Last evening was a very interesting gathering for FAPO.
Everyone was there to discuss different issues concerning the poor.
George Piers and Pat Carlson were the main guest speakers. 
Melynda Jarrett did a superb job of educating the people present.
She’s a professional in getting her message across.
All eyes turned towards the back of the room once the Ombudsman Bernard Richard showed up at the meeting. 
I heard afterward that Bernard walked into the meeting that the City of Fredericton held to prepared for the future.
I guess the people were surprised once Bernard asked - Where’s the meeting for FAPO???
It made the people in the room feel proud that a high ranking official was present. 
George Piers is a master with his words. 
He used to be a teacher and he’s very comical.
I remember one day, he had to listen to my stories. He turned around and told someone nearby - My lord....I wish that Ritalin came in a spray bottle???...lol...
I would be sprayed 100 time a day!!!...lol...
George gave a very emotional speech. 
I was surprised that the audience jumped with their questions immediately. 
I believe they were going to wait till both guest speakers were done but it never happen that way.
The hands were all in the air waiting to asks a question?
Next came Pat Carlson.
She was direct with her words and turned a few heads by suggesting the panhandlers should be selling buttons for two bucks a piece.
One dollar would go to the shelter and the other to the poor person.
Pat made it quite clear that we must come with solutions. 
The meeting was full of frustrations and it turned worst once the room was told that there was I believe was a building inspector in the room. 
The building inspector told the room that they can complain to the rentalsman and pointed to Bernard Richard.
Everyone laughed. He meant the Rentalman office.
He was quickly shot down by the whole room. 
People shouted- BOARDERS OR ROOMERS HAVE NO RIGHTS!!! 
Bernard Richard quickly came to the rescue of the bureaucrat telling the audience that this will some changes but it will take months. Boarders and roomers will be protected in the future. I notice that the bureaucrat soon left the meeting afterwards.
The issue of the power rate going up and the rent also goes up but not the welfare check.
People are going to starve on the streets this coming winter.
Charles Fournier showed up with a check of $140.00 for FAPO!!!! 
Great gesture....
One sad moment was when a junkie stood in the back and begged the people for help. 
You could tell that he was very frustrated.
He wanted help.
I was outside when he passed by me afterwards and I said - Good job but he totally ignored me and kept on walking with a female friend talking away.
He was very frustrated.
I guess the waiting list is around 200 people and I’m going to pay a visit at the drug rehab in the near future.
The drug problem in this province is really getting out of control and no bureaucrats or government officials cares I guess?
The meeting was a good one and 70 people attended the gathering.
These issues will be discuss in this blog for months to come.
The media did a great covering the meeting.
Stay tune!!!!
Friday, June 30, 2006
FAPO MEETING FOR THE ISSUES OF THE POOR WAS A GOOD EDUCATED ONE!!!!
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6 comments:
Charles, could you find out if selling buttons require a permit? I think if you try to sell anything on the street you need some kind of permit, do you know whether that's true or not?
Since you are around the downtown all the time, perhaps we can get you to give them to panhandlers when you see them or at least a central location where the poor can get such buttons.
The trouble is, if you need a permit they are still in the same boat. I think that's a great idea, and may have some connections towards getting such buttons, but we need to know whether these people will simply get tickets for that. Is there an email address for that woman who suggested it?
Charles, something else that somebody (like you) could do is find out exactly what the definition of 'begging' and panhandling is. For example, while in Ontario I was in a city where a guy walked around with a shopping cart and on the front was a cardboard sign that said "I need two dollars". I don't think that's really 'panhandling', that really is just freedom of speech as he is not actually asking anybody for anything.
Somebody awhile ago posted that they were going to find the actual legislation, we could print it up and hand it around to anyone panhandling so they can read it to the cops when they come by. Anybody know what legislation it is? I'm pretty sure its a municipal Fredericton law, but I'm not sure.
Hi Folks: I can tell you who is organizing the button thing you could contact Pat Carlson at the Emergency shelter at (506) 450-1102. and she can fill you in on the particulars. I hope that what happened at this meeting gets off the ground and does not get bogged down in a lot of stupidity, if even a fraction of what was discussed at Wednesday evening's meeting moved forword, it would be a good thing.
That is actually a Fredericton Municipal by law that was ticketed in the thread below so you can't blame Lord for that-that's Woodside and the council which brought it in 2004.
Here it is:
91.1(1) No person shall loiter unless said person, when called to do so, justifies his reason for doing so.
(2) No person shall beg or solicit from door to door or in a public place except as may be authorized by the municipality.
So in the first place, the gentleman who was ticketed can appeal his ticket on the grounds that the officer CITED THE WRONG LEGISLATION. He cited him for 91.1(1) yet he lists 91.1(2) as the ticketed offence.
That also shows just how well the police are aware of the laws they are supposed to enforce. Citing the wrong law clearly is an offence which should discharge the ticket.
In the next place, 'solicit' means 'to petition persistently'. THerefore the buttons should be all right, at least under this act. However, there may be other acts about selling things on the street. For that you'd need a vendors license.
However, the sign mentioned above saying "I need two dollars" is clearly not begging OR soliciting, so Charles, let any panhandlers you see know this.
Begging is more touchy. To avoid this you need some balls, because you can't actually ASK for something, in fact, if a woman's car broke down, a horde of teen thugs were chasing her, and she needed protection or some change to call the cops, she would be guilty of the violation and ticketed $80-yes, that's the world we now live in.
However, the easy out is to simply have a coffee cup. Then you aren't actually begging or soliciting, but a cop could nail you for 'loitering'. However, remember, its only loitering if you can't 'justify your reason' for being there. Clearly being hungry or homeless is justification.
The problem is that how many homeless are actually going to stand up to officers like that.
Technically though, to get word out about the absurdity of this, the next time a kid knocks on your door and asks you if you want to buy cookies-call the cops.
Hi here's another idea for selling products downtown. I remember when I worked as a bartender in Calgary years ago (1979-83) that there were a group of entrepreneurs who used to go around in the evening around 11 pm until closing and they would sell roses for a few bucks a piece to the men in the crowd. Women would buy them too. These rose sellers had a nice wicker basket over their arm with a white cloth at the bottom and it would be filled with roses. The sellers dressed simply but elegantly - the men wore a white shirt and bow ties and if I recall the women had a sort of tux type outfit or a nice dress and I know that they must have been making money at it because they kept coming back and back and back again over the years that I worked there. I think that this is another good idea for the current street people to get involved in. The Fredericton Anti-Poverty Organization would be willing to provide the clothing so they can dress decently and I can't see why the florist downtown and even on the north side wouldn't be interested in forming a partnership because they too would be making a few bucks in the evening from the sales that take place in the night at the clubs. How about it? Does anybody else have any other good ideas???
Melynda,
I just had to tell you what a great job you did, as always. You are also a very good speaker. I enjoyed the meeting very much. You should be very proud of yourself, you are a good woman. I don't have to say keep up the good work, because I know you will. B. Thomas. LOL.
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