up room in the closet, and I will add in a couple of slim jims into the mix. I plan to give this to Rev. Bruce Wright for Refuge Ministries tomorrow afternoon.


Great idea!

And pizzas, Ron Paul shirts, and donuts, etc.

Make it a party.

noztnac
11-27-2007, 07:56 PM
Someone should create a chipin for this.

And make sure the media covers it.

ladyliberty
11-27-2007, 09:07 PM
*bumpity bump*

Trigonx
11-27-2007, 09:33 PM
no food, its a hunger strike

ladyliberty
11-27-2007, 09:55 PM
Rev. Wright said they have plenty of food. They are just wanting the police to back off and allow them to get back on their feet without fear of harassment and thug tactics the city is using to get rid of them. There are not enough beds in the homeless shelters to house all of them, and when they put up pup tents on PRIVATE church property, the city came along with box cutters and slashed the tents and tossed them and all of their belongings in dumpsters!!

They also threaten them constantly and jail them on any least little trumped up charge they can think of - which then gives them a police record making it even harder for them to find work. Many of them DO have jobs but not enough money to pay rent + deposits on apartments. The city does not have enough low income subsidized housing units, giving preference to rich condos. They are living a nightmare and truly are in a catch-22. I hope that what little I can do might help them to reverse the negative spiral they have gotten caught up in.

If Ron Paul is not elected we might wind up sleeping on the streets too! :(

hillertexas
11-28-2007, 12:13 AM
bump

michaelwise
11-28-2007, 12:15 AM
I am going to fill a back pack with toilet paper, toothbrushes, toothpaste, disposable razors, bars of soap, and other toiletries. I have a never been used sleeping bag taking up room in the closet, and I will add in a couple of slim jims into the mix. I plan to give this to Rev. Bruce Wright for Refuge Ministries tomorrow afternoon.I have a new sleeping bag and pup tent that I will donate as well tomorrow.

BLS
11-28-2007, 12:34 AM
OMG PEOPLE....the ideas are good...but I think we're missing a GRAND OPPORTUNITY HERE....


Hand out blankets. Hand out coffee, etc.
Get the media to ask why these 500+ Ron Paul supporters are helping the homeless.

"Because volunteerism is the ONLY real way to help people who need it. Taxation from someone who works, and given to someone who doesn't work isn't fair representation. Volunteerisim is the best way to help those people get back on track."

It's GOLD JERRY....GOLD.

PLEASE SOMEBODY FROM FLA GET ON THIS.

noztnac
11-28-2007, 12:59 AM
bump

TheIndependent
11-28-2007, 01:10 AM
Awesome, everyone. And BUMP.

JosephTheLibertarian
11-28-2007, 01:57 AM
I thought this deserved a new thread. THIS PROTEST IS CONFIRMED

With the national media coming to town for the CNN YouTube GOP Debate, advocates for the city's homeless announced on Friday their plans for four days of protest, including a "sleep-in" and hunger strike.

The protest is to begin on Sunday evening with the homeless and their supporters gathering for a meal and interfaith service outside the theater at 400 First St. S in downtown. Wright and a small group will start their hunger strike, he said. Then on Wednesday, timed to the debate, they plan a "lively rally."

Activists will try to embarrass St. Petersburg on a national stage next week.

They are urging the homeless to camp outside the Mahaffey Theater, the host site of Wednesday's GOP Presidential debate.

Activists say they're being ignored by the presidential hopefuls and their own city. That's why they literally want to frame a homeless camp around the debate.

__________________________________________________ __________
If the homeless are planning to protest at the debate, we better have care packages ready to give to them when they are there. We can help people, get good media attention (It appears that the protest will be getting alot of media attention as it already has - see page 2 of this thread), and put Ron Paul in good graces with the homeless community

What do ya say we:
1. confirm the homeless protest (DONE)
2. decide on what the care package will include (a slim jim in each one - homeless can vote)
3. supporters can put packages together and bring them to a location or mail to someone in the debate city.
4. local meetups can distribute

Good. It's the government's fault that they're in their situation. That does not mean we need a welfare state :) I'm just telling you, the existence of the state is what is screwing them. They are living for the sake of living, they're hopeless, they have no incentives to do anything but panhandle... believe it or not, the government is actually subsidizing homelessness in a variety of ways.

Flirple
11-28-2007, 04:58 AM
Activists will try to embarrass St. Petersburg on a national stage next week.

They are urging the homeless to camp outside the Mahaffey Theater, the host site of Wednesday's GOP Presidential debate.

Activists say they're being ignored by the presidential hopefuls and their own city. That's why they literally want to frame a homeless camp around the debate.

Regardless of what anyone thinks about this complicated issue, this is tactically brilliant.

ladyliberty
11-28-2007, 08:37 AM
Yes, I think you are on the right track - it is not up to the GOVERNMENT to help them it is up to individuals like you and me to help them!

JenaS62
11-28-2007, 08:42 AM
Is it wrong that I want to give Ron Paul shirts to homeless people so they'll be walking billboards? Probably.

Am I going to do it anyway? Maybe.


I think it's a wonderful idea! Go for it...

hillertexas
11-28-2007, 10:39 AM
bump

Cindy
11-28-2007, 11:08 AM
Just saw it on Tampa bay news 9.

They said CNN received over 5,000 video questions for this one. They said it was 3,000 MORE, then the videos sent in for the Democrats youtube debate.

No need to wonder why or where they came from huh? lol

They said about 40-50 video questions will be asked.

The homeles protest was shown too and it looked very peaceful.

steph3n
11-30-2007, 01:38 AM
did anything get donated here in the end?

saahmed
11-30-2007, 03:06 AM
So what was the outcome of all of this?