click here for B Channel video coverage ...From: Chris Johnson
just returned from Cathy and Irene's office. The appeal was dismissed, and it is indeed a violation of the charter to criminalize nightime sleeping.
This is a HUGE victory, but what's left to overcome is the law against daytime shelter.
Cathy recommends, and I concur, that the best option now is for the city to sit down and work out an agreement that respects the right of people to
shelter themselves. If the city continues to refuse to negotiate with us, then we have no choice but to seek more litigation, and given the way things have gone so far, our choices are very good.
Given the fact that this court drama has cost us the taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars, we absolutely do not want it to continue. What many of us have wanted all along to to sit down and negotiate with the city. If we can't have that we can't just give up either. This is about survival,and that is a strong motivator for those of us who fight to survive in this city day to day. It's an unstoppable force, as far as I'm concerned.
So we are getting together in a couple weeks to regroup, and we definitely have our work cut out for us. We have much to contribute to the planning that needs to happen. We will either have a place at the table, or we will be key consultants. There is much to talk about.
So congratulations to everyone who worked to keep this issue in the public eye. Despite all the work we still have to do, we've come a long way; further than anyone in this country ever has on this. Today was a victory, and the coming days hold more potential for turning this victory into true change.
