Cleveland has an organization called Downtown Alliance. It is a group of businesses - the largest being Key Bank who imposed a self tax for funds to operate. The purpose of this organization is to bring business and renters into the City of Cleveland. One of the problems they identify is the homeless who "scare" the people trying to get into their businesses. The also feel the homeless cause unsightly health problems. They employ "Street Ambassadors" who sweep the sidewalks and try to move the homeless from the area.
I am under some heavy scrutiny by Downtown Alliance and they have registered the complaint that I 1) support the homeless having blankets on the sidewalk and 2) refused to assist them in moving the homeless off the sidewalk and telling Downtown Alliance that the homeless have the civil right to be on public property. They are specifically talking about the people on the heating grates I showed you a picture of at the Symnposium.
Cleveland has NEOCH Northeast Coalition for Homeless run by Brian Davis. He is good.
The Plain Dealer is a conservative newspaper that will bend to the big bucks of these businesses, so the press is no help here.
I am thinking about Jim Withers buying 100 McDonalds coupons and sending homeless to the restaurant that complained about them.
Any thoughts?

Hi Donna - It is difficult to know how to balance the political side of things. I'm curious why they are targeting you (although they have been doing the same here with our North Side van). We generally have a loose partnership with the more activist folks who take on these things. The ACLU here also has been pretty active in addressing the rights of homeless folks to their property via a law suit. The police still take the stuff, but only on a schedule that is posted (in theory). Whether to get deep into it as a battle is hard to say. My personal bias (Dave Buck has some good thoughts on this) is to keep the vision of health provision foremost. This is what Dave wrote to me....
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We struggle here with those groups too...I think the rule I try to maintain is always be very respectful and kind to them but never back off of a simple stance (like Mother Theresa would take that could be infuriating to others)...'where do you propose they live? (or some way to join with them...display empathy for their concern) we must treat everyone with decency and respect..." stuff no one could disagree with....
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You have some really strong advocates there and I think you should put this in their hands for the most part. You are SO critical and busy to the street folks that the "community groups" can easily suck up your precious time and energy. I think we also have a role that transcends the things that they are upset about - the role of bringing health care to those in need. If we blur that message it gets more challenging. The people who represent the business community have their own rights with in the city and reasons they feel the way they do. Somebody needs to be at the table with them to find a reasonable compromize and hold them accountable - I just don't know if I would want to be the one to do that. Still......I sometimes want to grab these folks and shake them! I've been thinking about Matthew 25: 41-46...