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From:	"Robert Norse" <rnorse3@hotmail.com>
To:	huffsantacruz@yahoogroups.com
Subject:	 Poor People's Union in Santa Cruz
Date:	 Wed, 28 Mar 2007 17:13:47 -0700


>Members of The Poor Peoples Union from Olympia Washington who created
a
>homeless camp in direct action against anti-homeless laws in their
>community are in Santa Cruz. They have been meeting with homeless
persons,
>their advocats, and other community acitvists about their own efforts
and
>building connections with other communities. Please read the following
>flier they created for Santa Cruz. Bob Patton HRO member.
>
>What Is The Poor Peoples Union?
>
>The PPU is a collection of people from every class united together to
>combat poverty and injustice at a local level but with national and
even
>global goals. We are dedicated to taking care of one another,
providing
>community resources and working collectively to improve the quality of
life
>for all people.
>
>Poverty is a reality and the PPU works to bind people from lower
classes
>together. We know our history and understand that if we want a better
world
>first we need solidarity. The Poor Peoples Union aims to build a
strong
>community capable of creating change directly and from the bottom up.
>
>Why is the PPU in Santa Cruz?
>
>Olympia and Santa Cruz have a lot in common. They are both next to
major
>cities, both college towns, both with a large wealthy population and a
>substantial homeless population as well. The Olympia city council
passed a
>series of downtown ordinances very similar to Santa Cruz's and there
is the
>same lack of shelter.
>
>The PPU aims to build a west coast network capable of fighting
oppressive
>laws as well as helping to create proactive change. The downtown
ordinances
>here in Santa Cruz are so extreme, so death dealing that they have
>attracted our attention, even from up in Washington state. We haven't
come
>to your city as outsiders trying to stir up trouble, we've come to
deliver
>the message of our victories up north and as a show of solidarity with
the
>poor and houseless people of Santa Cruz.
>
>An injury to one is an injury to all. Our work as a Union will never
be
>done until every classist Jim Crow law is torn apart and every person
has a
>right to exist and to be free. We are two cities united in struggle,
and
>together we stand a good chance of winning.
>
>Our Olympia Victories
>
>The Poor Peoples Union formed in October of 2006 in the spirit of the
IWW
>and the civil rights movement. Our first action after establishing a
>consensus based directly democratic Union was to launch Camp Quixote,
our
>direct action tent city. We planned for three months, making
connections in
>the community, gathering supplies and spreading the word. On February
1st,
>the first day of the new pedestrian interference ordinance went into
>effect, we set up in an unused city parking lot smack in the middle of
>downtown.
>
>We expected the police to show up within hours and were prepared to
engage
>in mass arrests if necessary. We were not going to compromise on our
right
>to shelter. To our surprise, the numbers we had (about 35 campers),
the
>swell of community support and the presence of TV camera crews kept
the
>police on a leash. There was no way the city could continue to ignore
us
>then.
>
>We had three demands: A permanent site to host a tent city/encampment,
a
>service over site committee to oversee the conditions at, and control
the
>funding of poverty pimps like the Salvation Army, and an outright
repeal of
>the pedestrian interference ordinance with special protections in
place so
>that it could never return in the future.
>
>After seven days at the downtown site we struck a deal with the city
to
>move to a temporary site while we looked for a permanent one. We are
>currently working with the state on getting a piece of property. The
>Service Review Board, made up of people who eat at soup kitchens and
sleep
>in shelters is beginning to form with the help of the city of
Olympia's
>housing task force, and a recall initiative of the pedestrian
interference
>ordinance will be on the ballot in November. It is expected to be
flatly
>overturned.
>
>What can the PPU do for Santa Cruz?
>
>We were successful because we bound together. There is great strength
in
>numbers. What we have done in Olympia, anyone can do anywhere. The
Poor
>Peoples Union is dedicated to doing outreach and supporting class
struggle
>everywhere. Our two cities are linked and we intend to help fight
injustice
>abroad as much as at home. We will come to Santa Cruz, help organize a
PPU
>chapter or support any group working for similar goals. We will
support
>your actions, send supplies, flood your city with people if necessary.
If
>we expect our success to stick in Olympia we have to make sure that
things
>like camping and blanket bans, sitting bans and panhandling bans are
>challenged everywhere.
>
>Santa Cruz, the PPU and Olympia supports you!
>The people united will never be defeated!
>Join us and end Classist oppression forever!
>
>
>The Poor Peoples Union Wants
>To Organize In Santa Cruz!
>
>Contact Information:
>poorpeoplesunion@yahoo.com
>(360) 790-7980
>PPU
>P.O. Box 6177
>Olympia, WA
>98507
>

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