“D. Tyrell McGirt, profiled for his efforts as director of Parks & Recreation, is also currently one of several defendants in a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of North Carolina that alleges unconstitutional restriction of access to parks.”
“Another suggestion is that we could charge property taxes that reflect the amount of time the property is inhabited. More tax for fewer days occupied.”
“The people we exclude from public spaces, and the things we refer to as worthless, say a lot about what we value as a community.”
The city of Asheville has contracted a company specializing in crime scene, hoarding and suicide cleanup to clear former homeless encampments.
“It’s not enough to just ask for suggestions about ‘what to do with ‘these’ people.’ We’re talking about human beings with diverse needs and circumstances.”
“I’ve had the chance to observe and talk with many, many teenagers and young adults in their early 20s who don’t fit the above scruffy/dirty stereotype, yet are perennially just a few drug incidents or financial disasters away from homelessness.”
“The homeless, their dignity, their civil rights and their belongings are regularly being bulldozed by those with power in Asheville.”
“Call the DOT and ask why and where it had planned to help them go so they could be safe, warm and not upset commerce and tourists.”
“The city of Asheville needs to adopt a zero-tolerance policy on camping in city parks. It is not sustainable, is unsanitary and just plain does not work.”
“[M]oving the camps allows us to return to the comfort of putting our collective head in the sand as our city becomes unaffordable for more and more of us.”
