In July I noted a slight bit of apparent action by the insane “city”.
Some REAL people, ie people named Cowles, finally got tired enough to make the “city” take a tiny bit of apparent action. I wrote:
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I’ve been thoroughly bashing the “city” of Spokane for ENCOURAGING crime instead of STOPPING crime. The people passed a referendum with a 73% majority two years ago, attempting to force action. The state’s alleged so-called “court” pulled the usual Manweller trick, invalidating the FIRMLY expressed will of the people. Until now the “city” “council” loved the “court” decision and continued playing the standard legislative games, creating Task Forces and Feasibility Studies designed to prevent action. (If humans and other plants and animals behaved like legislators, we wouldn’t survive. Living things solve problems as quickly as we can.)
Now it appears that PEOPLE WHO COUNT** have talked the “council” into doing just a slight bit about the problem. A new ordinance might at least give the cops clearer authority to do what’s needed.
The ordinance makes several things clear.
1. Camping means more than just sitting or laying around; it means sleeping bags, tents, RVs, cars or other temporary residences.
2. Camping on public property (streets, parks, etc) is prohibited.
3. Campers will be given one week warning, and organizations will attempt to find better shelter.
4. If the camp is still there after one week, police can remove by force.
The one week threat might give the homeless a reason to move into better shelter or rehab. Without the threat there was no motivation.
In Spokane, PEOPLE WHO COUNT means the Cowles family, plus other big downtown property owners like Walt Worthy.
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September update: The police have been doing a beta test on pretending to enforce the ordinance, only in the Manito section where the PEOPLE WHO COUNT live.
SPD’s south precinct presented data on how that is going in a September 8th Public Safety and health Committee meeting. It found that out of 120 calls, 212 contacts were made, out of which 0 ended up in arrests. The department says that is because all the people camping were willing to either cooperate and leave the area or get connected with resources.
In other words, they’re still doing nothing to solve the problem. Can’t blame the police, they have to follow orders whether they like it or not.
BUT: For whatever reason, the “city” did start handling serial arsonists properly. Three EXPERIENCED arsonists WITH A LONG RECORD OF ARSON were hard at work in July, lighting a dozen fires at once, causing huge wildfires that took a long time to get under control. Two of the three were actually HELD IN JAIL, not just released immediately. Since then, the usual campfires have caused the usual problems, but there haven’t been any massive intentional fires.
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The basic rule is always the same.
A few people are professional criminals. Reforming those few is impossible. Jail them for life or execute them.
When the pros are out of action, trainable lawbreakers can’t find jobs working for the pros, so they give up on criminality quickly. Ideally, jail should retrain the trainable. Get them off drugs, give them the experience of useful work with a visible result. A few federal prisons accomplish this ideal goal. Most jails break the drug habit, which is often good enough.
In both cases FORCED confinement is needed, preferably without criminal charges or criminal record for the trainable lawbreakers. Voluntary “connection with resources” doesn’t work.
Polistra's Mill 