by Travis Mateer
I’m going to do my best with this post to NOT engage in petty name-calling because I don’t think Council members like Kristen Jordan are actually retarded, but if the focus of City Council remains fixated on language, like the word SWEEPS, and depicting temperatures of 32 degrees as EXTREME WEATHER, then my resolve could be impacted.
Since our city is almost totally incapable of holding chronic homeless individuals accountable, other institutions and agencies must pay the cost, and the bill for the most recent damage is upwards of $20,000 thousand dollars. From the link:
When NBC Montana started reporting on trash cleanups in the West Broadway Street area, we learned about holes dug into the bank of the Clark Fork River.
After removing some of the retaining wall, individuals dug underneath the sidewalk, creating nooks for belongings. According to sources, if not handled the holes could cause structural damage.
…
The street and sidewalk are property of MDT. Felix said the cost of the repairs could be as much as $20,000.
He added that the repairs along the banks of the Clark Fork should be finished by next week.
The funniest part of this brief article is MDOT’s request made to Missoula law enforcement for more patrols. I guess they’re hoping that our POLICE department is more responsive than our SHERIFF’S office when it comes to NOT allowing no-go zones to develop around Missoula.
An official with MDT said they’ve requested a higher police presence in the area to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
Good luck with your appeal to law enforcement, MDOT, though I am somewhat encouraged that ONE problematic individual might be starting to experience the consequences of his actions.
Is this the guy I wrote about last December who tried a write-in campaign for Sheriff in Whatcom County in Washington State? Yes it is, and I’ve gotten some new insights into this man’s presence in Missoula, so I’ll be extra curious about his continued attempts to advocate for his fellow homeless friends who benefit from our ignorant officials constantly playing the victim card for them.
For a glaring example of how ignorance continues to paralyze the local conversation surrounding “urban camping”, here’s an article about the EXTREME WEATHER ordinance that Councilors started debating on Wednesday (emphasis mine):
Missoula City Council committee held off from making a decision Wednesday on an ordinance change that would stop city cleanup of homeless camps or relocation sweeps during extreme weather, which one councilor said has happened several times in the last year.
Some councilors opposed the change, saying the city is already addressing the issue through the recently formed, multi-partner Urban Camping Working Group. Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis said in a statement that the city already limits any cleanups or sweeps during extreme cold or heat.
Ward 6 city councilor Kristen Jordan proposed stopping all camp sweeps or cleanups when the temperature dips below 32 degrees or gets higher than 100 degrees. She said people are subject to health concerns in those conditions, and those living outside are more vulnerable to frostbite or heatstroke.
If Kristen Jordan is actually worried about the “health concerns” of chronically homeless drug addicts, how about focusing on the unhealthy action of GOBBLING DANGEROUS DRUGS instead of the fucking weather? Why doesn’t that form of virtue signaling ever occur from woke complainers like Jordan?
Maybe the answer is because Kristen Jordan now assumes she knows what’s happening on the streets because she’s witnessed actions taken by the city with HER OWN EYES.
“I’ve observed the forced removal of people and disposal of private property with my own eyes,” Jordan said, adding later, “Hiding tents is not what we are trying to protect. Requiring people to collect their home and move during these events are what we are trying to mitigate.”
Getting mired in the details of Missoula’s triage approach to this intractable problem is just one of the barriers to officials like Jordan actually understanding the bigger picture dynamics at play here. Thankfully this town has a kick-ass journalist (me) with sources who help me understand what’s REALLY happening on the streets, including how ignorant virtue-signalers are easy marks for the criminal element lurking behind chronic drug abuse.
I’m looking forward to helping our officials understand why this latest ordinance is a stupid waste of time, and why the idiotic focus on language, like SWEEPS, is going to result in a poet (me) writing MORE poems with language that will ensure the virtue-signalers are paying attention.
Speaking of language, if I confirm a venue this week, next month could feature a poetry reading unlike any poetry reading you have ever attended, so stay tuned. And don’t forget that funding my efforts is as easy as a few clicks, starting here.
Thanks for reading!