Give Voice to your Disgust Re: City of Escondido nixes NO-COST Emergency Winter Shelter

Written by: Martha Sullivan on Dec 21, 2006 5:30 PM EST

Linked to groups: DFA Blog Network

It just boggles my mind that a City Council 4-1 would veto the Salvation Army's offer of its gymnasium as an emergency, weather-triggered shelter at NO COST to the City.  Regardless of the need for "regional solutions" to the issue of the homeless, this was an easy solution to a short-term crisis.

I think what needs to happen is that the Escondido City Council is shamed by this callous, sanctimonious action. I'm circulating this to as many folks as I can to encourage the following grassroots actions:

Would be great to get coverage of this -- so at odds with basic decency -- into larger media to show the City Council for what they are. Posting this on blogs, getting journalists/media personalities interested in it ... use link to NC Times story this a.m.:

http://nctimes.com/articles/2006/12/21/news/inland/3_01_4712_20_06.txt

and SD U-T story:

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20061221/news_1mi21home.html�

ALSO, for a very timely report on this topic (THANKS to Bob Jellison's DIRECT Newsletter at sddemocrats.org):

"More Americans hungry, homeless in 2006

"More Americans went homeless and hungry in 2006 than the year before and children made up almost a quarter of those in emergency shelters, said a report released on Thursday by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

"'The face of hunger and homelessness right now ... is young children, young families,' said the conference's president, Douglas Palmer, the mayor of Trenton, New Jersey. Lisa Lambert 12.14.06

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061214/us_nm/usa_homelessness_mayors_dc

And also encouraging a deluge of e-mails, letters and phone calls into the Escondido City Council offices, with a simple "SHAME" .. here's the Councilmembers' e-mail addys and a phone # for the City Council's office (remember that Mayor Lori Holt-Pfeiler was sole supporting Councilmember, so should get a THANK YOU instead of "SHAME" message):

http://www.ci.escondido.ca.us/government/members/index.html

Snail Mail address: City of Escondido, 201 North Broadway, Escondido, CA 92025   (Maybe a card to remind them of shelter offered to a traveling couple, delivering their first child?)

Let's DO this grassroots response to the Escondido City Council's heartlessness NOW.

THANKS --

Martha Sullivan

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