In Los Angeles, the "Broken Windows" theory, that a single broken window in any area will cause people to devalue said area and to begin destroying it, that it is a tipping point to destruction, is used to criminalize the homeless and poor. If there is a homeless person in the area, the theory theorizes, more will come and BUSINESS WILL SUFFER. We of course cannot have that; never mind ending human suffering and trivial notions along those lines.
Now, I say that their precious Broken Windows theory should be used as a measure of police misconduct. If one cop gets away with unduly harming a citizen, whom they are supposed to serve and protect, then by the theory that unchecked misconduct is an open door, a pleading, for the rest to move to that same level and beyond.
Each and every act of police misconduct must be taken deadly seriously by the city because any single adequately unpunished case obviously must demand others to become abusive! And if only the worst cases are inadequaltely punished, this throws open the door for cops to do whatever they feel they can get away with because they know they will not be punished.
Any group gathered for purposes of unaccountability is both immediately disqualified and a threat to those around them.
Abusive cops, knowing that they will not be punished. There is something terribly wrong with this country.
In March 2012, Occupy Fights Foreclosures arrived at Dirma Rodriguez' home after her panic'd phone call to find her and her family and property put out on the street by Bank of America and a home flipper company. This includes Ingrid, a severely disabled 27 year-old who can neither speak nor care for herself.
After two months of fighting to regain her home, including harassing phone calls from BofA after a page 2 LA Times article on this very family and foreclosure (April 13 2012), Occupy Fights Foreclosure discovered fraud in the foreclosure proceeding and forced Bank of America to return their home. The only home Ingrid has ever known, which was customized for her special needs. Among the customizations: Rose bushes all around the yard so that wherever Ingrid goes, she will encounter beauty.
Now, the Hernandez family of the San Fernando Valley in California have been struggling against Bank of America and associated agencies to keep their home, a struggle lasting over four years. Twenty-some days ago, after failing to get BofA and associated agencies to work with them or even reply, the Hernandez family found a notice to vacate on their property. Members of this family happen to be part of Occupy San Fernando Valley, and Occupations across Southern California including the always-solid Occupy Skid Row set up an occupation and a barricade in front of the house against the inevitable sheriff's assault. (Sheriffs do what banks tell them to do. Sort of a private army, little changed from the days of the "wild west" and robber barons doing land grabs.) Since then, they have been reaching out to neighbors, building community, sharing food and the message of fighting for our homes. And gaining some media attention.
Last night, LAPD and Child Protective Services arrived unannounced at 12:04AM and asked to see the Hernandez children...!
There are obviously water and electricity in the home and the children are happy.
LAPD and CPS showed up again this afternoon so they are obviously intending to force this angle.
Children are not tools for foreclosure. They are not levers to force families into losing their homes. If BofA hate the bad publicity they are justifiably receiving, it is because they are doing things which should be publicly reviled, which demand such publicity. Kicking a victim of extreme cerebral palsy onto the street. Faking concern for the Hernandez children to steal their home. So you can sell foreclosed homes in bulk...
Bank of America, you should be ended. You are despicable beyond measure.
---
Photo: Dirma and her family with members of Occupy Fights Foreclosures.
References:
A Widowed Mother of a Severely Disabled Daughter gets her home back from BofA Thanks to Occupiers
LOS ANGELES — Occupy Fights Foreclosures (OFF), a subcommittee of Occupy
Los Angeles, successfully won the home back of a Los Angeles homeowner
whose home, they say, Bank of America fraudulently foreclosed on and
sold, even after dutiful payments on a temporary loan modification for
over a year.
Earlier this week, Bank of America rescinded the sale and foreclosure of
Dirma Rodriguez' West Adams home — the title is now appropriately back
in Ms. Rodriquez's name. BofA assured Ms. Rodriquez— a widowed
mother—and her family which includes a severely disabled daughter with
toxoplasmosis cerebral palsy, they are now safe from any future threat
of eviction.
For the second time in five months, Bank of America is tapping the red-hot market for foreclosed homes by seeking bids on a bulk offering of several hundred single-family homes.
Over the past several weeks, the nation’s second-largest bank by
assets has solicited bids for a bulk deal that includes up to 500
largely vacant single-family homes, some of which BofA acquired
after its merger with Countrywide Financial, according to several
sources within the real estate and mortgage sectors. Countrywide was one
of the largest subprime lenders in the United States.
The bulk deal, which includes foreclosed homes in California,
Florida, Arizona, Texas, Pennsylvania and Georgia, is one of the biggest
block offerings of foreclosed homes ever done by a bank, these sources
say.
While Rev. Michael Vanzant was in the hospital recovering from a minor stroke brought on by Bank of America's plans to evict him, we foreclosed on BofA's
DC Home Loan office while also asking supporters to shut down their
phone lines. We were successful on both fronts. That same day, BofA
called Rev. Vanzant in the hospital to set up a call to discuss
solutions. Once that discussion began, though, it became clear that they
hadn't quite heard us. Rev Vanzant was offered more money to move out
of his home in a gentrifying area of NE DC. He is not interested,
though we are all pleased that we've made it onto their radar.
We are asking you to take a moment to call the DC Home Loan
office and let them know that this isn't about money - this is about
keeping communities intact. Please call and demand they work with Rev.
Vanzant on a modification - he is not leaving.
Bank of America Home Loan office - DC - 202-797-4940
Oh, there IS a difference between the two political parties. However, note that neither the RNC nor the DNC mentioned PFC Manning, now 2 years in solitary confinement for revealing the lies of Bush's war; the NDAA, NDRP, HR347, the military industrial complex taking 50+ percent of our tax dollars under an infinite war standing, student debt totaling over one trillion dollars because it's a bankster scam, getting back the 16 trillion given away by the Fed and others to wall street and banks for bonuses, 7000+ Occupiers arrested and brutalized over the last year for talking about these very things (mostly attacked by "democratic" mayors such as Quan, Villaraigosa, etc.)... There IS a difference, but it is =not= where it matters, where it will actually solve the problems destroying us. Income inequality is utterly out of control, unions are being destroyed, the middle class is vanishing under long-term attack...and they're pushing the TPP which is NAFTA (passed by Clinton) on steroids...who mentioned an immediate foreclosure moratorium, much less an investigation into the (known for 2+ years) illegal robosigning mills? Wells Fargo and BofA are two criminal organizations still stealing homes at record rates through provably fraudulent means, yet they are allowed to continue at will. Why? Because it's been found that Wall Street are buying up foreclosed properties in bulk. There are more empty homes in American than there are homeless people (and many of the homeless are Veterans). Was there any mention of immediate care for Veterans, who desperately need it? What about the terrible percentage of Veterans who are killing themselves?
Neither party will address these issues either at all or in any meaningful manner. They continue to have to shut down social services (such as former Goldman Sachs lackey Rahm Emmanuel shutting down several mental health care clinics recently in Chicago, and now with Chicago teachers at the edge of striking...) Infrastructure problems are the result of forced "austerity", which means the people have to fund the theft of those trillions of dollars, or at least feel the result. Because no one is doing a single thing to retrieve it. There is no difference between the parties there. Where it most matters. National parks are being sold to foreign investors because "there's no money". Some people are getting extremely rich this way, through selling off America, and neither party is saying a word to stop it. The DHS and TSA are quietly expanding their presence and power as part of a power grab and we are happily allowing ourselves to become normalized to it, because it is occurring in increments, not all at once. Drones! They are setting up drones in our skies and newly-announced "wraith" ground drones which can travel 65MPH and climb over obstacles...to stop what? I don't see any terrorists, just US citizens. But that doesn't matter because arms dealers, the same ones who paid representatives to vote yes for the NDAA, need a new market, and a new market requires a new enemy. WE are that new enemy. Protest is already defined in a DoD manual as "low-level terrorism". Now the FBI are raiding protesters' homes on suspicion, not fact...same tactics used against the civil rights movement. The 1st Amendment is very nearly gone, and they're starting on the 4th (TSA, etc.).
Non-Occupiers aren't getting that with the citizens united ruling still around, this election is most likely decided by the rich. No one is serious about striking it down NOW when it matters. Our votes are less and less important in a system based upon limitless corporate campaign donations ("Fascism").
Note that Obama was going to do his DNC speech at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium (it was moved). Bank of America are currently attempting to kick this family out onto the street:
And have previously attempted to kick this family out as well. In fact, when Occupy Fights Foreclosures arrived at their house, they WERE on the street with all of their property! Note they have a 27 year-old severely disabled daughter!
BofA do not give a fuck. Obama and Romney do not give a fuck. This is business as usual and WE are being fucked!
The two parties are only different in the rate of entropy resultant in either of them being selected. And I want my country back. NOW. If anyone wonders why I am angry.
(This installment is incomplete but must be published.)
This story is mostly about Occupy Skid Row and of course leaves out critical details such as police arresting people for things such as not having their tents fully disassembled, leaving the reader to assume all Row arrests are for actual "crime". And that they confiscated Catholic Worker carts which they aren't supposed to touch. And more... ~MP
The CCA, a lobbying group who are the real power in this city, have been using the LA Times to demonize the homeless over the last several months as part of an effort to snatch up that cheap property and turn it into privately-owned pricey rentals.
OccupyLA joined LA CAN and other community networks against the CCA and their criminalization of the homeless by staging a nightly tent-in at 626 Wilshire, their office door. CCA have since been using LA Times to demonize OccupyLA. The police they own were used to create last month's police riot against the citizens of downtown during Artwalk in hopes the people of the city would blame Occupy. They failed. They will try again tonight.
So how should we view the dynamic regarding city hall, the CCA, and LAPD regarding the homeless and homeless support organizations?
Huge Subsidy for Stadium Architect
Villaraigosa quietly plans to hand Gensler $1 million meant for the poor
"How did Los Angeles city leaders turn $1 million
intended to help downtown’s homeless and low-income denizens into a
proposed subsidy for the global architecture firm designing downtown’s
proposed NFL football stadium?
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
has decided to spend $1 million in federal grants — money that had been
avidly sought by residents of Skid Row — to instead help out San Francisco–based Gensler, a 2,800-employee giant that enjoyed $463 million in revenue last year."
That's how. This downtown stadium would help CCA and would use CCA "private security", increasing their power grab against the people of downtown. And the homeless? They're in the way.
Now word that the Occupy Skid Row encampment has been broken and scattered through continuous police harassment (and the lies which go along with that) in this hit piece:
LAPD, Occupy movement face new friction
Activists, who accuse police of a political agenda in skid row cleanup, plan another chalking protest.
There are several things wrong with this "article".
-
This is of course part of their continuing campaign against Occupy via the CCA, who have actually directly written at least one article in LA Times (against the homeless). Using the Times as a mouthpiece to demonize and outright lie through omission to turn the people of the city against Occupy. Corporate influence of the press? That's Fascism!
“Fascism should more appropriately be called Corporatism because it is a merger of state and corporate power”
LAPD Captain Horace Frank, who is in charge of that area of downtown, and Lt. Paulson, who is in charge of the so-called "Safer Cities Initiative" which makes it illegal for locals to sit or sleep on the sidewalk during the day or to have their tents up even partially during the day, personally patrol and threaten locals with arrest as shown and discussed in this video. Please note the LA Times article (and of course the CCA website) makes no mention of nuisance arrests targeting, criminalizing the homeless, or of police captains and lieutenants wasting taxpayer money arresting people over tents.
There have been more arrests on the Row than there are residents. That's just wrong. This is only about gentrification, about profit and power.
Video of "They always come straight to Towne every morning". "I'm an enforcer".
Video of them stealing the CW carts during the General's arrest
Link to the Health Department report not including Towne or showing any violations on Towne especially feces and urine. SHAME on CCA.
This is Captain Frank telling one of his men how to attack a peaceful Occupy protest at his precinct. I note they are both staring directly at me as I record.
Captain Frank also gave the orders at July's Artwalk to arrest anyone chalking (more Artwalkers than Occupiers). They wished people to blame Occupy for their arrests but all they managed to do was enrage citizens into resisting in large numbers.
All of this so CCA can gentrify Downtown for their own personal profit and power, all the while convincing you they are friends.
Is this really about water-soluble children's "sidewalk chalk"? Listen to 10 seconds of LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and mayor Mr. Villain on the subject:
The General might say FUCK THAT:
Chief Beck had been driven slowly past the Occupy Skid Row site when they re-encamped a month or so ago after the "clean up", so you know that the camp had long been discussed at the top levels of LA power.
That feeling of frustration is a desire to live in a manner not supported by the system yet shown to be desirous: the camps. To live together, to work together, to struggle together, to make things work and to be confused together as things are figured out. By ourselves and each other, for ourselves and each other.
This of course is no easy undertaking. I propose "an Amish barn-raising", in which a community must build the micro-housing for every member, care for and supply every member, and figure out how every member may contribute as they are capable/willing/interested.
Two things occur: The existing system will seek to destroy this challenge as it has demonstrated is its wont. Secondly, it is as successful as the combination of people, location, resources, problem-solving, and willingness/drive are involved.
Hippy commune? GREAT! Hippy cult leaders? Well, they're going say so and use whatever means available to injure and prevent it. So lawyer the fuck up and have people in the nearest city deflecting the hell out of any evil intent against you. Because they cannot bear competition; they cannot bear anyone showing to others who may leave and/or demand it, that there is a better way.
The best way to be ignored is to be far, far away from that which would be threatened. The problems there are accessing supplies and skills not present at the site. Another problem is proportionate vulnerability to those who would interfere; the need to be able to solve such problems, without drawing down external interference.
---
Let this inspire you right away:
The Genius Way To Farm Huge Amounts Of Food Right Inside The City
Legally-acquired land (take into account local temperatures in flux so as not to be rained out, snowed out, in terms of both physical need and food-growing/storing ability.
Knowledge and ability to maintain and/or establish ground water wells. What are the geophysics of the area? Deep wells can be expensive. Will your area freeze during the winter? How to keep water moving during a freeze.
Skillsets involving living with the land. Local 1st Nation members may be willing to teach us younger brothers and sisters their skills and way of living and overall wisdom.
Knowledge and books regarding living in small group dynamics (including the psychology of small group dynamics), problem resolution, etc.
Medical skills, general medical training for the group, perishable medical supplies; knowledge of your nearest supply centers and skill centers.
Electrical skills and supplies regarding extracting and storing electricity. Solar, water and wind turbines, storage batteries. Solar-powered BBQs are available.
Connection to the internet.
The ability to protect yourselves from those who would interfere. This is perhaps the trickiest actual bit, as those most interested in your failure will use any excuse to sniff out "threats" to their system on whim. Local law enforcement can become suspicious as you well know. Be sure to be friendly and generous with locals; you need them on your side.
Know the local megafauna and microfauna. Beneficial plants and herbs? Dangerous snakes, spiders, wolves, etc.? How to keep them away/live in harmony with them? Does the area suffer from a history of spring flooding/flash flooding during storms? Etc.
The major issue beyond finding and permanently securing viable ground is climate change. It is real, it is here, and is currently manifesting in a 10% jump in food prices as 50+ percent of the US lies in emergency-level drought conditions. Today's LA Times has a story on how the Mississippi river is again being tricky due to drought, and if grain and corn shipments cannot be brought to market within 10 days, they will begin to spoil and we'll witness another jump in prices.
This is exacerbated through food commodities trading, mis-use of farmland for corn products, lobbying etc. All this will become increasingly visible as food stocks evaporate. Will they be able to get their greedy ass shit together and solve these problems? Depends upon the greedy and the need of the people. I for one believe you will have to be able to take care of yourselves completely.
Another tragic winter, early frost or continuing drought, will bring these issues well into the general public by this time next year. If you are set up near cities dependent upon the importation of foodstuffs, you may be increasingly subject to requests for membership to an unsustainable point, as well as a point where requests are no longer polite. Know your area and set up your initial shop accordingly.
---
I've been attempting to collect some general knowledge regarding all of this at my facebook group, "Occupy Climate Change".
I don't know poops about how to do any of this. But I think a lot, and I most certainly witness the Trends and speak to planning against them. There are people who know how to do this; there are people who are doing this, and they can help. Get the help and go! And obvious disclaimer: There is incredible room for terrible error involved in this. Do this entirely upon your own responsibility and awareness of responsibility. I am not responsible for anyone irresponsible. This will be HARD but it can be done.
(This document will be updated as new information is made available over the next week and beyond. This is an autonomous article and reflects only this Occupiers' perspective.)
FAIR USE CLAIM not for profit
This of course is not about art, or chalk, or free speech. It is about the art, chalk, and free speech which interferes directly with the plans and continuity of those in power.
"To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize." -Voltaire
MSM lies against Occupy have already begun hours before Artwalk can begin:
Police Brace For ‘Occupy’ Protests Near ArtWalk In Downtown LA
“It’ll be enough where people will see officers in uniform, so
that’ll deter any major incident that would happen or individual that
would cause problems,” said LAPD Officer Christopher No.
The last ArtWalk on July 12 was
marred by violence after police fired non-lethal weapons at protesters
who were scrawling messages in chalk on sidewalks and buildings.
Event organizer Joe Moller said he expects things to return to normal
tonight after last month’s event was hijacked by demonstrators whom he
called “self-proclaimed artists” who contribute little to society at
large.
---
Comments:
-Those who have eyes know LAPD are entirely responsible for last month's police riot they are hoping people will blame upon Occupy so CCA can get rid of Occupy throughout Los Angeles.
-If 20 Occupiers can "hijack" thousands of people by using a few sticks of chalk, then society is about to fall.
-Chalking is not a major incident. The city-wide alert last month even said so.
-Police fired upon Artwalkers and locals. This was long after the arrests and brutality against the chalkers. The arrests and brutality LED to Artwalkers and locals standing up and resisting it.
-Art is art. Free expression is free expression. How does that not contribute to society at large? Does he claim the beautiful 1st Amendment chalkupy at Pershing Square is not art, or that its creation does not contribute? What does then? Sales of art, hmmmm?
Tonight,
a "chalkupy" event at Pershing Square is set to coincide with the
Downtown LA Art Walk. It comes after a chalking protest during the
monthly event turned into a melee in July.
"The Art Walk was co-opted by the agitators because they knew it would guarantee an audience," the walk's director said.
Lolita Lopez will have more on the NBC4 News at 6 p.m.
-POLICE turned it into a melee after hundreds of artwalkers and locals stood up and resisted LAPD brutality in the form of over a dozen violent arrests over the use of water-soluble chalk, including of messages supportive of police. There were only 20 or so Occupiers present. This does not parse with the fact of hundreds resisting the LAPD. POLICE were the only aggressors. Unless you somehow imagine children's chalk to be a weapon. (It IS, but only to those it threatens, meaning the CCA who are attempting to fully own downtown and who have stated a desire to eliminate "intelligence-based grafitti", because it can obviously tell the truth about them and their plans and Fascist influence of city hall legislation. That and their planned "Neighborhood Prosecutors", whatever the hell that means...not sinister at all.)
-The walk's director is utterly overlooking the fact that LAPD fired upon hundreds of people in violation of the apparent (unconfirmed) rules of use regarding "less-lethal" weapons, which are never to be directly aimed at bodies or more especially, heads (one passer-by was shot in the face). "Less-lethal" weapons are still just that: weapons. They can definitely kill if misused. Nice concern there for your artwalk patrons...
-And if 20 people writing with children's chalk can "agitate" the entire area into a melee, then this city is utterly doomed. Imagine if 30 or 40 had shown up.
=======
LAPD Vows To Arrest Chalk-Wielding Protesters At Occupy L.A.'s 'Chalk Walk' Tonight
-No repeat of last month's POLICE violence. Omission/Context shift.
-Does not show the wonderful Fresh Juice Crew's "I love the 1st Amendment" chalkupy artwork
-Permanent/archived online article is seriously shorter than the print version. Study differences if they skew things further
-Party vibe? It's mostly about money changing hands, not fun and free expression. It's mostly about people showing and selling art, not people making their own as artistic, creative inspiration reveals itself.
-Words used in the article about business and not about art:
"visit clubs", "eat at restaurants and food trucks", "merchants watched warily and wondered if (police) violence would again tarnish the (profits)", "clothing store on 5th St.", "selling clothing on 5th St.", "Coba Gallery, as a handful of patrons"
-The article says "turn the historic core (of downtown) into a colorful festival". Chalk is colorful.
-Does not mention the misuse of potentially deadly "less-lethal" weaponry, which is not to be aimed at the head. One passer-by took a hit in the face. One was shot four times with "foam batons". One man was shot in the chest at close range, then kicked in the head by police as they arrested him. That can kill and it is not mentioned at all.
-Does not mention that LAPD created the conflict from the beginning through shoving citizens around, aggressive arrests, intimidation, saying "chalk is illegal for now"...video clearly displays people calling out in amazement as police make violent arrests for water-soluble chalk. LAPD created outrage through outrageous behavior. They should not be surprised that Artwalkers and locals, watching from above, became outraged and resisted.
-Does not challenge the heinous proposition of a "free speech zone" for Occupy within Artwalk.
-"They also talked about what, exactly, the Occupy protest was all about." Is it just me or does this imply that Occupy itself does not know? Because the single quote they printed is highly important but is not expanded into its desperate details such as homelessness for the young who have degrees but cannot find work, and it also might imply there were no more "meaningful" answers given such as ending Citizens United to remove unlimited money from elections and politics, re-instating Glass-Steagall to reel in the banksters, etc. I know Ryan and he's always extremely well-spoken and articulate, so this one quote from him leads me to believe that more was said but was not printed.
And most especially the part about Citizens United, and money and corporations controlling/influencing the state. Because that's Fascism as defined by Benito Mussolini, and this is exactly what CCA are doing.
-Much of what is important is in the second half of this article. Do people these days read the first few paragraphs and believe they have the entire story, and does media take advantage of this?
-The stated heavy police presence and its stated negative effect upon business is obviously contradictory to the printed article's title: "Party vibe wins out at Artwalk". Quotes, if they do not appear in the online article:
"...Jacky Herrera complained that all the police had sucked the energy from the typically jovial event. 'I think it hinders a lot of folks from coming out,' she said of the police presence. 'It definitely slows the traffic down.'"
So the CCA and LAPD are responsible for this problem, not Occupy, not chalk. CHALK!
-There is something in there about Occupiers stealing shirts from a vendor. This is the first I've heard of it and I'm calling bullshit. Downtown is also home to thousands of homeless people too, in desperate need. And Occupy feeds them at Pershing Square.
-It is not stated that Occupy has attended Artwalk since Occupy began, and the the arrests and brutality and obvious targeting began shortly after Occupy began camping nightly on the doorstep of the CCA at 626 Wilshire.
=======
Last month after riot police attacked Artwalk over chalk, city "authorities" had this to say:
But now we have this:
-Last month far less than this justified riot police shooting passers-by in the face with "less-lethal" rounds?
-This month it's free speech and not "criminal behavior"?
-Does it have anything to do with it not directly interfering with CCA's financial investments/power structure/plans for owning more of downtown?
-Will they have the city spray-paint over it like they did the water-soluble chalk from last month's Artwalk (LA Times front page picture; see what they've done and what we have to do about it! The humanity!)
Owing to the CCA-sponsored "safer cities initiative" and other business-oriented influence over police numbers on Skid Row and their obvious influence over LA Times and DTLA "News", I also cannot believe LAPD are able to act independently of their influence and agenda. There likely can be no "peace" between those seeking an end to Fascism in our city, and those who are the Fascists (CCA). So long as those seeking this end are actively and even violently prevented from speaking this truth in various forms, it will not be peace. Peace will be the elimination of the so-called "shirts" who are private Corporate security roving OUR streets. Peace will be the elimination of Corporate influence in city hall. Peace will be the elimination of such obvious control where none is needed, where it interferes with the people of this city. All of them, regardless of income level or address or lack of address.When their policy against "intelligence-based graffiti" results in aggressive arrests and riot police, over water-soluble chalk, something must change, and it is not the chalk.
Again, the CCA obviously cannot tolerate whatsoever any threat to their establishment and plans. Part of the reason for Artwalk is to get money to change hands. This is all over the August 10th LA Times article. But freedom isn't about money; money can be the enemy of freedom when its interests are deemed to be more important. With CCA's plan against "intelligence-based graffiti" (and even the sinister "Neighborhood Prosecutors") and their corporate security patrols throughout downtown, and their direct and bragged-about influence of city hall in favor of corporate-friendly legislation, money is obviously more important than freedom.
LAPD may believe that they have allowed something better to occur. This is entirely countered by their exceeding presence at Artwalk, obviously intent as yesterday's article stated, vowing to make arrests, and obviously to escalate again into a police riot should they not get their way. Allowing would mean to allow "intelligence-based graffiti" at Artwalk without heavy police presence, arrests, intimidation, brutality, less-lethal weaponry...it means staying away and allowing. It's chalk. Water-soluble children's sidewalk chalk. A low-pressure garden hose obliterates it instantly. If chalkers get out of perceived hand, wash it off with a garden hose. There IS no problem, except to the CCA who cannot tolerate criticism. They need a serious time-out. There is a large difference between being free and knowing there are good public servants around to keep the peace should the need arise, and being allowed a crumb of the complete freedom righteously ours, under the dark cloud of "do what we say or else". It is as giving a prisoner a special treat; they still know they are prisoners. This is not the Stanford Experiment. A sea change is required. And is possible.
=======
Why are CCA afraid of children's chalk? Because of the messages it is
used to present. CCA actually call for the elimination of
"intelligence-based grafitti" in their future plans document:
