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From:	"Becky Johnson" http://groups.yahoo.com/group/huffsantacruz
Date:	 Sun, 25 Feb 2007 09:38:13 -0800
Subject:	 [huffsantacruz] Trash on Pacific Ave: Letter in the Sentinel
Feb 25 2007


NOTE TO READER: Julie Bernhard of Santa Cruz writes that she will
continue to work and shop downtown despite "undesirables" blowing
smoke in her face, and urges the community to create an atmosphere of
mutual respect downtown "together." However, her letter ignores that
the current city policy is exactly the opposite:  A small group of
business leaders, meeting behind closed doors with Vice-Mayor Ryan
Coonerty, Lynn Robinson, and Cynthia Mathews have orchestrated a
police sweep in an effort to cleanse Pacific Avenue of those "sights"
which make Ryan Coonerty's customers at Bookshop Santa Cruz
"uncomfortable. "  The sight of a panhandler is apparently the "broken
window" that must be fixed.  But rather than face the fact that the
employment opportunities for homeless and poor panhandlers are few,
the pay substandard, and the gap between those wages and the sky-
rocketing cost of housing have left too many out in the cold.  These
same business interests who spent $100,000 last year to defeat Measure
G, a raise in the minimum wage, are now spending beaucoups bucks on
police overtime, selectively enforcing a mulititude of minor
ordinances against anyone who is not shopping fast enough.   --- Becky
Johnson of HUFF

from: http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2007/February/25/edit/let.htm

See also http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2007/February/10/edit/let.htm
http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/archive/2007/February/03/edit/let.htm

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