So yeah, I wait for the bus right there every morning. Let me tell you, I am about as supportive of homeless rights as anyone you will ever meet, but the organizers of this effort have failed pretty bad.

Let me explain. When I have to be at work at 8:30 and I am waiting for my bus the last thing that is going to motivate me to act on behalf of someone is watching them lay in their bed.

If you want to make a showing that cannot happen. That is not the image to project. I know we are talking about people who probably did not sleep well the night before etc but this is beyond that. If you cannot get everyone up to make a showing, get a good number and rotate. Seriously.

There is nothing more detrimental to homeless rights than appearing lazy in any way and while I know it is not the case, when I am on my way to work and I see 50+ people sleeping, well, it certainly did not help.

ORGANIZE!

"I don't know where else to go."

How about you go get a job, you lazy POS.

A new site has been launched to track and archive all the news stories and documents about this political action.

See - http://homelessliberation.wordpress.com

I have been one of the humans who is camping and protesting outside City Hall. I first want to thank Matt Davis about his coverage about this very important protest/camp that needs to be addressed throughout the country. Art Rios, did an amazing job. He showed heart in his leadership to change the Unconstitutional Portland City Ordinances. He is and was just one of the many humans who represent a diverse groups of activist at city hall.

I want to respond quickly to the perception of laziness. As an activist who works without pay, I was one of the people who the above writer might have passed sleeping during the day time. The fact of the matter, I was really sick and I probably have walking pnuemonia. I had to leave the protest and go to a friends house and get rest. So I am able to regroup to help organize another step into the Mayors decision to talk about a green zone.

Humans get tired, sick, and eventually they need to rest. Did I see people who appeared to be lazy, yes, absolutely. The fact that this is going on is just the reality of a few humans who have their reasons. I do not know their reasons.

The fact remains, they are criminalizing poverty and sleeping could cause a human, who is poor, to become a criminal.

Yes, the protest/camp needs to test the Constitutional credability of the Portland City Ordinance of camping.

I am one of those protesters who also believes that it is disturbing to see a human passed out drunk on the sidewalk. This is a public safety issue and I would like this human to get detox help. If the sit down lay Ordiance did not exist, this human would never get a chance for help. But of course, this scenario is what most think of when we understand this ordiance.

But, I am sure Art Rios has personal experience of being asked to move on for sitting on some public step and told to move on. I am sure the police are taking the Ordinance decide who sits in whose neighborhoods.
The Portland Cit Council is challenged. Can city council have a public vote on changing the ordinance so it can be an issue in the Mayors race?

We still rise, we will not apologize for anything!

Lisa/Lee Iacuzzi
Not a Good Queer on Google
MA @ PSU

I'm guessing there aren't many homeless who are nurses, doctors or lawyers.

LeeIacuzzi: To be frank. The only day I was ever addressed. Every other day the majority of people were still sitting in bed or sleping at 8:10-8:30 when I was there. I know people get sick and tired especially sleeping in the cold. That is what I ment by organize. There should be a roster of people that rotates, people up at 6:30-7 pressed and dressed to the best of their ability.

You need to win over the people who walk by every morning. It is those people who will get behind you. They need to see that homeless people does not equal "lazy bums" but the only way to do that is to push thru and prove it.

This protest need to highlight ACTIVITY. In my experience with it so far it does not in any way. I am talking about EVERY morning. M-F.

Ohh and while I am on the topic, it is all about image. Several times walking by I have seen boxes of organic strawberries food stuffs magazines etc sitting out. That does not help, seriously. Both in the context of looking really messy, and in the context of value. (Those strawberries cost a bit)

LeeIacuzzi: To be frank. The only day I was ever addressed. Every other day the majority of people were still sitting in bed or sleping at 8:10-8:30 when I was there. I know people get sick and tired especially sleeping in the cold. That is what I ment by organize. There should be a roster of people that rotates, people up at 6:30-7 pressed and dressed to the best of their ability.

You need to win over the people who walk by every morning. It is those people who will get behind you. They need to see that homeless people does not equal "lazy bums" but the only way to do that is to push thru and prove it.

This protest need to highlight ACTIVITY. In my experience with it so far it does not in any way. I am talking about EVERY morning. M-F.

Ohh and while I am on the topic, it is all about image. Several times walking by I have seen boxes of organic strawberries food stuffs magazines etc sitting out. That does not help, seriously. Both in the context of looking really messy, and in the context of value. (Those strawberries cost a bit)

Lisa - if you decide to work FOR pay, you'd be amazed at the opportunities for housing that open up.

This is a give and take issue, and right now all the protesters are doing is taking. You want a home? What are you going to do for it? You're not entitled to one. What are you going to do for the city and citizens of Portland if they give you a home, quit camping on the sidewalks and pestering everybody? That's not a trade, that's blackmail. Quid pro quo

#9.
Freshmaker: There are many people who would say all human beings are entitled to a home.

I am one of them.

What have you done for the citizens and city to have yours?

Plenty of things, Tara. Pay taxes, work hard, contribute to community projects, vote, respect my neighbors and strangers...even the homeless when I encounter them.

Humans aren't entitled to homes, they must work for them. I realize work and responsibility aren't much fun and it's more amusing to ask for things and then berate those who don't give them to you for being unfeeling and lacking compassion, but life is hard.

BTW, what's up with Dignity Village? Can't this crowd go there, or they want their OWN village? Those people should be the first to offer up their huts to this crowd, no?

Freshmaker:
In theory anyone who has a job pays taxes, obviously homelessness is often a symptom of not working so that is really moot.

However, I have known a lot of homeless people in my time who were working, but could afford housing even with the money.

The other things you listed while admirable do not equal housing in any way.

You speak of respect in one breath and in the next accuse people looking for help as irresponsible and unwilling to work. Assumptions are rarely respect they are prejudice.

Life is hard, this is very true. I do not think that anyone is more aware of this than someone who has slept in the cold Portland winter outside.

There is an old adage that you could tell a lot about the best of us by how we treat the least of us.

There is an arrogance inherent in having money, a home, respect. I myself suffer from it. It is that arrogance however that means neither you nor I can truly appreciate what homelessness is like. (Unless you have been homeless, then you have knowledge to speak far farther than I do)

I agree that hard work should be a part of any solution, that people need to earn what they have but until we realize the basic dignity of being human and find places where these individuals can succeed all we are doing is propagating a cycle.

Dignity Villiage is full. I do not want the general public to give me housing, I just do not want to be arrested for being poor.

I would like to see the protesters not resting all the time and get off their asses too, but I have no control of what is going on. Of course the camp needs to be organized but the leadership has been men who have not made a consensus decision during the entire protest.

Art Rios, does not represent me. I do have in common with Art, that I want to end the camping ban. This is probably all that I have in common with Art and many other protesters.

Again, the women s shelters are full so arresting women for sleeping outdoors is inhumane.

Not a Good Queer on Google

Dignity Villiage is full. I do not want the general public to give me housing, I just do not want to be arrested for being poor.

I would like to see the protesters not resting all the time and get off their asses too, but I have no control of what is going on. Of course the camp needs to be organized but the leadership has been men who have not made a consensus decision during the entire protest.

Art Rios, does not represent me. I do have in common with Art, that I want to end the camping ban. This is probably all that I have in common with Art and many other protesters.

Again, the women s shelters are full so arresting women for sleeping outdoors is inhumane.

Not a Good Queer on Google

Dignity Villiage is full. I do not want the general public to give me housing, I just do not want to be arrested for being poor.

I would like to see the protesters not resting all the time and get off their asses too, but I have no control of what is going on. Of course the camp needs to be organized but the leadership has been men who have not made a consensus decision during the entire protest.

Art Rios, does not represent me. I do have in common with Art, that I want to end the camping ban. This is probably all that I have in common with Art and many other protesters.

Again, the women s shelters are full so arresting women for sleeping outdoors is inhumane.

Not a Good Queer on Google

Dignity Villiage is full. I do not want the general public to give me housing, I just do not want to be arrested for being poor.

I would like to see the protesters not resting all the time and get off their asses too, but I have no control of what is going on. Of course the camp needs to be organized but the leadership has been men who have not made a consensus decision during the entire protest.

Art Rios, does not represent me. I do have in common with Art, that I want to end the camping ban. This is probably all that I have in common with Art and many other protesters.

Again, the women s shelters are full so arresting women for sleeping outdoors is inhumane.

Not a Good Queer on Google

How is Dignity Village full? Shouldn't people be cycling out once they are able to go out and get jobs/save money/afford actual housing? Or do they become complacent with their new 'free' living situation and end up going nowhere? Matt Davis should investigate.

I hear ya though Tara, I've never been homeless. What do I know.

I love to see Tara come down to the protest and organize. Their are many who are not homeless who are camping out.

The problem with Dignity Village and many people who live off public housing, is that they forget where they came from. Once homeless people get into housing, they do not leave, nor do many feel that they should get jobs so others can have housing.

Granted this is not true for everyone in public housing or Dignity Village. The people who run Dignity Village have been compared with Lord of the Flies where their is a hierachy that they set policy and dictate to others.

Yes, many people who work, are not homeless. I would like to see many of these people loose their jobs or careers and maintain their households.

Their will be more and more middle class, educated humans facing homelessness as the job market and economy becomes tighter and tighter.

Also, people addressing my blog postings as Lisa are transphobic. Please address me with my trans name which is Lee.
Not a Good Queer on Google.

I love to see Tara come down to the protest and organize. Their are many who are not homeless who are camping out.

The problem with Dignity Village and many people who live off public housing, is that they forget where they came from. Once homeless people get into housing, they do not leave, nor do many feel that they should get jobs so others can have housing.

Granted this is not true for everyone in public housing or Dignity Village. The people who run Dignity Village have been compared with Lord of the Flies where their is a hierachy that they set policy and dictate to others.

Yes, many people who work, are not homeless. I would like to see many of these people loose their jobs or careers and maintain their households.

Their will be more and more middle class, educated humans facing homelessness as the job market and economy becomes tighter and tighter.

Also, people addressing my blog postings as Lisa are transphobic. Please address me with my trans name which is Lee.
Not a Good Queer on Google.

Lee: Without organization nothing will be accomplished. It sounds as if there are a lot of strong personalities involved. My only hope is that you can all work together for the benefit of all. Many will have to subsume their egos but in the end helping people is the most important end.

Take my suggestions for what they are worth. The observations of a random chick.

Lee: As a transwoman myself I have to say I don't think that people are being intentionally transphobic. In your first comment you signed Lisa\Lee so people may not know which is preferred. Thank you for making clear your preferred pronoun.

As to protesting myself. I wish I could but I do work, pretty far away and have a family to support. My concerns, but they are mine first and foremost.

As for the homeless situation, you are right in so far as one possibility. The other is that housing costs could drop given the right stimulus, but that is neither here nor there.

The homeless community can and needs to do much to show itself to the broad swath of Portland as something other than annoyance. This is plain and simple. This is the place for someone to step up and lead the way.

Most people passing thru downtown only see the immediate effect of homeless people. Namely people asking for money. Most are really very good about it, others are not.

The problem is the ones who are not are painting the rest in a negative light.

Again, I recommend, ORGANIZE.

Yeah Lee, that's what I thought.

"Yes, many people who work, are not homeless. I would like to see many of these people loose their jobs or careers and maintain their households."

I bet you would. Schadenfreude

Lee, you never cease to amaze me with your persistent bat-shit craziness. If you're not going to get back on your meds, just do us human "transphobes" a favor and use one of our many bridges as a launching pad.

There is no single type of "homeless" person, just as there is no single type of person with a home. the sad thing is there are so many disadvantaged folks that are in terrible situations because the system is overloaded and underfunded, yet there are some a-holes that take advantage of the system and are indeed lazy. How do we reconcile this?

We cannot as a moral society ignore those truly in need that are not capable of helping themselves, so that means putting up with the lazy a-holes in the process. The alternative is not humane and not how an enlightened society behaves.

The argument to this obviously is that there are far more a-holes than folks truly in need, but I have spent enough time around the issue around the country to be confident writing that this is not the case. MOST people do not want to be homeless, yet there are reasons beyond their control that have put them in their situation.

Thank you Mercury for continuing to shed light on this often overlooked problem, and good luck to those protesting. Hold a sign and try your hardest if you can. The previous statement that perception matters is unfortunately accurate.

It's amazing how capable people are over simplifying a complex issue. The reality is that most homeless people do not choose to be in their situation. The majority are not sleeping outside where it's cold, dangerous, uncomfortable, often wet (esp. in Portland), and (for many) humiliating because it's simply so preferable to working for a living. It's not a desirable situation to be in. 1/4 of the US homeless population are youth/children. 13 die every day. Most are victims of physical and/or sexual abuse. 23% are Veterans (according to the National Coalition for homeless Veterans). It's been estimated that as high as 70% of the adult homeless population is suffering from varying degrees mental illness. There are those who are sick or disabled and had to loss their housing because of medical expenses. Some are fleeing abusive situations.
How about instead of talking about the homeless, you try talking with them? The old stereotypes are tired.

I believe the correct number is 130 US hunger related deaths and 25,000 world-wide, approx. 50% in both cases are children.