Two days after the Anchorage Assembly ordered Mayor Ethan Berkowitz to clear the vagrant encampments in the downtown area, the work began.
On site at 3rd Avenue and Ingra Street today were a half dozen police cars, miscellaneous other municipal vehicles, and men in masks, with signs and hammers to post notices around the sprawling shantytown that has grown along the ridge of a large vacant property.
It was a show of force by City Hall, which has appeared disconnected in its response to the growing squalor that has overtaken the ridge overlooking Ingra and 2nd Avenue. The workers who were assigned to the task also handed out masks to the squatters and directed them to the Sullivan Arena, where there is a social service hub set up in the parking lot. The squatters will have 10 days to clear out their belongings.
The Sullivan Arena and the Ben Boeke Arena next door has been taken over by the Berkowitz Administration as a temporary shelter for homeless individuals, to keep them in a less infectious environment. But many of the squatters at 3rd and Ingra either prefer life on the street or have been kicked out of the Sullivan for breaking rules.
Abatement of another encampment on the Chester Creek Trail, between Ingra and C Street, is also underway.
10 days to remove their belongings! To where and how are they going to move their belongings?
The lawless illegal campers should get 15 minutes to gather up their personal belongings, get on a bus to Sullivan Arena where they will be classified as a resident of Sullivan Arena, a resident of jail for breaking a law or a resident of API. Lawless illegal campers are given a break, if they choose to become residents of the Sullivan Arena. If the lawless illegal panhandlers/campers are doing anything illegal anywhere in the Municipality, they immediately get transportation to Sullivan Arena. For those that are living on the streets and in the woods of the Municipality they may go back to their home of record, ticket provided by the Municipality and will stay at the Sullivan Arena until transportation can be arranged. Able residents of Sullivan Arena and jail may be paid, under qualified security, as a work crew, for cleaning up trash all over the Municipality.
John, I’m voting for you for mayor!
Out with Benito Berkowitz!
………and, and, this one time at ban camp……
Fire the “homeless coordinator”. Use the salary and benefits package to do some good.
Did Berky himself actually show up? If not, then the headline is wrong. Would love to see a picture of him actually getting his hands dirty by working to clean up the mess he made.
Gather your sh*t, get to the sully and work with a social service provider. The end. The truly ‘homeless’ want housing and will get it. I’m betting that is a small population. The rest are addicted and mentally ill. Guide them to those services with their remaining stuff that isn’t “contaminated”. Those that continue to break the law, get fined and or arrested. But, apparently Berkowitz only wants to fine and arrest those that he can continue to suck actual dollars out of.
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It is kind of fun to watch when the liberal assembly is actually putting pressure on the Mayor. It makes me smile. Now, something gets done. Although, it will be a game of “whack-a-mole” if he continues to let these law breakers do whatever they want. The law might say they are allowed “notice” to move, but there are also laws on the books about public inebriation, public defecation and urination, theft, illegal drugs, child abuse, assault….the list goes on. Would they get a 10 day notice if they set up camp in Berkowitz’s yard? Be a man, Berkowitz, and take charge of this. If you want to be Governor (probably never) you have to do way better!
It’s hard when your core constituency values degeneracy and debasement as core values. Kind of ties your hands in these situations.
I bet George Sullivan would have been absolutely thrilled to know his namesake has been transitioned from what was once the coolest sports center in Alaska history to a bum house under the Berkowitz administration.
He’d no doubt approve of the row of little blue outhouses being called Berkowitz Row.
This has been a series of unfortunate events.
Work crew? Under armed guard because that is what it would take. These people don’t even remember their name. What day it is. They are zombies. Yet the have rights under the constitution. You act as if they are making deliberate choices. They should be made wards of the state. Have to be legal. Then, the state can assign them a more permanent “treatment.”
Bezerkie’s Pooper Snoopers and Poop Patrol should just move the mayor’s office to Sullivan Arena where he can be supervised better by the homeless miscreants.
Costs at least $250 a day to house someone in jail, More in API due to the extra medical aspect. All for the crime of being without a home. Catch em doing one of those illegal things you mention and provide solid evidence of it, they arent above the law. Get on it, instead of crying that someone else should.
Masks on out of doors is idiotic. Disease transmission takes place indoors. Cheers –
It’s harder to spread outdoors but can happen. If you can smell if someone has bad breath, BANG!!!! your dead….maybe.
There’s some nice woods on Westchester Lagoon behind West High that just happens to be owned by the Mayor’s trust, maybe they should move there. I’m sure the Mayor and his wife would welcome them with open arms.
This stupid young man that walks in the trail stating there should be a strike to ban the payment of all rent and forgive any past payments. This is absurd for him and anyone else that believes in his request.
I understand that many live paycheck to paycheck and there are some landlords that their mortgages are month to month. Why I ask does anyone believe that the landlords are wealthier than them?
If individuals wish to ask for forgiveness then they should have to go to their landlords and request it, do not ask from the government for a blanket relief. This will only help one sector of the population and hurt another.
Stop this attitude in America where people believe that if I don’t like something I’m just going to start a movement and demand change,
In my opinion it is all B——t. Live up to your agreement and try to pay what you can.
That kid is a punk that clearly has no sense of responsibility. No one will ever take him seriously – EVER. I watched that video of him and thought it was an SNL skit. I checked out his FB page and of course he’s an import and a college student who is clearly misguided about economics. Apparently he doesn’t understand that the rent also pays for the garbage to be picked up, the landscaping at the unit he may live in, possible utilities, water, sewer, etc. What happens when his toilet gets backed up? His garbage disposal stops working? Who does he call? He puts demands on the landlord that he refuses to pay rent to? What a jack@ss. I certainly made note of his name and mark me – he will NEVER rent from me. Yes, I discriminate against non-payers.
Social services should contact the families of the homeless . They all have some sort of family- parents, siblings, cousins, uncles etc. The families can let them camp in their yards or sleep in the shed and let them in 15 minutes in the morning to use the bathroom. They can set a plate of food on the porch. This is done by one of my acquaintances who has a druggie son.
Yeah, I’ve noticed when one of them freezes to death or dies of an OD, there is always a human interest story in the paper about them. There is a sister, brother or parent who claims to mourn them. Not all, but the majority of them could live with some kin but they are so obnoxious, crazy, drunk or just plain slobs that no one wants them at their house. Many others absolutely choose the street life. After all, no one is going to starve to death with the social services programs we have. We messed up when we, with well meaning intentions, made it possible to be homeless. I always say it’s like moose or caribou, if you want an increase in numbers, you make an improved habitat. Well, we improved the habitat for homeless and guess what? Up went the numbers!
What makes you think the families want them back?
Camping within the Municipality of Anchorage is a crime, why do law breakers get 10 days notice to cease and desist? If it were you or I, the property tax payers of Anchorage, and we broke ANY law there is NO 10 day grace period. Try it –you will soon find out. I want equal protection under the law, a guaranteed Constitutional right.
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