Editor’s note: This story was originally posted earlier this afternoon, and has since been updated.
For the past two weeks, the homeless advocacy group SHARE has been camping outside city council members’ houses to protest the council’s refusal to give them $50,000 for bus tickets to and from shelters. Yesterday, the group declared victory when several private individuals gave them enough money to buy bus tickets for a month.
But not every SHARE client participated in the protests. And at least one, a Tent City resident, told council members she had been barred from SHARE’s shelter for refusing to participate in the campouts. “I am being told I must engage in a protest I do not support or be evicted from my tent,” she wrote.
In a separate email, the Tent City resident added, “For any of you who have any doubt that this protest is mandatory – Don’t doubt. It is camp out or get out. If it is was voluntary then those who wanted to go would and those who didn’t wouldn’t.”
A number of other homeless people who use SHARE’s shelters have written and called council members’ offices, charging that SHARE coerced them into participating in the protests, telling them, among other things, that they would not be welcome at SHARE’s city-funded shelters if they didn’t take part in the campouts. Several participants alleged that SHARE’s shelters emptied out during the protests, as clients were required to sleep on sidewalks outside council members’ homes if they wanted to use SHARE’s shelters in the future.
Council member Tim Burgess, who was the first target of the group’s protests, says that when he talked to several protest participants the morning after their campout, they told him unequivocally that they had been required to participate in exchange for shelter.
“A lot of people said they were given a choice: Participate in the protest or sleep on the street,” Burgess says.
SHARE spokeswoman Michele Marchand says the SHARE clients’ claims are “absolutely untrue”; the group’s central committee will be issuing a statement responding to the allegations tomorrow afternoon.
However, earlier this month, SHARE staffer Scott Morrow wrote a memo to SHARE shelter residents that makes it clear that SHARE residents are required to participate in the campouts if they want to live at Tent City (and possibly other SHARE shelters), at least until “the struggle” to get extra money from the city “is over.”
Here’s an excerpt from the memo (note the use of euphemisms for sleeping somewhere other than the shelter: e.g., “leave the community” “stepping away,” etc.):
“SHARE has… made clear that those not wishing to work together at this time can leave the community while the struggle is on and then return when the struggle is over – with no fear of retaliation or black mark.
“This tolerant approach has not assuaged the Tent City4 Protester [the female tent city resident mentioned below]. She continues to complain far and wide about having to do what everyone else has to do. …
“SHARE very much wants to keep the Tent Cities open, but there must be a fair exchange. This broad outline was agreed to months ago—in exchange for staying open during this crisi, 25 Tent City Participants be at the sleep outs, when necessary, every other night. …
“Which is not to suggest that anyone likes having to do these sleep outs. Some are stepping away while they go on, and there have been lots of civil and intelligent agreements about this strategy.”
The memo also notes that the Tent City resident who refused to participate in the protest (who was only one of several SHARE clients to complain that they felt coerced into taking part in the sleepouts) was told “she could go to [the Downtown Emergency Service Center], an emergency shelter provider that is frequently full and is plagued with bedbugs.
SHARE staffers confirmed that they did require residents of both Tent City and SHARE shelters to participate in the protests, but said they were given the option of doing 16 hours of work for the organization if they chose not to participate in the sleepouts. Initially, Tent City residents bore more of the burden of the protests (because SHARE shelter residents were encouraged to ask bus drivers to take them to their shelters for free, and only those who weren’t allowed on buses participated in the campouts); later, however, shelters were told that half their residents had to participate in the campouts each night, on a rotating basis.
On October 8, 10 days after the campouts began, one SHARE shelter client told the council in an email,
If anyone has noticed more homeless sleeping in bushes and alleyways they can put the responsibility for that on SHAREs Central Committee and their mandate to the homeless they purport to help. …
SHARE shelters screen applicants six days a week at the Josephenium Hotel downtown; half the shelters screen on alternate days and the tent cities screen onsite. Usually, there are approximately 50 applicants for 10 15 openings at the Josephenium Hotel. These numbers have reversed during the SHARE Central Committees mandated protests. At a recent screening there were 50 openings with only 12 applicants showing up. At least one of these applicants refused shelter after it was explained to him what would be expected from him during the protest.
Many of these openings have resulted from shelters being required to turn residents out on the street for not participating in the protests and some shelters have been closed entirely for lack of participation.
Contacted by email, the SHARE client confirmed his account of events, and said that he had participated in the protests. “The choice was to either participate or ‘take a hiatus’ from our respective shelters.”
Photo via Seattle PostGlobe
City council members also report getting calls from SHARE campout participants asking them to intervene in what they called the involuntary protests.
In a voice mail, one man who identified himself as a SHARE shelter resident told council member Richard Conlin, “We have to participate in a protest around different members of the city council’s homes. They’re forcing us to do this or they’re denying us shelter. … I feel this is wrong. We’re being forced into participate, we don’t want to participate, and they’re not offering us a choice.”
SHARE staff confirms that the protests will continue in a month if the city continues to refuse to provide the $50,000. Although city council members counter that they did offer SHARE the money in exchange for an agreement that SHARE would keep its shelters open all year, SHARE staffers say that they aren’t sure they’ll have enough funding to keep the shelters open in November and December—typically the most expensive months, at around $80,000 a month.
On November 3, voters will be asked to approve a $145 million housing levy that will create 1,800 units of permanent affordable housing. SHARE has not campaigned for the housing levy, focusing instead on emergency shelter space.
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Boy — who could have seen this coming?
Countdown to Sarah68′s rationalization of ths tactic in 3..2..1.
Typically, it is illegal for government contractors to lobby using government contract funds. Anyone know whether that would apply here?
Obvious question here…where did the homeless people send emails from? If they went to the downtown Seattle library why didn’t they just go an extra 6 blocks and talk to their councilmembers directly?
That’s disturbing news indeed, and I think there is no choice now but to admit that SHARE has gone too far. This is particularly bad timing as well, considering that the negative press could have an impact on the housing levy.
How long did you give SHARE to comment on this? I’m not necessarily a SHARE fan; especially if they can’t explain what seems to be really awful behavior, but I have noticed lately that you guys – in your hurry to get a scoop – might not be allowing people a fair amount of time to respond to your requests for comment. Just an observation.
@3 My hunch would be because they figured, as they were mostly likely poorly dressed and homeless, they would not be allowed to walk in and sit down for a one on one with councilmembers.
But yeah, SHARE sure as fuck won’t be getting any of my money.
ECB, you may be perpetuating a misunderstanding here. The way SHARE works is that each participant must put “x” number of hours into group management activities. Participants get credit for speaking at a public hearing or helping at a camp clean-up or attending an educational event. My guess is that these sleep-ins were given as an optional way for people to work off their group management hours. It might’ve been good to wait to publish this story until after you’d spoken directly with SHARE in order to hear their side of the story.
@7: wishful thinking on your part, though that is exactly what should have happened. Publicola seems so desparate to be “relevant” that they will take a rumor, or an unverified story from an unidentified disgruntled individual and splash it on their web page. This particular writer is great for people wishing to spread bad information about others–true or false, before the truth of the situation can be vetted out.
@4: This hasn’t anything to do with the Housing Levy. No matter what you think about SHARE (and anyone is free to think whatever they wish), vote to renew the Levy. We absolutely need housing.
Sorry, Good Grief. I didn’t react the way you were hoping.
SHARE is controlled by a small self selected group of career homeless and their operation is opaque to anyone on the outside and difficult to understand and influence even for those who are members of their supposed ‘democracy’.
Well, of course it’s true.
Go ask the Nickelsville residents what kind of pressure they were under to get arrested a few weeks ago.
@4 I have to agree with Sarah68 – SHARE and their activities have nothing to do with the Housing Levy. And any conflation of the two would be disingenuous.
We have far too many people living on the streets (1977 unsheltered individuals during the last One Night Count) or in housing that they can’t afford. Seattle needs the Levy – it will helps us to build or preserve thousands of units of housing for thousands of people. We’ll get people off of the streets and keep people in housing that they can afford. Everyone deserves the opportunity to live in a safe, decent, and affordable home – VOTE YES on Prop 1.
i thought mayor nickels was the first target of Share?
also, hell yes vote to renew the housing levy. although i don’t really understand the connection to Share except that i guess they’re not working on it, and maybe you think they should be? in which case, you should also say that I-1033 is on the ballot (vote no) and referendum 71 too (vote approve).
SHARE is self managed and participation is mandatory in order to stay in a SHARE shelter.
Desiree Kramer was given the option by Tent City 4 to do some extra work (security shifts) instead of sleeping out.
She was barred from Tent City 4 because when she found out she to do extra chores instead of participating in the protest, she threw a fit in front of a group of schoolchildren touring the camp using foul language. Public display of vulgarity (as well as laziness) is not tolerated at Tent City 4
I would like to invite all of Seattle to my bar hearing this wed at 7PM at the Josephinium 1902 2nd Ave Seattle, WA 98101-1186.
I protested the protest before it even started. I was personally harassed to the point of total stress attack and literal tears over how I was going to get 16 hrs of additional chores mandated by Scott Morrow because I dared to exercise my freedom of speech and ask others to help stop SHARE from forcing any of us to protest no matter the reason.
At my bar hearing I will be distributing copies of a memo scott morrow made regarding me and my fight to not protest.
I left tent city 4 with the mega flu everyone fears – kicked out after dark with no place to go at that time. I ended up in Harborview in the hospital that night due to the pain. Thank God for IV drip medication.
I know of 2 people who did not go to an inside SHARE shelter due to their being told it was not optional to do the protest.
The protests in Seattle should have willing protestors. No person or organization should ever be legally allowed to threaten the shelter or employment or person of a person to make them protest.
No more forced “donations”
No more forced community service that is really forced attendance at a church off list SHARE makes for at least 70% of the people at the tent cities.
No more supresssion of the freedom of speech of SHARE residents. They couldn’t come to others for help in this matter or any without risking permament bar – whether that person was political person – a press person or a hosting church.
Please note the 16 hrs of extra chores was per sleep night obligation of the protest which lasted 15 days!!
SHARE is a dispicable self serving group of career homeless – my god how many years has Scott Morrow been involved in this little fiefdom of the down and out. They are only interested in helping themselves. Would love to know if all the bus tickets and vouchers go to the staff and any other dirty dealings SHARE is involved in.
Well, why does SHARE continue get city funding? The coercion at nickelsville is documented, as well. In this last round people were feeling very threatened and felt they had to get arrested or they would be barred from Nickelsville. In addition, they were prevented from leaving Nickelsville and going to another SHARE facility to avoid arrest and were told that if they left before the arrests, that they would not be allowed back in.
To be clear: SHARE gets 50,000 in bus tickets every year. they’ve used them all up already. they asked for more and the city council managed to get them some from next years budget. the threat was that SHARE would shut down Tent City 3 and 4. The council asked that in return for the tickets, SHARE comit to keep tent city 3 and 4 open over the winter. Scott either couldn’t or wouldn’t do that and then went on to arrange this protest on the doorsteps of the very people who tried to help.
With the arrests at Nickelsville under a similar “management” style, I just think something has to be done about this SHARE!
Just to clear up any possible confusion, I voted YES on the housing levy, and I think that this is very important. I was afraid, though, that a scandal involving a major homeless advocacy organization could end up souring people on the levy, despite the fact that the two are not directly connected.
I know (but will refrain from naming names) several people who work for SHARE, including some in prominent positions. I have high respect for them and their commitment to fairness for the most vulnerable members of society. It is hard for me to believe that any of them would use a heavy-handed tactic such as coercing homeless people into a protest.
Hey Publicola,
It’s hard to tell where the update stops and the original article begins. Nice reporting though.
is any media outlet going to pick up McGinn’s comment that he wants to create a permanent tent city in Seattle..basically creating a slum to please groups like SHARE? Is he offering up his neighborhood Wallingford for the site?
I am not for creating Brazilian style slums in the city – permanent housing is the answer!
I’m sure we’ll all watch with concern as we learn learn more about the situation at SHARE. Regardless of what we learn please do vote Yes for Prop 1 – the Housing Levy. The need for safe affordable housing is too great to do otherwise.
I thought McGinn lived in Greenwood.
But that’s beside the point. SHARE’s tactics are despicable, and this information makes me wonder why my taxpayer dollars should go to a group that forces the people it helps to participate in their protests. It is well documented that they were offered a loan. Our city budget is tight. What are we to cut for SHARE? Libraries? Subsidies for working families that need some help with childcare? Striping bike lanes? Parks? Everything is already being cut harsh, and now this?
Tsk tsk, SHARE, tsk effing tsk.
ECB – thanks for your update on this. It helps to have more facts and the update makes it a stronger story.
“Striping bus lanes”? Yes, I think that’s more dispensable than shelter for homeless people.
The people who live in SHARE shelters are human beings. They don’t live in those shelters for fun. No one lives in Tent City for fun, or Nickelsville, or any of the shelters downtown or in suburban areas, or hiding at night in greenbelt areas, or under underpasses, or in doorways, nor do people ride the bus all night for fun. The reason is they’re trying to survive.
Vote for the Housing Levy. But we need shelter for people UNTIL those extra units are built. It doesn’t matter much who runs it, just so it’s warm, dry, and safe. It would also be nice if people could store their stuff during the day, which is a great advantage of the SHARE shelters. And those shelters are the most economical of any shelter in Seattle. Everyone–including City officials–knows that. I don’t know or care about the politics involved with SHARE. I just know they provide shelter and I don’t know what would happen without them in this economic climate.
Think about where you’d sleep if you were homeless. Looking forward to having your own roof in the future is great, but you need somewhere to sleep TONIGHT. talk to your Councilmembers about that. Vote for the Levy to help in the future.
And I meant striping bike lanes. “Read before submitting comment, she reminds herself*
@25 -
I agree on the bike lane striping. That was a joke within a serious comment.
But to the point -
Yes, I’ve seen the numbers, and really wish that all shelters could be so incredibly cost-effective. However, SHARE should NOT be forcing people who don’t agree with their protest tactics to protest in order to have a place to sleep.
Dammit…it posted before I was done…I think I hit a bad button.
So, let me continue -
People should do more to help the homeless, and Seattle is very generous. However, this group is using extortion tactics to attempt to get lawmakers to throw taxpayers under the bus, because they refuse to take a deal that the City can afford.
That is unacceptable. SHARE’s model should be used, but their leaders should be booted, and the City should withhold funding until that happens.
Why not create a state-funded program (seek federal grants perhaps) where everyone does some daily work and in return receives meals and shelter? In urban areas they could, for example, pick up garbage and remove graffiti. In the rural areas they could pick crops, perhaps.
This sounds like a solution that could get both conservatives and liberals on board. Conservatives would like it because people have to work, so it’s not just a handout. It would also reduce illegal immigration if they were picking crops in rural areas. Liberals would like it because everyone would be guaranteed food and shelter.
@29
It sounds good, but Conservatives would hate it, because it gets government involved. remember, they hate government.
Erica, this is great reporting up until that last paragraph that tries to implicitly tie the Levy to SHARE. This is one of the first times I have even read a mention of the Housing Levy on Publicola and to see it brought up in this story is pretty disappointing. What are you thinking?
@30
I meant reasonable conservatives.
@32
I always forget about those ones!!! (j/k, I <3 reasonable conservatives)
On occasion I attack you, but I really admire your work on this scoop. The leaders of this organization sound like poverty pimps. The city needs to stop funding this organization.
I think the reasonable conservatives left the country in disgust.
This protest was very effective at turning people against this group, their cause and by association (whether legitimate or not) against the housing levy.
“They don’t live in those shelters for fun”
Really? SHARE leader Leo Rhodes has been in SHARE camps for 10 yrs, homeless for 20 yrs. He sounds like a happy camper.
@36: Unless you personally know Leo Rhodes, you don’t know why he was living in a tent city, or whether he was happy or unhappy. I’ve visited tent cities a number of times. They’re living in TENTS. Enough said.
@36
I’m with Sarah on this one. What you rather the homeless do? Be miserable all day? Making the best of a situation that sucks is a good thing.
Do I think there are some people who choose to be homeless? Sure. But I would venture a guess that’s a very small minority.
“you don’t know why he was living in a tent city”
You’re right. I only know Leo Rhode’s been ‘homeless’ for 20 yrs, and in a tent city for 10 yrs. Clearly, this is a lifestyle choice for him.
Maybe he has bad credit and couldn’t get through the screening process for an apartment.
If only he’d gone to Free Credit Report Dot Com…
Saying they’re homeless ‘for fun’ is a misnomer. Many are homeless and won’t try to re-acclimate with shelter because they believe the streets are where they either belong or ought to be, or are morally opposed to several elements of civilized life. I wouldn’t call it mental illness, but there’s certainly a delusional sense involved.
I did not use vulgarity in front of the children.
I stated point blank in an agitated tone- I can’t deal with this right now. I went to church I have the proof – here you go. I will have to deal with this later. I don’t know how I am going 16 hrs of additional time for every sleep out night – I don’t know how I can do this. I have to get some sleep – I have to start doing security at midnight.
I wasn’t suppposed to let anyone know I was sentenced to this extra time. Guys it wasn’t a few hours.
It was 16 hrs per sleep out obligation with that not being defined as whether it was per group or per tent city. I still remain uncertain which.
Normally a person does 6 hrs of security work per week – or 24 hrs a month. Lowest end I was looking at having to do 38 hrs a week!
Highest end – which would have been per tent city 4 sleep out – I was looking at 16 hrs of extra duty every 2 days. Or doing 8 hrs x 7 for 56 hrs plus the 6 normal hrs or 62 hrs a week.
So I would have to do 8 hrs per day on top of my medical appts – job interviews and cancer testing follow up.
The write up I was given with the 16 hrs stated point blank it was for going to outside sources for help about the protest – making it a clear violation of my freedom of speech.
It was intended to make a clear statement to the others not to stand up for their right not to protest and it worked though now some regret having been manipulated by SHARE. I guess they didn’t enjoy having their rights violated.
Only plus side to this whole things so far is I had my hearing tested when so many people keep telling me I am yelling or so loud on the phone or in person when I felt I wasn’t. One person actually went as far as putting a hearing test brochure on my stuff one day and I broke down and went. I now know yep I am loud for –I have hearing damage and I am now looking at facing hearing aids in both ears at the age of 40. I knew my hearing was having issues but I wasn’t prepared for the news. Now I am taking an interest in sign language.
Those who actually know (not just an opinion) – Was the decision to protest decided democratically by the entire group or just by the EC?
How was the amount of alternative service decided upon, i.e. the 16 hours for every sleepout night? Was this a decision made independently by each shelter/tent city or was it the same for all shelters?
How is the EC chosen?
Thanks.
The decision to protest was made democratically by the Power Lunch/Board of Directors constituted of representatives from all the shelters and Tent Cities.
The alternative to her sleeping out was decided by the Executive Committee at Tent City 4 and Ms Kramer is lying. It was NOT 16 hours for every sleep out night but 16 hours a week!
Originally, Ms Kramer’s objections to the sleep out had nothing to do with “civil rights”. She was worried that if she was arrested, she would lose her license as a security guard. She also was worried that if her face was seen on TV, she might be recognized by potential employers and not get hired.
The Executive Committee at Tent City 4 offered her an alternative solution ie work an extra 16 hours a week and not sleep out. When she was presented with that choice, she flipped out in front of the children.
Ms Kramer is NOT hard of hearing, her bar was not about being deaf or objecting to the protest, it was about her use of four letter words in front of the youngsters.
Now that she has her 15 mn of fame, Ms Kramer presents herself as the “defender of the homeless community civil rights” but her original motives were purely selfish and based on fear.
I am just wondering if the members of the press and the politicians who are currently so sympathetic to her self inflicted plight are willing to provide her with housing or is she just being the puppet of some of the City officials?
Erica’s article has many inaccuracies stemming from her only getting info from 1 malcontent BARRED FOR BREACHING PERMIT / CHURCH / COMMUNITY required code of conduct rules while residing at a SHARE supported homeless emcampment and another who refused to accept alternatives he could have taken atvantage of – and didn’t.
I live at TC4 and SUPPORT the sleepouts (and we will probably have to do them again). The person who stated they were thown out because they didn’t goto the sleepouts is lieing…pure and simple. This woman was paranoid about protexting and ending up on TV and she wouldn’t be able to get into security or law-enforcment (bad choice – those career choices require honesty and intregrity – she has neither). It’s a civil right to protest anything…also, SHARE lets media know in advance they to only interview or video/photo people only if they ask people 1st. When she came to us telling us why she wouldn’t – we gave her the option of 12 hours of work she could do for the TC4 community and she refused..she could also have stayed at Nickelsville ( EVERY PERSON THAT GOT ARRESTED AT NICKELSVILLE AT t-107 VERBALLY VOLUTEERED TO BE ARRESTED! OTHER LEFT AND STARTED NICKELSVILLE under the protection of a church) or she could have left TC4 until our protests are over. She then began yelling and started swearing -[ church members and children at the church heard the swearing. She left TC4. ]
No one at TC3 or TC4 can just sit on their butts and do nothing.
Tim Burgess was not ‘the 1st elected official’ we demontrated to..it was Mayor Nickels (another elected official). The options if not doing the sleepouts were STILL available – even then – and they were, work 12 hours, Nickelsville, or finding someplace else to go until the sleepouts were over.
We don’t vote on everything. Anything that represents a REAL threat to our community – WE ACT UPON TO END THE THREAT -together- Example: When this country declared war in WW2, the president at that time didn’t waste time ‘asking’ people to join the armed forces … he simply made people do it! In fact, having to do some activism or an alternative ‘community’ effort during a time of crisis at tent cities will be added to our code of conduct rules. For years SHARE has been paying the bills, providing LEGAL places for the homeless to sleep, mantained accounting, and made available bus tickets and transporation … what they ask in return is very little…I was at the Tim Burgess sleepout … I never heard/saw anyone there telling him tat alot of campers were being ‘forced’ into sleepouts.
Erica Barnett is hardly a credible newswiter – and it shows. We at SHARE scheduled a news conferance with her in Seattle … she was a no-show.
MARTIN JONES
member, SHARE’s direct action work group and TC4 resident.
Forgive the typos – I’m no newswriter myself.
PS: To her credit, Ms Barnett did apologize to me in an email for not showing up.
Last night I attended the bar hearing and was kicked back under step 2 to my tent city 4. Last night the paperwork presented to the bar meeting was different than what I had been served with.
On 9/24/09 they served me with 2 different sets of paperwork that indicated I was being punished for going to outside help with not wanting to do the protest. Frank Nakamura wrote up both of these. The first was written up as an incident report – about an hr after he gave it to me he told me he needed to serve me with a new one and wanted the 1st paper back. I didn’t know where the paper was – he gave me the exact same paperwork again but this time it was written up as a bar report. He told me clearly that he was told he had to write me up this way and he was sorry. The intended on barring me 9/24/09. Before the bar meeting I had sent copies of these papers to ever single city council member. SSG Reservist Patrick Schulz – Gonya was witness to the paperwork I was given.
Presented at the bar meeting was paperwork from 9/26/09 that I had never been given a copy of that wrote me up for the same thing that the 9/24/09 paperwork had but this time it was written by the camp advisor Randy D ( who flew out of tent city 4 during the protest). This paperwork which I had never seen before last night wrote up the punishment for my refusing to do the power lunch mandated protest. It further proves the protests were not optional. I believe it is required of SHARE to serve me with any incident report against me if I present in camp that it has written against me and this was never done.
Also of note – the memo by Scott Morrow that he had actually distributed to the Tent city 4 – to power lunch and to other SHARE members had been altered. Someone went in and changed the subject line !! How interesting – doesn’t the man know I had already copied every city council member and some SHARE members may still have their intial copies?
The most distressing of all the changes though was that when I was barred so late in the night with the flu on 9/27/09 – they served me paperwork that stated recommendation for bar from all shelters. I was told there was no where in share for me to go. I was kicked out into night shaking and crying with the mega flu – too late for me to get to downtown with not even being given a bus ticket to get to town. I went to the ER that night and then later was wandering the streets where predator after predator tried following me and picking me up. I could have been raped or killed or assaulted that night. It was pretty clear with the change of paperwork whoever set that up to be the intention did not want the other people at the bar meeting to know what was up.
I was one of you – I stood for my rights and yours and you let them do this to me. Shame to you who know this is wrong and do nothing. May God see this and may he on the day of judgment remember my cries to him that night.
Desiree Kramer
Update: As suggested last night I went to the meeting today at SHARE which was a staff meeting. All I wanted to know was the following:
A) Who put the packet together for the bar meeting last night – who was responsible for its actual contents.
B) Where was the incident report and the bar report from 9/24/09.
C) Who made the title change to the memo in the packet that was written by Scott Morrow on 9/24/09.
D) Why did I never receive the paperwork of 9/26?
F) I wanted to tell them that James Hill 2 days prior upon meeting me in the streets of Seattle did apologize for making his statement against me and I had said for him to come and correct his statement. He had told me he had been told by them to make the statement against me. I told him saying sorry to me meant jack – that I expected him to do what is right and correct what he put in written statement.
G) I wanted to be sure they completely knew of the mega difference in the permanent bar from all tent share shelters that I was told applied and was checked when I was bared compared to the paperork presented in the packet.
I was not allowed to present any of this. Being told this is a staff meeting – But the lady in charge when I pressed did tell me exactly who I was to call to inform SHARE that I was putting in a grievance against SHARE tent city and that the paperwork presented was not what matched my paperwork. I had called the night of Thursday to the number of 206-517-9011 the number they provided to inform them I intended in filing appeal at the camp as they say I had to do now.
I was told today I had to actually call for Charles Caro some kind of Tent city organizer and leave message for him about it. Which I did. I did ask for a call back and informed that if no call back was given I would call back each day and leave a message until I got one to be sure they had proper notice.
Had I not gone to this meeting I don’t know if my call last night would even have counted even though I followed the directions they told me last night.
I put in a written complaint against Scott Morrow and I left. This was their staff meeting and I did not stay to listen in on their staff business. I had been invited to come to this meeting the night before. I let them be about their important staff business as it should be.
I have contacted Holy Spirit Lutheran Church to ask them how they shall make what was done to me right. They allow tent city to use their property. I have let the churches know of the alteration of paperwork that I received last night.
I have contacted the Army regarding one of the members who signed off as witness on the paperwork. I let the Army know it had been I who stood to fight for the right of all homeless to not have to protest. That their solider signed off on my being punished for standing up for this right and that this soldier was allowed out of the protest himself with out punishment and harassment like I endured. I let the Army know that the paperwork their solider signed regarding me may have mysteriously disappeared at tent city 4 as it was not in the SHARE packet and that I had copies of what they gave me with his signature. I let the Army know that their solider signed off on some paperwork no one had ever even given to me. I asked the Army to ask the solider to put right what he let be done wrong to me and to ask him to make a formal sworn statement under oath regarding what happened. I find it interesting that this soldier was allowed out – when all the rest were forced to protest and he signed off on punishment on me for asking that no one be forced to protest.
I have absolutely no confidence that anyone tied to this will do the right thing.
I have lost my faith. But in some ways this is liberating. I have been granted an offer for having a coven meet to do a Wiccan spell to make this matter just and so that those who are acting poorly in this will face quick karma and I almost fell to the temptation. My Christian friend said not to do this just ask God for justice – but how long will that be?
Yeah and some want to give this organization more money!
It amazes me how Mrs. kramer focus’s on everything EXCEPT her actions that lead to her being evicted from TC4. She’s not getting back into TC4 and that is that. When someone transgresses at TC4, we DO NOT forgive and we DO NOT forget – our reputation is on the line!!!!!!!! Society does the very same thing…good luck getting a job as an Police officer if you’ve been found guilty of robbing a bank…it’s never gunna happen. (On that note, condolences to the family , fellow officers, and friends of the Fallen Seattle police officer murdered recently – to Seattle’s credit, it’s been awhile since a Seattle police officer has been killed…I hope the person who did it was evil and not metally ill. Punishing evil brings closer … mental illness will bring only hopelessness).
Mrs. Kramer stated,
I have been granted an offer for having a coven meet to do a Wiccan spell to make this matter just and so that those who are acting poorly in this will face quick karma and I almost fell to the temptation.
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Are you kidding me????? Oh, and she is now trying to get the Seattle chapter of the civil rights dept. to investigate wheather or not her civil rights were violated. WHAT?! That we had to banish a crazy woman out of the encampment because she couldn’t manage her own mental illness???!! Are you kidding me????? THAT’S HER RESPONSIBILITY! NOT TC4′s!
If HSD or the Seattle civil rights dept. actually goes thru with this investigation it will show two things.
1) They have entirely too much time on thier hands
( hence, these two dept.’s need budgets cuts…1st thing they can do is fire Mr. Poole in charge of the investigation at HSD … 2nd fire the moron at Seattle civil rights Dept. that actually took the time to file a grievance for Mrs. Kramer ).
2) That the entire City of Seattle is being run by far too many stupid – greedy – muckraking -carpetbeggars!
My girlfriend and I both lived in both tc3 and tc4 for over 5 years. We finale moved to Spokane to get permanent housing. We’ve had our own apartment for 3 years. I spent more time on the Executive Committee then most. The main reason we left tent city and came to Spokane was because what was going on in camp. Three years ago while at St. Georges in Lake City those of us on EC started seeing thing going out of control. We decided to clean the camp. We barred those using drugs and drinking in camp, we also got rid of the people stealing donations so they could sell them. Thing were going well for about a week. Scott Morrow who was in charge came in and barred 3 of the EC saying they were trying to take over the camp and said they had to much power over others. I stayed on there for 5 more months. We were told not to call the police for any reason unless Scott or Leo Rhodes. They said we needed to keep the population in camp up no matter what. They also stated if we called the police for any type of help it would make their record look bad, so we couldn’t call even at the risk of our safety. We watched cash donations meant for camp use go to Scott for gas and insurance for his car and to be used to buy him food. He passed up good, Guaranteed camp sites because it wouldn’t get Tent City enough press time. We were not allowed to update the sex offender list and had to use outdated lists. We had 3 people elected to EC in 6 months that were on that list. To keep crime from being linked to the camp people were allowed to sign in to camp without Id. They would also edit the list when someone got in trouble. At Cherry Hill church we were told to take in two couples with kids they stayed for 3 weeks. We also had an overdose by a man named Birch yet he was allowed back in camp. Three months later at Haller Lake the same man while on drugs tried to kick in the door to the church’s daycare next door saying they took his kids. None of it was reported to the police because the church did not want to cause problems for Tent City. There’s a lot of things that happen there that’s unreported.
Anyone that says Leo Rhodes is a good man needs to really think that out. Tc4′s first time in Kirkland he and Bruce the camp “GOD” covered up a rape by one of their friends named Andy “Squirrel dick”, later at the same site A mentally handicaped woman named Breanda was raped and beaten by her husband and the police were never called. Breanda was throwen out of camp. A couple named Terry and Sara were cooking meth in their van at the church. A $500 cash donation was stolen by the EC’s and blamed on a pregent girl that had nothing to do with it. A man that was on EC foe 3 years off and on was arrested because he escaped from prison 5 years before. You have Peggy Hoates while on EC selling security and church credits for cash, and residents selling the 24 hour gym memberships the Church members got the camp. People say Tent City has a good record it does not nothing gets reported. I watched people pay 20-30 bucks for the EC not to do the background checks.
As for the bus tickets, people save them up to sell to the people at the day labor sites. You can make good money that way. You get to sign for 2 bus tickets everyday. You just save them up and sell them it’s really easy if you have a disabled pass because you can get a free month pass from a lot of places. When tent city 3 was at Seattle University a resident there told the press how much he made every month off bud tickets. It was enough to buy a truck. He also sold tabacco for bus tickets and bought food stamp cards. So why does tent city seem desprite to get bus tickets, because it’s good money.
When it comes to Scott Morrow, he did what he did (ESPECIALLY at TC3) to restore order that was being disrupted by campers. TC3 was dealt with harshly …. MANY campers and MANY involved with those incidences were thrown OUT OF SHARE for those acts. True, there are victims, but it is the victims choice not to press charges…why? … something we at TC4 brought TO AN END these days… retaliation ….
victimize someone at TC4 now and we let that person know SECURITY will deal with them head on if they try and retaliate( that REAL SECURITY is spearheaded by me and by Bruse Thomas … and Bruce Thomas and I will extend that AUTHORITY to TC3 if ever need be!!!! ) …. what Mike has documented here are from the old days of (primarily) TC3 … and they occur no more.
This forum is about Desiree Kramer … an emotionally disturbed woman WHO IS GUILTY of violating TC4′s code of conduct AND SHE KNOWS IT!
As for rape victims being thrown out, like I said, it is their choice to have police involved ( few people in tent cities eyewitness these acts … it’s usually thru what we hear from within a tent ) … but these victims do something very stupid afterwards … they break the ‘no drugs / no booze’ policy of these encampments and even though they have been victimized, SHARE demands anyone, for any reason, doing drugs/booze on church property… MUST LEAVE…they MUST be permanently bared. One time I made this mistake of allowing someone to remain at TC4 intoxicated while an EC… this one and only time resulted in major problems shortly thereafter and that person HAD TO BE permanently bared from TC4 a few hours later. One thing I re-affirm at just about EVERY meeting … SHARE DOES NOT MAKE EXCEPTIONS if you are stupid enough to drink / do drugs or be intoxicated / drugged at a tent city or one of SHARE’s indoor shelters. TC3 nearly got shut down for it….one of SHARE’s indoor shelter HAS BEEN CLOSED because of it! And it is a bar you cannot overturn! Seattle is full of homeless people who deserve a place to stay…SHARE insures that. The cost is being on church property…can’t respect that? YOU ARE OUT!
Just a last footnote … Mrs. Kramer got the SEATTLE chapter of the SEATTLE civil rights dept. to investigate us…this ended when we all went to court and Mrs. Kramer provided evidence that proved SHE ALTERED HER COPIES of the incident reports AND the Bar she was served! It was so obvious…. it begged for her to have a lawyer! SHE COMMITED EVIDENCE BASED PURGERY IN COURT…. TC4 and SHARE are considering filing a lawsuite of our own! SLANDER and other charges SHARE is thinking about persuing!
Like I said before … she's a fool.
She needed to go to the KING COUNTY or KIRKLAND chapter of the civil rights dept. anyway!