todays meeting about the homeless camp. SHAME!!!
And shame on the mayor and the whole Minneapolis City Council for not being
completely open and honest with the public about the situation!
I was in the hallway after the discussion was tabled until next Thursday (with
NO indication the public would be heard or further informed by then) when the
city finance rep admitted to MPR reporter Max Nesterak and to me that:
1) Existing social services (like the PSP family shelter, St. Stephen's Human,
The Salvation Army, and Wakaigan who have been working to end homelessness for
years--not weeks) could in fact house and provide services for every person in
that camp who needs it and will accept help. He said the thing is, the group of
camping heroine users wants to stay all together and wants to keep using!
And,
2) The city "hasn't decided yet" whether they'll be allowed to keep using at
the Navigation site. Seriously.
These are both monstrous ommissions! Shameful!
The truth is that, while existing help is available, the mayor, city council,
staff, and law enforcement are using tax-paid time and tax dollars to try to
figure out how to make the camp go away while enabling a huge heroine party!
The mayor sat right there and said ...no solution is perfect... and ...so 2600
Minnehaha might end up being the site for the Interim Navigation Site... in
front of a room full of reps, teachers, and young students from the Aurora
Carter School.
It's immoral and illegal! And yes, Amy Klobuchar will know about it very soon.
I'm appalled!
The lot at 2600 Minnehaha should be sold to the Aurora Charter School, plain
and simple. They need it and no other use for it is logical. They've asked to
buy it on more than one occassion, I understand, because they don't have a
playground and need one.
The homeless camp should be policed. The workers at Wakaigan across the street
(You know, the ones who actually put up those shower tents?) They see open drug
use every day all day. And that "police presence" isn't policing it!
Look, I'm all about compassion. I worked for St. Stephen's Human Services for
two years, and I volunteer at the Soup for You Cafe at Bethany (where many
homeless people come for the community meal served there on weekdays). I
believe in a response that is motivated by loving kindness. Enabling an addict
is not loving or kind--not to the addict and certainly not to the community
victimized by drug-seeking behaviors (or haven't you seen the two giant
stockpiles of stolen bikes and parts in the camp?)
I speak as someone who lost her baby brother to heroine when he was barely 30.
Enabling is the opposite of helping! Locked inpatient treatment helps. NOT
providing a place where groups of addicts can buy, sell, and use drugs!
I've copied the Seward Neighborhood Board, of which group I am a member and for
which group I attended today's meeting. You can bet we'll be there next
Thursday by which time, hopefully, word will spread nation-wide about what's
REALLY going on!!!
I am ashamed of you and ashamed that I voted for you.
Sincerely,Melissa ZeckSeward Neighborhood
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