After rejecting a proposal to develop a safe ground program for homeless people during an October 20 workshop, on November 7 the Modesto City Council voted unanimously to support bridge housing, which could cost as much as $75,000 per unit, according to staff reports. The council voted to spend $3 million of its general budget on the acquisition of tiny homes such as Pallet Shelters to be put on yet-to-be-determined […]
Is Bridge Housing the Answer to California’s Homeless Crisis?
It’s become more and more apparent that transitional shelter units such as tents, Pallet Shelters, or tiny homes are the only humane options for California’s ongoing homeless crisis. Predictions of another wet winter forecast even more hospital time and deaths for people with nowhere to go, especially the sick, elderly and disabled. Many shelters are full even before the arrival of wet and cold weather. A rising influx of homeless […]
Will Support for Mike Johnson Hurt Valley Republicans?
After weeks of dysfunction, House Republicans finally approved a Speaker to replace Kevin McCarthy, the San Joaquin Valley Congressman who could never apply the enormous power of the Speaker’s position because he couldn’t appease the party’s MAGA extremists. McCarthy was ousted after a fevered House minority wouldn’t abide his decision that it was more important to fund our government during this time of world crisis than bow to the demands […]
Homeless: Modesto Council Rejects Safe Ground
At a special meeting of the Modesto City Council on Friday, October 20, Councilmembers rejected a motion to direct staff to study safe sleeping sites for managing homelessness. The vote was four to three. Approximately 100 people turned out for the event, and public support for the proposal was overwhelming. As Councilmember Eric Alvarez noted, no member of the public spoke against the proposal. Opponents of the proposal made questionable […]
Homeless Workshop Will Spotlight Sweeps and Safe Ground
As homeless numbers continue to rise throughout the state, most of California’s leaders have followed Governor Gavin Newsom’s lead towards criminalizing the poorest among us. The default tactic of sweeps — chasing homeless people from one place to another — remains the most favored method of dealing with people on the streets, in the parks and alleys, and along waterways and freeway margins even while homeless numbers throughout the state […]
Mayor and Council Right to Silence Hate Speech
During public testimony at the September 26 meeting of the Modesto City Council, speakers using Zoom technology uttered racial slurs and voiced support for Adolph Hitler. Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen silenced those speakers. She was right to do so. The speakers using Zoom during the Modesto Council meeting were part of a coordinated effort throughout northern California to promote fascism and white supremacy. They interrupted public meetings under cover of […]
Homeless: Gavin Newsom Chooses Cruelty
Gavin Newsom has doubled down on his failed policy of sweeps and criminalization as the state’s primary tactics for coping with homelessness. Late last month, California’s Governor called for the United States Supreme Court to overrule decisions that have protected homeless people’s rights to sleep in public spaces when no other options are available. Newsom wants legal authority to roust people from the only places they have to lay their […]
Councilmembers Propose Homeless Management Action Plan
Three Modesto City Councilmembers have submitted a “Safe Ground Homeless Vision” to City Manager Joe Lopez, Mayor Sue Zwahlen, and fellow Councilmembers Rosa Escutia-Braaton, Jeremiah Williams and David Wright. Brief and pragmatic, the plan is intended to reduce, “impacts and public health and safety concerns of unregulated encampments on local businesses and residents.” “We need to get people off our streets and sidewalks, out of our parks, and away from […]
Stanislaus Sheriff Supports Safe Sleeping for Homeless
During an early September interview with the Modesto Bee, Stanislaus County Sheriff Jeff Dirkse voiced strong support for safe camping for homeless people. “(With safe camping), outreach folks can actually solve problems because we’re condensing them into camps where they can interact with them” said Dirkse. “So, yeah, I fully support it — it’s a necessary step. Nimbyism will be huge. No one wants them (nearby) and I do understand […]
Time for a Water Wake Up Call
Recent stories in the New York Times highlight a groundwater crisis throughout much of the United States, including the San Joaquin Valley. While depleted aquifers aren’t news to Valley citizens, the urgency of the situation has yet to strike home, especially in the northern part of the Valley where last winter’s heavy rains have led to a false sense of security and a “it can’t happen here” mindset. Farther south, […]