L.A. asks U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on skid row injunction (Updated)

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Last edited Sun Mar 3, 2013, 03:21 PM - Edit history (1)

L.A. Times: L.A. Now ?@LANow

L.A. asks U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in on skid row injunction

http://lat.ms/XDXSNK
Retweeted by Anoni


http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2013/02/la-asks-us-supreme-court-to-weigh-in-on-skid-row-injunction.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=649324

Citing an immediate public health threat, the city of Los Angeles will ask the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday to overturn a lower court ruling preventing the random seizure and destruction of belongings that homeless people leave temporarily unattended on public sidewalks.

If the court takes up the matter, a ruling could have broad implications for cities across the state and nation grappling with how to keep streets clean and safe while respecting the property rights of those who live there.

The Supreme Court filing comes after two years of legal wrangling between Los Angeles officials and homeless advocates over a controversial campaign to clean up downtown’s skid row, which has the highest concentration of homeless people in the city.

“We have an obligation to the homeless, as well as to the other residents and businesses on skid row, to ensure their health through regularly cleaning skid row’s streets and sidewalks,” City Atty. Carmen Trutanich said in a statement. “The current outbreak of tuberculosis among that most vulnerable population should serve as a stern reminder to us all of just who and what is at risk in this matter.”

More at the link.

I have reported here and in GD regarding LA's Skid Row and LA's true seat of power, ccala.org, who are desperate to remove the homeless so that they can continue gentrifying downtown as well as expanding their corporate policing force. LA has been attacking this ruling forever, constantly at work against it, which forces police to put a note on property they suspect may be abandoned, with a 24-hour window. This was fought for to stop them from simply taking whatever they want at will, because a person's medication, ID, legal papers, and personal belongings may be involved and lost, and it's obvious the city doesn't care at all. Skid Row is walking distance from City Hall. Also, this definitely affects other cities. This is horrible, it is terrible. There are true monsters involved.

What are cca's corporate police, which they seek to expand? This is LAPD during one of their many attacks upon OccupyLA marches. Note the ones in purple. They are cca corporate security, acting as police alongside LAPD.



Here are red shirts on Skid Row trying to create a reason to call LAPD:

I have video not yet edited of one of them saying he's an "enforcer". What is this corporation telling them?

When OccupyLA found that cca HATED water-soluble children's sidewalk chalk (or more specifically, its use for what they call "intelligence-based graffiti", which in their future plans PDF they mention intending to eliminate from downtown), some took to documenting it. Music artist Michelle Shocked made this short video which at the end features one of cca's purple shirts. Remember, these shirts are hired by a business lobby, and they patrol the city streets:

I've seen purple shirts harassing the homeless, driving them away. I've seen the red shirts on Skid Row calling LAPD for no reason. I've seen LAPD seizing all of a person's property after arresting them for no reason, including the Catholic Worker shopping carts, which by law no one is supposed to touch. I've heard Skid Row residents say the red shirts are there every morning, looking to torment them. They are certainly ever-present, I've seen it myself.

The head of the cca has stated they have a definite plan regarding the homeless, and this brazen, monstrous attempt to use a TB outbreak to petition the courts to end laws protecting the homeless is certainly proof.

Carol Schatz of cca, 2004: "We have a very specific agenda related to homelessness." In early 2012, cca stopped their street-cleaning and garbage collection services in an area of Skid Row where Occupy Skid Row activists had set up camp. This was alongside their call for a study of the entire area to determine health risks. This study did NOT include the area of the OSR encampment. OSR activists said that the city came through several times to take photos of any resulting garbage but OSR were cleaning things on their own. When the call came down through the study to create change in certain areas of Skid Row (again, NOT including OSR's area), LAPD =first= attacked the OSR street, and forced them out, telling them not to come back. Which they promptly did, causing another police attack, and another re-encampment in the same day. LAPD chief Charlie Beck was seen in in a cruiser which then slowly went past, showing cca's reach and depth. And now cca could be hurting the homeless in other cities, through their unlimited selfishness.

Read more, mostly via Dan Bluemel's excellent articles:

Carol Schatz of the CCA and their outright war against the homeless

http://occupyobservations.blogspot.com/2012/06/carol-schatz-of-cca-and-their-outright.html

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Media, LAPD Misrepresent TB Outbreak in Skid Row Creating Unnecessary Fear and Further Demonization:

http://cangress.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/media-lapd-misrepresent-tb-outbreak-in-skid-row-creating-unnecessary-fear-and-further-demonization-community-meeting-to-be-held-with-l-a-dept-of-public-health-to-dispel-rumors-around-tb-and-promot/

Much has been made in the media this week about the so-called “outbreak” of Tuberculosis in Skid Row. Despite many rumors and mis-information spread by countless news outlets, the Los Angeles County Department of Health is telling everyone not to panic (Click HERE for an Info Sheet the Department just released).

snip

It is shameful and irresponsible of the media to mislead the public in a way that causes unwarranted panic and that further demonizes Skid Row. LAPD gave a directive for officers to wear masks, something NOT recommended by Public Health officials. We have also already heard stories and witnessed LAPD sensationalizing the rumors around TB to further violate the rights of local residents.

In the video below, officers justified private security guards illegally going through private property by saying it was “for your own safety” considering “all the stuff that has been in the news” about “people getting sick.” LAPD sits by as BID guards cut open people’s bags – even those clearly marked with Not Abandoned signs.

(More at the link. Note the red shopping carts with the sign on their front? Those are Catholic Worker donation carts for the homeless and there is a law against anyone touching them so as to protect the homeless. LAPD and cca don't give a shit.)

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1. Kick for update to the OP.

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2. Kick and thank you.