The godless people who passed these provisions did so at 3 o'clock in the morning

Ninety-year-old man faces jail for giving food to homeless people

A 90-year-old man is facing up to 60 days in jail for feeding the needy due to a new law that bans people in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from meal-sharing with the public.

4 November, 2014

Arnold Abbott risks being fined $500 and spending time in prison after police officers apprehended him while he was handing out meals to homeless people in a park on Sunday.

He was arrested and charged along with two ministers from the Sanctuary Church, which prepares hundreds of meals to dish out every week in their kitchen, while shocked onlookers shouted to officers "shame on you!" in a video published by NY Daily News.

Mr Abbott said: "One of police officers came over and said ‘Drop that plate right now,’ as if I was carrying a weapon."

He added: "These are the poorest of the poor, they have nothing, they don't have a roof over their heads. How do you turn them away?"

Arnold Abbott being arrested while he was serving food

Arnold Abbott being arrested while he was serving food In 1999, Mr Abbott sued the City of Fort Lauderdale after he was banned from feeding the homeless on the beach and the court found that the rule was against the Constitution. The new law - which has come into effect or is planned to in Seattle, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Dallas, and Philadelphia - was passed last week.

Ron Book, a city lobbyist, told the US newspaper Sun Sentinel: "Whatever discourages feeding people on the streets is a positive thing."

Mr Abbott, who describes himself as his "brother's keeper" who believes "love thy neighbour as thyself", is planning to sue the city again and intends to continue his good-hearted deeds.

The new regulations require groups to be at least 500 feet away from residential properties and food sites are restricted to one per city block, but charities have criticised the rules as forms of implementing social cleansing.

Michael Stoops, community organiser at the National Coalition for the Homeless, told NBC News: "Economic development and tourism don't mesh well with homeless folks and the agencies that serve them."

Mr Abbott set up Love Thy Neighbour in memory of his late wife Maureen in order to continue the humanitarian work they both did by regularly making and sharing food at Holiday Park and Fort Lauderdale Beach

Exiled from paradise? Hawaii to relocate homeless with one-way plane tickets

One of the biggest shelters in Hawaii has secured the funding to start an initiative that will vet the homeless population of Waikiki and ultimately select 120 individuals to be flown elsewhere with one-way plane tickets.

RT,

5 November, 2014

Hawaii's Institute for Human Services (IHS) officially launched its $1.3 million initiative to fight homelessness this week, and among the facets involved in the effort is a program that will put dozens of people on airplanes in order to relocate them away from the tropical island town.

"We found out that many (Waikiki homeless) are transient who made a choice to become homeless, as well as people who became homeless shortly after arriving in Hawaii," Kimo Carvalho, development and community relations manager for IHS, told Civil Beat. “We are trying to do an aggressive public relations effort, trying to water down misinformation, basically not making Hawaii be an attractive destination to come and be homeless.”

To accomplish as much, officials behind the multi-pronged program plan on putting around 140 individuals into area shelters during the effort’s first year, while flying another 120 “transient individuals” back to wherever they came from.

Last year, the State Legislature approved $100,000 to be used towards a three-year “Return to Home” program that would have similarly involved purchasing one-way plane tickets for a substantial chunk of the Waikiki homeless population, but Governor Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat, refused to release the funds to Department of Human Services reportedly because he feared it would encourage individuals to come to Hawaii with the intent of receiving a free trip home.

IHS Executive Director Connie Mitchell told Hawaii News Now last month that around 500 homeless people presently reside on the streets of Waikiki, a beachfront neighborhood in Honolulu that boasts a total population of around 18,000, according to census statistics from 2013. If the IHS succeeds, then ideally more than half of that figure will be admitted to a shelter or relocated off the island within the next year.

"I think a lot of people may not even know about IHS who are in Waikiki. So it's really an opportunity for us to just let people know that there is help if they're looking for help," Mitchell said.

But in addition to IHS, the relocation program has also found support in another group: Hawaii’s tourism industry. In September the Honolulu City Council approved measures that prohibit sitting and lying down on sidewalks in Waikiki, and proponents of those bills cited concerns from the hospitality community when making their case.

Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, Hawaii (Reuters / Kevin Lamarque)

"We are pushing to make it illegal to sleep on the sidewalks of Waikiki, because we've heard from our hotel industry that it's very concerned about keeping Waikiki as an attractive visitor destination," Jesse Broder Van Dyke, a spokesman for Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell, a Democrat, told the Associated Press ahead of last month’s vote.

"It’s time to declare a war on homelessness, which is evolving into a crisis in Honolulu," Mayor Caldwell, himself wrote in an essay that appeared in The Honolulu Star-Advertiser this past June. "We cannot let homelessness ruin our economy and take over our city." Ultimately, the measure that would have banned people from resting on city sidewalks was rejected by local lawmakers.

Regardless, the mayor’s wish may now soon come true, but at a cost nevertheless. IHS is contributing $824,000 to the cause, and the Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association last week pledged $100,000 of their own.

“When the number one complaint from our visitors is why they will not be coming back to Hawaii is homeless, you have an issue," George Szigeti, president and CEO of HLTA, said to Hawaii News Now.

“So when IHS came to us with a plan of action tailored to address the homeless situation in our Waikiki community, we were pleased and we immediately pledged our support," Szigeti said.

Next, according to Civil Beat, HIS hopes to raise another $400,000 to fund the full program, which will also be used to boost the resources at area shelters, including employment and medical services.

“I do think that conversation will have to touch on a couple very sensitive rails and I think a central rail is going to be this idea of what is aloha and how we, those who live here, view what is aloha and what is our message going to be nationally,” Colin Kippen, the state’s homeless czar, told Civil Beat. “How will that message be delivered in a way which preserves the essence of what aloha is?”

But Szigeti of the Tourism Association told KHON News last week that the program, which officially started this Monday, may take a while to make a difference. “I think this is a program that’s going to need some sustainability,” he told the network. “It’s not going to be one year to fix the problem. We need to be here next year and the year after and address the needм.

“When IHS came to us with a proposed plan of action for Waikiki’s homeless situation, we were thrilled,”he added. “Homeless will get the help they need and those who live, work and visit our Waikiki community will appreciate how this problem can be effectively addressed.”

Others, like Interfaith Alliance Hawaii’s Bishop Stephen Randolph Sykes, aren’t certain the city should be spearheading a campaign, however, that is so heavily focused on dispersing the homeless population by any means necessary.

"We recognize Waikiki is our economic engine, and having our homeless there is not something that is necessarily beneficial," he previously told AP, "but creating an island-wide type of situation where we're criminalizing homelessness is just not 'pono,' it's not ethical, because these people don't have any place to go, and we're just pushing them around."

In New Zealand the plight of the poor and the homeless goes largely unreported. I have been aware of a war against the poor being waged by Hamilton City, but this is all I could find.

The homeless have lost their drop-in centre and have been taken in by the Sustainibility Centre.

In Christchurch a writ was taken out to stop homeless from associating with each other

Hamilton City Council’s relentless agenda to starve out the homeless

Posted on Friday 30 May 2014 by Tim

Over the last few months I have written several blogposts about a fledgling voluntary charity which has begun operating in Hamilton City, Waikato, New Zealand, attempting to embody the Christian principle of Loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Hamilton Homeless was started by a small group of Mormons concerned about the growing number of Homeless people living in the Central City.

They saw their plight and felt a Religious Humanitarian obligation to do something about this unfolding tragedy, and rallied Hamiltonians to start providing free meals, clothing, and Love to the many people in desperate need.

And caring Hamiltonians of all shades of Religious and cultural backgrounds put aside their doctrinal differences, and in the spirit of Good will and co-operation have been working together in this Righteous endeavour.

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Despite these obviously noble and selfless ambitions aimed at helping the most needy sector of our society, and the fact that all this Charity work is being done voluntarily and without any politically imposed burden on Hamilton residents and ratepayers, ‘Hamilton homeless’ has nonetheless become the target of what can only be described as an orchestrated and on-going campaign of oppression at the hands of the City Council, in whose warped minds… it is more important to foster a commercially and Politically aesthetic façade of Hamilton’s CBD a place of glamour and affluence, than any concern about the *Real World* Poverty which is growing there… a reality they intend to shove into a dark corner…. Away from the public view.

‘Out of sight…. out of mind’.

There can be no doubt that the Council is behaving in a malicious and oppressive manor…. abusing it’s political power to violate the rights of the citizens of Hamilton to exercise their Religious convictions in a peaceful manor, …. having threatened the Land lord of a property ‘Hamilton Homeless’ have rented for the purposes of avoiding City Council threats of arrest for feeding the Poor on public spaces… without a permit.

Council staff have put pressure on the Landlord demanding he insists Hamilton homeless immeadiately stops feeding the poor from their rental property.

It appears that even though Hamilton homeless have acquired their own private property… quite a distance from any commercial interests whom might complain about poor people ‘loitering’ in front of their businesses, that the Council is determined to shut this Charity down.

I personally believe the Council is in serious violation of Private property rights, and intend to investigate whether or not the laws of our Nation protect our private property rights, and religious liberty, or in fact sanction such vile abuses of political power!
On top of this wicked agenda, It is of course truly heartbreaking to the compassionate members of Hamilton Homeless that the Poorest members of our community… the people whom they seek to serve… are in danger of loosing this loving support.

This really is a question of our rights to peacefully practice our religion, and follow our own conscience.

Private property rights are not merely a Legal protection against theft…. Not merely a foundation for establishing and exchanging ownership and legitimizing trade, it is fundamentally a principle which establishes *a space* …. *a place*… where citizens can worship their God/God’s, and peacefully practice their beliefs.

This function of private property is a fundamental corollary of our inalienable rights as individuals to Religious liberty, and is why we live in a society which is to great extent a testimony to Religious tolerance and peaceful co-existence.

We as individuals have the inalienable Right to form voluntary associations, and to function as a group, from private property… and it is a measure of the Justice of any society to the degree that such Freedom is protected from molestation and any potential violence of intolerant bigotry at the hands of other citizens, or from political oppression from the powers that be.

And the glory of these principles of Rights….Freedom, Equality, and Private property is why here in New Zealand that within the space of a few kilometres you can have a Catholic church, an Islamic Mosque, and a Mormon Temple… with virtually zero religious conflict!
This is truly a wonderful testament to the virtues of a society which has respect for these principles, and All New Zealanders should be Eternally Vigilant… watching politicians and Public servants, that they don’t start to undermine our Rights and Liberties… and to be always ready to Rally in defence of *Any voluntary association* whom has become the victim of political oppression.

Real Christians, and Patriots ought to rally in defence of Muslims, or Hindus… should it become apparent that their Religious liberty is being violated.

All our rights are equal.

When government threatens the freedom of anyone, they are in reality a danger to every ones freedom.

It is only the foolish and ignorant that don’t appreciate this… and the Nasty Bigots whom enjoy watching people whom hold different beliefs being suppressed.

Socialist Governments and Councils love to try and divide our society into separate groups and to systematically oppress these sub-sections, and it is appallingly far too often that New Zealanders go along with such corrupt political agendas instead of unifying for the sake of the principles of Freedom, equality, and Real justice… realizing what really is at stake… ie either maintaining a system of justice and freedom, or allowing the government and city councils to start telling us what peaceful religious beliefs we are allowed practice on our own property!

And Private property rights, in regards to religious liberty also exist on rented properties as long as all activities are kept within any caveats that may have been conditional upon agreement to lease.

Hamilton Homeless was doing exactly that.

It is not a commercial enterprise.

It is not a Community house.

It was not even cooking food, and therefore is not subject to Health department regulations which apply to such things as Restaurants, Cafes, etc.

It is a privately rented house in which invited people in need to come and enjoy food which was being cooked in other private homes… the very same way that we all cook our own Kai… and all this was done peacefully, quietly, and in love… the same way that is very common in Communities of strong communal bond… for example in many Christian, Indian and Maori homes the front door is always open, People come and go at leisure, They sing songs and enjoy fellowship… nothing at all strange or evil about it.

This may not be everyone’s ‘cup of tea’… there are of course millions of Kiwis whom shun such openly communal living… enjoying their own privacy and insulation, yet I would hope that such people are still tolerant of their neighbors whom have much larger community involvement.

It is truly tragic when small minded prudes allow their own closeted ways to become motivation for making complaints against their neighbors more open enjoyment of their properties… and lobby the Government and Councils to generate and impose heavy restrictions which violate Freedom and equality.

That is the road backwards towards societies of Intolerance and conflict.

Thus I fervently argue that Hamilton homeless has become the target of political oppression and abuse of power.

I hope to be invited to attend any meeting of the Hamilton homeless executive to discuss how to move forward and fight this council injustice.

I hope to inquire what legal grounds, if any the Council staff had in approaching Hamilton homeless’s Land Lord as I believe they have seriously overstepped their duties as servants of Hamilton ratepayers and residents.

I hope to inquire what legal right, (if any) the Land lord has to insist Hamilton homeless cease to feed the poor from that address, or whether in fact he is in breach of their tenancy rights.

Did their Landlord know what purposes Hamilton homeless intended to use the property for when he rented them the house?

I will be asking these sorts of questions.

I do believe everyone should respect their landlords reasonable requests, yet It is a very poor show if the Landlord is simply bucking under the duress of a Bully Council which is out of control…. Esp to detriment of the Poor, Cold, and Hungry!

I will report back as things run their course…. For good or ill.

It may amaze some readers to realize just how uncaring and Nasty Hamilton City council is behaving on this matter, yet a quick Google search will reveal to any inquirer just how common this sort oppression is meted out by Heartless Councils around the globe upon Charities whom care for the Needy.

Eg>>>> Here <<<<

The difference being how the various communities respond… to the knowledge of how their elected officials and paid City staff treat the most vulnerable and exposed members of our community!
How will you Hamiltonians and Kiwi’s respond to this local crisis?
Will you rally in defence of voluntary charity and your poor neighbours?

I am reminded of a homeless Beggar whom not so long ago was found dead in the Waikato River after being thrown out of his hovel by a Hamilton City Ticket Warden whom had no business doing so!

He was not on council property, but had found a corner somewhere along the Riverside on Private land where he had lived in squalor for some time, yet had not caused any one any real harm.

The Council worker went out of his way to take away the smallest comfort this poor soul had in this world… and he did.

I think this story is a exemplar of just how Cold hearted, and indifferent to the plight of others some Public servants can be.

Vicious and tyrannical.

Poverty is happening not only in Africa… but is growing here in God’s own!

This sorry tale also shows the sort of Dire straights many people are finding themselves, and the urgency with which the down and out need the care and compassion of people like Hamilton homeless.

This is a matter of Religious Conscience.

Will You readers spread the word and rally in defence of this Noble charity?

As a Libertarian I will be doing my best to guide ‘Hamilton Homeless’ to remain fully private and voluntary so as to maintain it’s moral stature as true charity in the Christian sense of the word… rather than becoming another burden upon the backs of struggling ratepayers and renters.

As far as I am concerned…. we just want The Council to ‘Bugger off’ and leave us Hamiltonians to take care of business ourselves.

Tim Wikлiriwhi.

Christian Libertarian.