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This seems to be an important matter, on which Danielle offers a
convincing analysis. --CGE<br>
<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Subject: </th>
<td>[Peace] Urbana set to pass an anti-panhandling ordinance
tonight 7 pm</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">Date: </th>
<td>Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:37:40 -0500</td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">From: </th>
<td>Danielle Chynoweth <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:chyn@ojctech.com"><chyn@ojctech.com></a></td>
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<th align="RIGHT" nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE">To: </th>
<td>AWARE peace <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:peace@lists.chambana.net"><peace@lists.chambana.net></a>,
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:stop@iresist.org">stop@iresist.org</a></td>
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<br>
Dear friends,<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">It appears Urbana may have the votes to
pass the anti-panhandling ordinance tonight. If they do, it will
make asking people for help in most places a crime punishable by a
$165 fine. <br>
<br>
<b>Please show up to speak against this ordinance at 7 pm at City
Council Chambers at 400 S. Vine Street. </b><br>
<br>
I have attached the ordinance with its summary memo and my email
to council and the Mayor is below.<br>
<br>
I have proposed an alternative sanction against harassment
(whether money is solicited or not) which responds to the actual
stated concern that people are being harassed and threatened by
people asking for money.<br>
<br>
- Danielle<br>
<br>
<div class="gmail_quote">---------- Forwarded message ----------<br>
From: <b class="gmail_sendername">Danielle Chynoweth</b> <span
dir="ltr"><<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:chyn@ojctech.com" target="_blank">chyn@ojctech.com</a>></span><br>
Date: Mon, Jul 11, 2011 at 10:06 AM<br>
Subject: Re: Urbana apartment buildings condemned<br>
To: "! Lewis, Robert" <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:robertlewis10@comcast.net" target="_blank">robertlewis10@comcast.net</a>>,
Dennis Roberts <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:drobertscitycouncil@yahoo.com" target="_blank">drobertscitycouncil@yahoo.com</a>>,
Brandon Bowersox <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:brandon@ojctech.com" target="_blank">brandon@ojctech.com</a>>,
"Prussing, Laurel Lunt" <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:llprussing@city.urbana.il.us" target="_blank">llprussing@city.urbana.il.us</a>>,
Diane Marlin <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:marlindiane@gmail.com" target="_blank">marlindiane@gmail.com</a>>,
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:egjakobsson@urbanaillinois.us" target="_blank">egjakobsson@urbanaillinois.us</a>,
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:casmyth@urbanaillinois.us" target="_blank">casmyth@urbanaillinois.us</a><br>
Cc: Esther Patt <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:estherpatt@gmail.com" target="_blank">estherpatt@gmail.com</a>>,
"Tyler, Elizabeth" <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:ehtyler@city.urbana.il.us" target="_blank">ehtyler@city.urbana.il.us</a>>,
Ruth Wyman <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:rewyman@hotmail.com" target="_blank">rewyman@hotmail.com</a>>,
Mike Monson <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:mrmonson@city.urbana.il.us" target="_blank">mrmonson@city.urbana.il.us</a>><br>
<br>
<br>
Dear Mayor, Staff, and Council members,<br>
<br>
Thank you for your time and service to our community.<br>
<br>
I am writing asking you to oppose the anti-panhandling
ordinance. It is inherently discriminatory, exacerbates rather
than solves the problem of poverty, and is mean spirited. <br>
<br>
I suggest you pass a law against harassment that would solve the
stated problem instead of a law outlawing our right to ask each
other for help in times of need.<br>
<br>
<b>Do we really want to create a ordinance that outlaws people
asking each other for help?</b><br>
<br>
This ordinance bans asking for help. I recently had a friend
who ended up in another city with no cell phone or money. The
only way he was able to call me to tell me he was alive was
because he asked for help (aka panhandled) one dollar to call
me. Although not all requests for help are legitimate, some
are. <br>
<br>
I have been in situations in my life where I needed to ask for
help (after dark, near a bus stop, asking someone in a car).
Please put yourself in the situation of those far less fortunate
than you and consider the consequences of all the situations
this law will cover. If you are stranded and the only person
available to help you is in a car or waiting for a bus, should
you not be able to exercise your right as a human to ask for
help?<br>
<br>
<i>This law is mean spirited - outlawing legitimate requests for
help in times of need. </i><br>
<br>
<b>This ordinance creates a big net to catch a small fish.</b><br>
<br>
The argument for this law is that people are being threatened by
aggressive requests for help. But the law is written to
prohibit LOTS of kinds of requests (near a bus stop, in a car,
on the bus, in a city lot, in line, after sunset, in groups of
twos, in one specific business district). In fact the only time
is appears it is okay to ask for help is in the middle of a
sidewalk not near any place where people are likely to dwell.<br>
<br>
The mark of a bad law is one that is so detailed that no one
really knows when they are breaking it. There are so many
situations lists here, it is like walking through swiss cheese.
<br>
<br>
It is unfair to create laws that people can't easily understand
and comply with.<br>
<br>
<b>What is the difference between panhandling and fundraising?
The only difference is the "profile" of who is asking - this
is why this ordinance is inherently discriminatory.</b><br>
<br>
According to the ordinance "Panhandling means a verbal request
made in person upon any street, public place, or park in the
city for an immediate donation of money or other thing of value,
including a request to purchase an item or service of little or
no monetary value … "<br>
<br>
What is the difference between panhandling and those fundraising
for Salvation Army, cheerleaders shouting into cars going by
offering to wash cars, or girls selling girl scout cookies?
People offering to wash your windows or rake your leaves for a
"donation"? Answer: the person who is making the request.<br>
<br>
<i>This ordinance gives people who are uncomfortable with poor
people a tool to make them go away and punish them, while
allowing similar behavior from affluent people.</i><br>
<br>
<b>Fining people who don't have money makes no sense and fills
the jail.<br>
</b><br>
It is not in the public interest to fine people money who are
asking for money. It is clear they can not pay. And if they
can't pay, they will end up paying off their time in jail. That
means we the taxpayers end up paying. And ending up in jail
means that they can not conduct their lives - go to or look for
work - or take care of their kids - all because they asked for
money on the street.<br>
<br>
<b>So, how do I think you SHOULD solve the problem:</b><br>
<br>
Those who do not want to be solicited need to simply say no and
walk away. <br>
<br>
For those instances where someone is being harassed and
threatened, the problem is NOT the asking for money, but the
harrassment. If someone touched, blocked, followed, threatened
or cursed at you, you would feel the same harassment whether
they had asked for money or not. The harassment is the problem -
go ahead and make a law against that.<br>
<br>
Ask long as there are poor people, there will be poor people
asking for money. As unemployment rises, people are being
evicted from housing, the number of homeless kids is on the
increase, the city of Urbana needs to continue to address the
problem of poverty and not simply make mean spirited laws that
wish the problem away. Funding social services is a start -
thank you for continuing your support for them. <br>
<br>
But we need laws that hold landlords accountable for relocating
displaced tenants. We need to treat drug addiction like we do
alcohol addiction - as a health issue needing treatment. We
need to pull together as a community to make sure everyone's
basic needs are met. This kind of ordinance does the opposite.
It shuts up and punishes those who don't have their basic needs
met.<br>
<br>
Again and always, thank you for your service.
<div>
<div><br>
<br>
Danielle Chynoweth<br>
412 W. Illinois St.<br>
Urbana, IL 61801<br>
<br>
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