Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Appeals court ruling on homeless
sparks local debate

Mom's Comment: The only problem with this is "we"
do not FOLLOW the ordinance as it pertains to the homeless.


Appeals court ruling on homeless sparks local debate

By Matt Pordum

Las Vegas Sun, April 18, 2006


While a federal appeals court's decision last week makes it clear that there's no crime in being homeless, the court's notice of a Las Vegas ordinance is only going to ignite the debate locally.

City officials and defense attorneys disagree over the meaning of a ruling Friday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on arrests of homeless people. The court cited a Las Vegas ordinance as an example of finding "ways to avoid criminalizing the status of homelessness."

"I think if you read the 9th Circuit opinion, the court has gone out of its way to approve the ordinance we follow in Las Vegas as it pertains to the homeless," Las Vegas City Attorney Brad Jerbic said.

To read the full article:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2006/apr/18/566688430.html?homeless

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Stop Divine Strake,
International Day of Action

* International Indian Treaty Council * Western Shoshone Defense Project *Indigenous Environmental Network * Shundahai Network * Nevada Desert Experience
* Citizen Alert * Western Shoshone National Council

The “Stop Divine Strake Coalition”
Calls for an International Day of Action


The U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) plans to detonate a 700-ton ammonium nitrate and fuel oil explosive on June 2, 2006 at the Nevada Test Site(NTS), a federal facility 65 miles north of Las Vegas. They are calling this test “Divine Strake.”

While this test is not nuclear in composition, its purpose, according to DTRA documents, is to “simulate a low-yield nuclear weapon.” Given that previous nuclear tests have occurred only a few miles away from where Divine Strake will occur, this test raises the specter of kicking up previous radioactive contamination and sending it downwind. We have been told too many half-truths and outright lies to believe in the “safety” of this test. Furthermore, no full environmental impact statement has been done to verify that there is no radioactive contamination at the particular site.

It must be stressed that the presence of the United States military on Western Shoshone land is uninvited. In fact, the Western Shoshone have been fighting for sovereignty over their ancestral and treaty-recognized lands, and to shut down the NTS for years. Most recently, their efforts brought them to the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) which found the United States in violation of recognized fundamental human rights standards and international law, and ordered the United States to “freeze”, “desist” and “stop” their activities on Western Shoshone land. All this while the DTRA was preparing for the “Divine Strake” test

As tensions increase with Iran, speculation has increased in the media and elsewhere that this test, in conjunction with other military projects, is building up to an imminent attack on the peoples of Iran, possibly in the form of nuclear bombardment. This test is seemingly a “war game” to initiate a U.S. led invasion of Iran. Many media articles about Divine Strake and its possible role in the escalation of tension with Iran may be found on

www.shundahai.org/divine_strake. tm and

www.disarmamentactivist.org

Because our goal is to stop the test, and to not expose anyone to undue health risks from the actual blast, our focus will be an International Day of Action on Sunday May 28, 2006 (Memorial Day Weekend) at the Nevada Test Site Peace Camp, located across Highway 95 from the Test Site. We are looking for allied organizations to join our coalition, and either join us at the Nevada Test Site on the 28th, or stage actions in their own communities throughout the following week.

Some of our anticipated activities will be:

¨ Delivering eviction/deportation notices to the U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Energy as illegal, non-respecting immigrants to indigenous lands.

¨ A rally with speakers from indigenous, immigrant, nuclear abolition, and peace and justice communities.

¨ Non-violent direct action training

¨ Peacekeeper training

¨ Workshops on the history of the test site and radiation compensation, indigenous sovereignty, and the escalation with Iran.

¨ Spiritual ceremonies to remember those who have suffered or died as a result of war and nuclear weapons testing.

¨ Brainstorming workshops on what common actions folks can do later in the week in their respective cities

¨ Vigil activities at U.S. Federal Buildings and Bechtel Corporation offices on June 1 and June 2, if the test has not been canceled.



Some of our anticipated needs are:

¨ Getting the word out to sympathetic communities

¨ Development of fliers and other outreach materials

¨ Optimizing media participation both before, during and after the event

¨ Providing shelter, food and water to participants

¨ Organizing workshops

¨ Providing “peacekeepers” to keep the event on message and free of violence.

Ongoing activities - Please keep the phone calls, letters coming!

The test detonation can be cancelled. We call for the United States Government to do so immediately. Concerned citizens can call or write to express their opinions to their Congressional Representatives and:

President George W. Bush comments@whitehouse.gov 202-456-1111

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld http://www.dod.gov/faq/comment.html

Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld
Secretary of Defense
1000 Defense Pentagon
Washington, DC 20301-1000

James Tegnelia dtra.publicaffairs@dtra.mil (800) 701-5096

Defense Threat Reduction Aagency
Attn: James Tegnelia
8725 John J Kingman RD Stop 6201
Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-6201

Please contact us if you would like to join our coalition. We will then proceed with detailed plans based on the coalition’s collective abilities.

www.treatycouncil.org

jimbosimmons@treatycouncil.org

andrea@treatycouncil.org

www.wsdp.org wsdp@igc.org

www.ienearth.org

rshimek@ienearth.org

ien@igc.org

www.shundahai.org

eileen_mccabe_olsen@yahoo.com

pete@shundahai.org

www.nevadadesertexperience.org

amy@nevadadesertexperience.org

www.citizenalert.org

pmj1@citizenalert.org

tonyg@citizenalert.org



1 Preliminary approval, pending formal consensus approval at the next WSNC regular meeting.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

PROTEST - PROTEST - PROTEST

PROTEST - PROTEST - PROTEST



...The Republican Madness!!!




President Bush is coming to town on
Monday, April 24 to raise cash
for his go-to man in Nevada, Rep. Jon Porter.

LETS TELL BUSH

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

What: Lets "welcome" Bush and his buddy Porter

Where: Right behind the Venetian, along Koval Lane, where the President will arrive. We'll be on the public sidewalk along the Imperial Palace Employee Lot. Park at the
nearby garages or side streets.

Who: The April 24th Committee consists of groups from the peace, labor, immigrant rights, environmental, anti-yucca, and other communities.

When: Monday, April 24. Start assembling
between 9:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.

What to Bring: We will provide signs, but feel free to make your own. We're following a street sign theme. Ideas include:


"STOP the Republican Madness"

"Bush and Porter YIELD to Special Interests"

"Porter + Bush = WRONG WAY for the country"

"Porter votes ONE WAY with Bush"

"WRONG TURN on Medicare"

"NO OUTLET from Iraq"

"Republicans DEAD END on education"

For more information, please contact Kirsten at (702) 737-8683 or Tony at 702-265-8082

Saturday, April 15, 2006

Increasingly Vicious Laws Push Out Homeless

Increasingly Vicious Laws Push Out Homeless

The NewStandard


by Catherine Komp

Communities nationwide appear intent on testing the lengths they can go to suppress or expel their homeless populations -- anything to avoid having to see, let alone help, the least fortunate.

Richmond, Va.; Apr. 5 –


In the face of rising homelessness, cities across the country are increasingly trying to push desperate people out of sight and out of mind. In addition to anti-panhandling, anti-camping and anti-loitering ordinances, some are targeting the few remaining public spaces where homeless people can go during the day – including parks and libraries.

On a recent sunny Sunday afternoon in Richmond’s Monroe Park, about 50 people gathered with plates of seasoned tofu and zucchini, squash and potatoes, fruit salad, sweets and coffee. The meal was organized by the local chapter of Food Not Bombs, a global network of anti-war, anti-poverty volunteers that provide free, vegetarian meals in hundreds of city parks.

"We like the park because it’s a public space, it’s a place where everybody can come," said volunteer Maria Medas.

But volunteers say the group’s weekly food distribution efforts and similar programs face a looming threat of being pushed out of the park, long an anchor of nourishment and community for the city’s homeless.

Next to the Food Not Bombs tables, several homeless people help Sam Bowser distribute the Sunday meal provided by the local chapter of HOPE Ministries Worldwide. "I’ve been serving homeless people for 20 years," Bowser said, "and the questions always asked is, ‘Do the people need it?’ Yes they do. I find the people depend on me to be here and anyone else who comes out here to feed the homeless people."

Whether it’s public parks or private shelters, homeless people have fewer and fewer places to go.But compassionate work by the likes of Medas and Bowser has met resistance from a group of neighborhood residents who argue the park is "languishing under an identity crisis." Pressure has also come from nearby Virginia Commonwealth University, where officials have also used their clout to pressure the city to privatize the park. The University has developed its own strategic plan to "address [the] need for more green space" for its students.

Medas said there has been an increased police presence at Food Not Bombs meals, and the group recently received a parking ticket for unloading in a spot it has used for years without any problems.

Donna Mills, a homeless woman helping Bowser serve HOPE Ministries’ Sunday meal, sees the treatment of the community’s poor as part of a long history of economic injustice. "[They] always run folks off of everything they want; they’ve been doing that ever since the beginning of time," Mills told TNS. "There’s enough for everybody, but you just got one or two group of people [that] just want the whole dang gone thing – don’t want to share nothing; want to keep you down and keep their self up; keep their self separated."

Battle in Downtown America

Whether it’s public parks or private shelters, homeless people have fewer and fewer places to go. According to a survey of 24 cities by the US Conference of Mayors, requests for emergency shelter assistance in 2005 increased by 6 percent. The survey also found the number of homeless families seeking shelter increased by about 5 percent, with about one in three reporting unmet needs due to a lack of existing shelter resources.

Stoops believes the increase in the homeless population is feeding the rise in city ordinances and polices that target those populations.Without enough temporary shelter for the needy, homelessness becomes more visible, leading to what homeless-rights advocate Michael Stoops described to The NewStandard as "a big battle in downtown American between the interests of low-income people and the interests of the business community."

Richmond’s libraries have also become a front in that battle. In February, the city enacted new codes of conduct allowing library staff to banish people who bring in more than two book bags, bags over 18 inches in length, plastic bags, bed rolls or luggage. People whose "personal hygiene is offensive so as to constitute a nuisance to other persons" or who change their clothes in the bathroom can also be removed from the library. The revised codes further state that failure to comply with the library’s rules may result in arrest.

In explaining the city’s new policies at a recent press conference, Richmond Mayor Douglas L. Wilder said, "The purpose of the libraries is to satisfy the needs of society that wants to enrich its cultural involvement relative to reading, writing, to youngsters, for older [people], for anyone else that wants to come there to learn."

The National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has been tracking anti-homeless initiatives for more than a decade, and has published several comprehensive reports on criminalization of the homeless. Using information, surveys, and interviews from 224 cities, the 2005 report designates the top 20 "meanest" cities for the homeless.

Since the last survey in 2002, the NCH found a 12 percent increase in laws prohibiting begging; an 18 percent increase in aggressive panhandling laws; and a 14 percent increase in laws prohibiting sitting and lying in public places.

Stoops believes the increase in the homeless population is feeding the rise in city ordinances and polices that target those populations.

"I think some Americans are tired of the issue, and they simply want the homeless to go away," said Stoops, acting executive director of NCH. "Business people put pressure on the mayor and the police and that’s why we see sweeps and the passage and enforcement of what we call ‘anti-homeless’ laws."

A Punitive Response

A number of cities, including Richmond, Houston and San Francisco have decided that the homeless use of libraries has become such a problem that it merits stronger regulations for behavior and enforcement.

Public library access has become such an issue that the American Library Association (ALA) has created a subcommittee on library services to poor and homeless people. ALA president Lesley Burger said that libraries, like any public institution, have certain rules for conduct, for example prohibiting food and beverages, cell phones and profane language.

But on the issue of targeting the homeless, Burger said, "I think we need to be very cautious about mass stereotypes or using stereotypes to paint a broad brush about a whole group of people who may be innocent." Moreover, she said, libraries can serve as a valuable source of information on jobs and social programs for people trying to get back on their feet.

Mayor Wilder has also suggested rerouting bus routes off of the main downtown thoroughfare that passes by an upscale hotel, the Library of Virginia, the new courthouse, and VCU’s medical school. "We can't have all those people lying around outside the Library of Virginia, that beautiful building that I insisted be on Broad Street when I was governor," Wilder told the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Darrick, an artist and homeless Richmonder who preferred not to give his last name, said he experienced first-hand the city’s crackdown on homelessness when police hassled him for lying in the park and working on a drawing. The officer, he said, accused him of "camping out."

"He said, ‘You got that bag, doesn’t that have your clothes and stuff in it?’ I said, ‘No, it has my art supplies in it,’" Darrick told TNS. "They harass you."

Both Darrick and NCH President Stoops emphasize that one of the key problems for homeless people is that there is nowhere to go during the day. But instead of funding accessible "day centers" – facilities with indoor seating, showers, laundry, and referral services -- many places try to sweep the homeless to less visible areas. In Richmond, city officials are trying to move homeless services away from downtown to a blighted industrial area near the parole office and city jail.

In San Francisco, complaints about homeless people congregating in front of the library compelled the city to implement the "Homeward Bound" program, which has given nearly 1,000 homeless people one-way bus tickets out of town.

And in Atlanta – the fourth "meanest" city in the NCH’s study – local lawmakers banned panhandling in the downtown area and at bus stations, the airport and sports arenas. The ordinance also prohibits people from "requesting a donation of money" in business-district areas.

"It sounds like a Jim Crow law," said Stoops.

Anti-poverty and free-expression advocates raise constitutional concerns surrounding restrictions on begging and inhabiting public spaces. The NCH points out that courts have struck down laws that criminalize necessary activities for homeless people, like sleeping in public, citing the Eighth Amendment protection against cruel and unusual punishment.

Beyond laws and ordinances, some city governments and businesses have used physical barriers to restrict not just the homeless, but people in general from taking up public space. Physical implements like seat-less bus stops, metal spikes on ledges, and metal barriers over subway grates have all cropped up to make urban spaces less accommodating.



President Bush’s $2.77 trillion 2007 budget proposal includes numerous cuts to programs for poor and homeless populations, including the Community Development and Social Services Block Grant programs, which fund low-income housing, childcare and child-welfare programs.

While the NCH notes that the budget proposal does boost funding for Homeless Assistance Grants and Housing for People with AIDS, the organization says it does so at the expense of other housing initiatives that could prevent or alleviate homelessness. Congress could vote on budget resolutions this week, before the Easter recess.

For the programs and communities that do receive federal funding for homeless and poverty programs, the NCH advocates requiring cities to opt for more supportive initiatives over criminalization of the homeless. The group states that any federal funding for homelessness and poverty should be "conditioned on local government agreement not to punish homeless persons for conduct related to their status."

"I think the American people have grown accustomed to seeing people living on our city sidewalks and streets," said Stoops. "And that’s why we don’t give it a second thought or stop or even say ‘hello’ when we see people in the streets. We just walk on by."

© 2006 The NewStandard. All rights reserved. The NewStandard is a non-profit publisher that encourages noncommercial reproduction of its content. Reprints must prominently attribute the author and The NewStandard, hyperlink to

http://newstandardnews.net (online)

or display newstandardnews.net (print), and carry this notice. For more information or commercial reprint rights, please see the TNS reprint policy.

Homeless can't simply shake addiction
Las Vegas CityLife, April 13, 2006

Letter to the editor, Thursday, April 13, 2006

In reply to ["Homeless must help themselves," Letters, April 6].

Homeless can't simply shake addiction


...I have never drunk alcohol, never risk more than one pull on the Megabucks machine per paycheck, do NOT abuse over the counter medications and still am homeless. The definition of homelessness is much too strict: It is NOT just the person on the street corner begging.

To read the complete letter:

http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2006/04/13/letters/letters03.txt

Friday, April 07, 2006

Re: Homeless must help themselves,
Las Vegas CityLife, April 06, 2006

Re: Homeless must help themselves

Letter to the editor, Thursday, April 06, 2006


The following link will take you to a letter to the editor in the Las Vegas CityLife.

Here is my reply.

CityLife may publish my comments if they wish.

Also here, I want to thank CityLife and the community for keeping the Las Vegas Valley's huge homeless problem in the media. We have multiple issues here including the AFFORDABLE HOUSING issue which is and will be affecting non-homeless as well as homeless folks.

http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2006/04/06/letters/letters02.txt

Ken: The death of Norman Bangs was tragic and needless, and both Gail Sacco and Westcare should be applauded for their efforts to help the homeless ["Death in Vegas," March 23]. But unfortunately, "more detox beds" are not the solution for homelessness in our city.

Mom: Thank you so much for your comments. Your comments help me and others see different view points. And also it gives us the opportunity to ponder the different insights to see if we are missing anything that would help us do better in our mission.

Ken: Don't kill the messenger, but the solution lies within the homeless themselves.

Mom: Yes, this is important "if and when" they can help themselves. Sometimes people need a helping hand to get to that point.

Ken: I was homeless when I arrived here, except for a beat-to-hell Volkswagen, but I didn't line up for Gail's free lunch. I was at Labor Express every day, doing whatever grunt work they'd offer for the $28 a day it paid. I was able to buy my own food and clothes, and kept looking for work, and I found it, and I made friends and networked, and presto, I wasn't homeless anymore.

Mom: Not knowing some of the facts relating to your particular situation, I will still try to comment. There are many different types of homeless and almost-homeless people. Having a "beat-to-hell" vehicle still gave you some sort of safe shelter. This gives a person an advantage to a better night's sleep (to be able to work the next day) than sleeping in an alley or behind a privately owned building.

I also don't know how long you were homeless. But for those who have been homeless for a short period of time, it is much easier to get off the streets than someone who has been on the streets for a longer period of time.

Also, depending on how long ago you were homeless makes a difference. Like the City Marshal who told me he was homeless 15 years ago and got himself off the streets all on his own. Fifteen years ago we had affordable housing...

It is estimated that forty percent of the homeless do work the day labor jobs. (And only two percent panhandle for a living.) But making up to $40 a day, maybe three days a week, is not enough money to buy your own food and clothes, soap, shaving gear, laundry detergent, laundry services, deodorant, sanitary napkins, etc. and save for a weekly motel or apartment.

Now, getting back to that vehicle that you own (smile). Most homeless don't have the luxury of owning a vehicle where they can keep all those nice interview clothes from being stolen while you are at the day labor. And, not having that vehicle also puts you at risk of being arrested over and over and over again for trespassing (sleeping on private property) or "lodging" in the public park after hours. So then you are subject to jail time and fines. And then that fine apartment you had your eye on gets put on hold.

And without that vehicle (and sometimes even with a vehicle) you get arrested for sleeping on "private" property without permission, and you had just landed a good job. Now you are in jail for seven days and can't get to work. Do you think your new employer will understand?

Ken: Ask yourself when was the last time you saw a Mexican holding up a sign reading "Homeless, Hungry, God Bless You?" You probably haven't and you probably won't. Because our Mexican population works, and they work harder than any other race I've known. In Florida, I did the hiring for a construction site, and I was called "racist" because I only hired Mexicans. In point of fact, Mexicans were virtually the only applicants that passed my company's drug test.

Mom: He he, (not really funny but...) yes many Mexicans work very hard here (legally and illegally) because they've left their country for a better life for themselves and their families. But many Mexicans are still working slave labor here because they don't have identification, etc. so they cannot even work at the day labor jobs.

No matter what race, all homeless (white, black, hispanic, asian, turkish, native american, etc.) all have different and some of the same barriers. Each is an individual with individual barriers and problems. And each handles their situation differently. We can either play the game of survival of the fittest. Or, we can offer what we can to help them maximize their abilities and strengths- all people of ALL nationalities.

Ken: "Death In Vegas" opens with "Norman Bangs had finally had enough of the streets ... cold and dusty back lots ... police harassment ... newspaper beds ... lack of running water." I'm sorry, but how does "finally" fit in there? Was there some time frame in which Norman found that lifestyle appealing? Greg Malms said, "There are so many doors that are being closed in your face." Well, temporary labor offices have been open to me, all over the country. Las Vegas has several. The work they offer isn't like giving back rubs to supermodels, but damn it, it's work, and work pays off. So if you're homeless, don't put "Will Work For Food" on your pathetic cardboard sign. If you'll work for food, you'd already be at a labor office.

Mom: As I said here and in other posts of mine, there are many barriers that prevent some folks from getting a job. We have to help break down those barriers so they can get a job if that is what they want. For example, no identification, no job. No birth certificate, no social security card, no identification. No legitimate job.

http://www.nlchp.org/contents/pubs/ID%20Barrier%20Report.pdf

Ken: In closing, "Norman Bangs ... had enough of the drinking and drugs." No, he hadn't. He died from them. Somehow he could afford alcohol and drugs, but not food or shelter. People can choose to rise above drugs and alcohol without a "detox bed" on their own. It's not easy and it's not fun. But ultimately, they themselves have to do it. Because all the Gail Saccos and Westcares in the universe won't be able to help those who won't help themselves.

Mom: We'll have to agree to disagree here. I do not believe that ALL people can get free from alcohol and/or drugs on their own. Each individual needs different things at different times. Some can do it on their own and some can't - whether one is homeless or non-homeless.

If we care about our fellow human beings, we must be there for them (as individuals and as a community) when they are ready to help themselves. Some have lost hope. We must help them restore their hope and dignity so they can begin --again-- to help themselves.

Thank you for taking the time to write to Las Vegas CityLife. And I am so glad that you are not homeless anymore. No one deserves to be homeless or hungry even if they've made their mistakes. Everyone deserves another chance or a helping hand to get off the streets if that's what they want.

And remember, you don't have to drink or do drugs to become homeless. Any one missed paycheck, a health crisis, an eviction whether it is a legal or illegal eviction, loss of a job or benefits, mental health issues, physical or medical health problems, or an unpaid bill can virtually make any one of us homeless.

Monday, April 03, 2006

Harassment or are the marshals
just doing their job?

Sunday, April 2, 2006

What a beautiful day today! Sun was shining. Purple bushes in bloom. Comfortable temperatures. No unusual problems with our homeless and needy friends.

Come about 3:00 pm, the marshal's car pulls up on the west side of the park. Everyone was scattered throughout this gorgeous, public park chatting and enjoying each other's company.

Marshal R. McMenamy walks over to the table and asks the lone gentleman at the table, "Did you serve this food today?" Before the gentleman had time to answer, the marshal spotted me sitting under a tree and said, "Oh, there is Ms. Sacco."

Reminder: Marshal R. McMenamy is the same marshal who told Joe, "No signs in the park. Take the sign out of the park." Thankfully he was reminded by his superior of Joe's free speech rights.

http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2006/03/02/local_news/shrapnel/shrapnel.txt

I got up and said, "Hello Marshal" and then he began with the questions: How many people did you feed today? Did you feed over 25 people? Have you personally tried to get a permit? Who did you speak with?

I explained to him that I did not count the people. Then someone told him we fed 19 people. I told him that a friend of mine tried to apply for a permit for me. I told him, "But as you well know, this park is non-reservable."

He said to me, "I don't want to have to go through the whole spiel again. You know the rules as we told them to you on the day you were cited."

Another gentleman asked the marshal, "Do you think it's unconstitutional what the city is doing here?" The marshal told him, paraphrased: "I don't want to talk with you. I want to finish talking with this woman."

So I asked Marshal McMenamy, "Do you think that there is something wrong with sharing food with hungry people?" McMenamy replied, "It doesn't matter what I think." I said,
"Yes, it does matter what you think. If you think that the local laws are unjust and unconstitutional, and you are being ordered from up above to enforce these unjust laws, then that is a shame."

He replied, "Let me tell you that I enjoy my job and enjoy what I do. What is right is right. What is wrong is wrong." So I asked him, "So do you think that sharing food with hungry people is wrong?" He replied, again, "It doesn't matter what I think."

At that time, I felt someone coming up behind me. I turn around to see Deputy City Marshal Sergeant John Donohue. Gentleman as usual, he asked how everything was going. He said that there was a complaint by a neighbor because of the feeding.

I explained to him that today was an exceptional pleasant day. No fighting, no one was drunk, no noise, no litter. I couldn't imagine why any neighbor would be calling to complain.

I also explained to him that myself and fellow advocates were hoping to get together soon to discuss some proposals for the city. We are hoping that we can work together to come up with a plan to make everyone as happy as possible.

Shook hands with Sgt. Donohue and we all went on our merry way.

CityLife compared favorably to Bible,
Las Vegas CityLife, March 23, 2006

First of all, I'm very pleased to see there are still writers who care to write stories like the one about the woman who feeds the homeless. In your Jan.19 issue, you published "Going in circles" by Emmily Bristol. Stories like that we can only read in the Bible.

To read the complete letter:

http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2006/03/23/letters/letters.txt

Death in Vegas,
Las Vegas CityLife, March 23, 2006

Homeless man's apparent OD highlights the need for more detox beds



Norman Bangs waits in a food line at Circle Park. Bangs, 39, died March 11 behind an abandoned building across from the park.

Photo Credit: Bill Hughes, Photo Editor

BY MATT O'BRIEN

Norman Bangs had finally had enough of the streets. He'd had enough of the cold and dusty back lots, the police harassment, and the mocking teenagers. He'd had enough of the newspaper beds, the relentless sun and the lack of running water. He'd had enough of the drinking and the drugs.

He just wanted a little help. What he got was the cold shoulder and a one-way ticket
back to the streets, where he died earlier this month.

To read the complete article:

http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2006/03/23/local_news/news01.txt

Media Updates

No picnic this time - Woman cited for feeding too many homeless

By Timothy Pratt
Las Vegas Sun

An act of charity - feeding the homeless - has landed one local woman in court.

Gail Sacco must appear March 20 in Municipal Court to answer charges that she violated a Las Vegas ordinance by gathering more than 25 people in a city park without a permit.

To read the complete article:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2006/mar/07/566620162.html

Editorial: The worst ticket in town

Resident cited for feeding homeless people in a Las Vegas park discovers that even when charity begins at home it still needs a permit

It is a sad day when a city tickets those who feed homeless people.

According to a story in Tuesday's Las Vegas Sun, resident Gail Sacco is heading to Las Vegas Municipal Court on March 20 because her practice of feeding homeless people in Circle Park violates a Las Vegas ordinance that prohibits gatherings of more than 25 people without a permit.

To read the complete article:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/sun/2006/mar/08/566662547.html?homeless

Woman Cited For Feeding Too Many Homeless

(KVVU) -- A good deed has landed a valley woman in court.

Gail Sacco was cited and banned from downtown's Circle Park for six months for feeding too many homeless people.

According to park rules, it's against the law for a group of 25 people or more to gather without a permit.

To read the complete article:

http://www.kvvu.com/Global/story.asp?S=4602605

Letter: Woman sets an example for all of us

The Sun's story about the lovely lady that was feeding the homeless is very upsetting to me ("No picnic this time - woman cited for feeding too many homeless," March 7). She is doing what each of us should be doing each day.

To read the complete letter:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/debate/2006/mar/09/566644973.html

Law used to thwart homeless helpers targeted

By DAVID McGRATH SCHWARTZ
REVIEW-JOURNAL




Photo Credit: Ralph Fountain


The case against two women cited while feeding the homeless was delayed after an attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union said he would challenge the Las Vegas ordinance in federal court.

City marshals cited Gail Sacco and Lyla Bartholomae on Feb. 19 for having a gathering of 25 people or more at Huntridge Circle Park without a permit. Sacco was told by a marshal that she could not return to the park for six months. If she did, he warned, she would be charged with trespassing.

The two were cited while serving hot food, as they usually do, to the homeless at the park on Maryland Parkway, just south of Charleston Boulevard.

Allen Lichtenstein, general counsel of the ACLU of Nevada, said that he would file a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the ordinance within a few weeks.

The city's ordinance, he said, was unconstitutionally broad and vague. Under the ordinance, Lichtenstein said, a single protester at a park who attracted a crowd of hecklers could be cited if 25 or more people showed up.

He also said that the practice of banning people from parks goes around the right to due process.

To read the complete article:

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2006/Mar-21-Tue-2006/news/6472254.html