To host protest & Smith College teach-in/call-in. The following is from their facebook group in its entirety:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=49727836129&ref=ts#/group.php?gid=30901936261
email contact: poverty-is-not-a-crime@googlegroups.com
***EVEN IF YOU DON'T GO TO SMITH, YOU CAN STILL CALL! It will show Carol Christ and Paul Spector that other people, not just Smith students, are paying attention!***
What is the Business Improvement District Plan? The BID will corporatize public spaces, add police and security to downtown, make downtown a less welcoming place for the poor and homeless, raise the rents of tenants within the district, and "turn Northampton into an ersatz mall." As part of the BID agreement, the City Council would give the BID $35,000 to provide private police patrolling, attempt to pass anti-homeless laws, and start a number of projects that have serious implications for human and civil rights.
As the BID will be voted on by the City Council on or after Feb 19th, this is an urgent time for us to educate ourselves and mobilize!
SMITH COLLEGE HAS SIGNED ONTO THIS PLAN AND CAROL CHRIST WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTS IT – In fact, she signed it when before the highly controversial ordinance component that effectively criminalized panhandling had been tabled!
As Smithies we have power to stop the BID from happening! 60% of the real property owners must sign the petition before City Council can make the final decision. Land that belongs to Smith College makes up 40% of the district so Smith's signature has huge implications. Tell Carol Christ what WE think is good for the Smith community – and that we value diversity, anti-classism and public domain!
Tell Paul Spector, our City Councilor, and Carol Christ to tell them the Smith community doesn’t want the BID and we demand the withdrawal of Smith’s signature from the petition!
President Carol Christ: (413) 585-2100 (8:30 am- 4:30 pm)
Representative Paul Spector: (413) 250-5226
Sample Script: (feel free to personalize with your own thoughts)
“My name is __________ and I am a Smith student/alumni/faculty member/Pioneer Valley resident. I am calling because I oppose the Business Improvement District Plan. I am concerned by many aspects of the BID, including:
• The proposed BID’s lack of accountability to the public and to community needs, as the BID would be governed by a private board of directors.
• The BID would raise rent for downtown residents within the district boundaries by raising taxes in the district, making rent unaffordable for many current residents, including Smith & Five College students
• The BID still includes language about a classist ordinance that would have de facto criminalized panhandling, legislation that was tabled and withdrawn from council consideration because of overwhelming community disapproval.
For Carol Christ: As a responsible member of the Northampton community and an institution accountable to its students and faculty members, I urge you to revoke Smith College’s signature from the BID.”
For Paul Spector: As our representative in the City Council, I urge you to vote against the BID.”
COME TO THE SMITH TEACH-IN ON FEB 16TH:
http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?success=1&picture=&eid=51364452350#/event.php?eid=51364452350
COME TO THE COMMUNITY TEACH-IN ON FEB 18TH:
http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?success=1&picture=&eid=51364452350#/event.php?eid=50535364638&ref=mf
COME TO THE MARCH AND RALLY ON FEB 19TH:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=51956397306
SEVEN REASONS TO RESIST THE BID
(for more info: http://nobid.tk/)
1. Anti-panhandling language–the BID proposal still includes language about pushing panhandlers out of public space, legislation which was tabled in the council because of overwhelming community disapproval.
2.Puts an unfair burden on downtown during an economic crisis–opting in to the BID will raise property taxes by 40%, which will raise the rent of tenants & thus prices for customers all over downtown. Businesses have only 30 days, no time to judge any supposed economic benefits, before being stuck in the contract perpetually unless 51% of BID membership votes to dissolve it.
3.Privatized police forces–rent-a-cops or off-duty police patrols with little constitutional restraint or oversight–private police have a long history of civil & human rights abuses
4.Waste of money–$35,000 of your tax money paid to developers while the homeless freeze to death for lack of food, shelter, and social services
5.CLEAN Team "volunteer labor"–court order community service participants and work-release prisoners would be employed cleaning for businesses as opposed to true community service such as working for a shelter or serving for a soup kitchen
6.Exploitation of the homeless as free labor–It is strongly implied that the homeless would serve as a free labor pool for cleaning projects under the guise of "skills training" as a social service.
7.Creating a culture of snitches & informants–Both the CLEAN Team & "tour guides" planted through the city are instructed to be extra "eyes and ears"–obviously, they would be instructed to report crime by people whose presence hurts the marketability of the town, such as the homeless, rather than, for example, crimes that might be committed by business owners themselves
