There Goes The Neighborhood?
I think not.
Yet another treatment center/ half- way house is making its way to Eureka. This one will be right in the armpit of Eureka- the corner of Union and Wabash- not all that far away from my house.
Some in the neighborhood object to it, which is to be expected. Even local gadfly Sue Brandenberg piped in at the planning commission meeting citing all the crime and decandence that already goes on in that neighborhood.
Seems to me, she actually makes a case for putting the treatment center there. Hey, the area can't get any worse, can it? There's already enough drug activity and other crime there. What difference will a treatment center make at this point? If the center had any effect at all, it would probably be positive.
I am familiar with the neighborhood in question, having maintained properties within a block of that old church.
Better to have the center there than a nicer neighborhood where it actually could have a negative effect.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 6:53 AM
28 comments
28 Comments:
Bad neighborhoods can get worse Fred.
Hey,they even quoted my brother,who owns the building which houses my sister in law's and his gymnastics studio nearby.He seems to be ditching his normal Libertarian philosophy here.
Yesterday it was NIMBY, not in my back yard.
Today it's NOPE, nowhere on planet earth.
Why not put the treatment center in a rich neighborhood? No, really. The answer is obvious.
That's the same logic that landed a prison in the heart of downtown Eureka. It was stupid then and it's stupid now.
The treatment center will undoubtedly be required to keep their yard maintained. And that means possible day labor for Fred. Unless of course, they're willing to pay a skilled person to do competant work.
You got it all wrong. Fred will be leisurly enjoying his favorite shows on a 36 inch screen tv.
You guys are missing the point that the kids in treatment actually WORK for their own upkeep. There is an 85% success rate (which is skewed by the fact that only kids who *want* to be there are accepted).
This is in contrast to our current system of treatment or jail. Think about it-not many would pick jail but when they flunk out of treatment, they keep getting more and more chances.
"kids in treatment".
I'll have to go re- read it, but I believe I the news article said that the people at this home would be adults, whatever that means.
I got the information 2nd hand-but it was relayed to me as 'Kids'. Steve Strombeck-who I went to h.s. with (and my bro's best friend) has hired some of them to work around his house. He spoke to the Planning Commission on the fact that he isn't nervous having them around his young daughters. If its good enough for Steve it deserves a second look. The very high success rate (85%) is the opposite end of the spectrum from the recitivism rate we *appear* to be experiencing from the Prop 36 figures locally.
Ok. Something that needs to be clarified, although age of the residents may a moot point in regards the issue as a whole.
We scream because we want to get the addicts off the streets, then when someone devises a privately funded plan to get them off the streets and into re-hab we scream some more.
Re-habilitation is about trying to get people off drugs and off the streets. What is it people don't understand about that?
If you are worried about having drug addicts in your neighborhood check the statistics. There are probably no neighborhoods in Humboldt County that do not have an addict or two not to mention the so-called recreational user.
My understanding is this will be a privately funded program to help addicts recover from their addictions.
Seems like a good idea not a bad one. It's not a place for addicts to hang out, it's a place to help them mainstream back into society as contributing members.
So, tell me again why this is a bad idea.
why should a church not have to follow the same laws as the rest of us? do you think you or i would be allowed to house 50 beds in our buildings? no, but zoning laws ALLOW churches to do it.....not to mention the fact that the "drug counselors" at this organization aren't certified or liscensed......and no background checks are required.....since they are a church, they skirt ALL of that............AND there is a business that caters to kids 2 doors down.....lets be fair to the residents of the neighborhood
why cant the people who are proposing this project be honest about what they are proposing?......food for thought....
is it for kids or adults? sounds like a scam to me
steve strombeck is on the city's board of appeals.....how did he manage to ALMOST slip this one by the public?....hes a rich, powerful guy......thats how america works right?....screw the little guy?....i prefer a fair system....one that allows the little guy or lady a chance....but thats just me
libertarians UNITE!!!!!
here is a link to the white house,it clearly states that Teen Challenge receives federal funding
www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040303-2.html
here is the link to Teen Challenge's website, it clearly states that EVERY participant is REQUIRED to recieve food stamps from the county...check it out, no joke, this is the site to the LOCAL Teen Challenge, check out their site
http://dl.salemweb.net/?mg=1345d581-481b-497a-bd0c-0419c210e9f9
also....check out in the application for the local Teen Challenge where it ENCOURAGES people to get welfare to participate in the program( the program costs $1400 a month per person plus a $500 down payment).....unbelievable
http://dl.salemweb.net/?mg=1345d581-481b-497a-bd0c-0419c210e9f9
look at this......Teen Challenge is also using public resources by suing the govt
http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=3203&sublevel=3
here is the website for the Salvation Army. They state very clearly that the organization called "we care america" national grant center funds Teen Challenge through a faith based initiative
http://www.salvationarmy.usawest.org/usw/www_caringmag.nsf/vw_print/344C90120CAAD4F288256EC3001191BE?OpenDocument
www.wecareamerica.org/partners.asp
this organization REQUIRES members to get food stamps? 50 more people on food stamps from out of the area. isnt the county already broke?
if Teen Challenge doesnt recieve any federal funding(which i doubt), its not for lack of trying,check out this link..
http://www.tfn.org/religiousfreedom/faithbased/timeline/index.php
http://www.teenchallenge.net/CC_Content_Page/0,,PTID88198%7CCHID588654%7CCIID,00.html
is Teen Challenge against federal funding? thier director sat on george bush's committee on faith based initiatives. here are 2 of their recomendations:
Direct Government Support
6. Congress and the Executive Branch should take steps to increase the participation in federal programs of effective organizations that, because of their small size, have difficulty pursuing available funds.
7. In the design and implementation of direct funding programs, Government agencies should not set limitations or conditions that apply, in context, to the benefit or to the detriment of faith-based organizations as compared to more secular groups, unless they understand them to be constitutionally or legally required.
Teen Challenge is for adults. It does indeed get government funding via the back door through food stamps and welfare. But the real issue is whether or not it is inappropriate for that location. The Planning Commission felt it was going to be a positive influence on the neighborhood, not a negative one. That decision was appealed to the City Council, who will have to hear the same arguments, and could add additional conditions to insure this program is a good neighbor, not a bad one. Or turn it down of course.
amen
Yep, Just what Eureka needs is another drug program. There are already several residential programs: Crossroads, Humboldt Recovery Center (remember the Cooper Gulch incident?), the Eureka Mission, and the Lee Brown Program. The Vet Center will also be opening their facility soon on 4th street. Then there are the 20-30 or so clean and sober houses. And don't forget the Multiple Assistance Center. Yep, we need another program. Maybe we should just re-zone the whole city a drug infested treatmewnt program and drive the law abiding citizens out. Oh wait that's already happening.
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