Denver business owners, along with many residents have been begging and screaming for the city to address the growing 'street people' or 'urban outdoorsmen' infestation problem. One local business owner was recently fined when he got tired of cleaning up human waste from the sidewalk in front of his business and stopped doing so...but, it is only when legislators have to walk past a once beautiful park now used by 'street people' that the City decides to act to clean up only one of the parts of the city impacted by this problem.

[Note: picture of the tents and trash from the park at linked website article]

Rats, Dirty Needles, Human Waste Close Public Park by Colorado Capitol Building

BY Marianne Goodland; Colorado Politics January 15, 2020
Denver Public Health declared Liberty Park — across the street from the state Capitol — a public health hazard and closed it, forcing the eviction of about 100 people who had been camping in the park for the past two weeks.

The encampment sprung up after Denver County Judge Johnny Barajas ruled on Dec. 27 that the city’s camping ban was unconstitutional.

About 100 people were told to vacate the premises, although some were taken away by Denver Police in handcuffs. About 40 tents and other structures will be dismantled and removed, according to the city’s Department of Public Health & Environment.

One woman was taken away by ambulance: A Denver Police officer said the woman had been keeping warm by covering herself with a blanket and a lit candle, which resulted in burns to her face.

Ann Cecchine-Williams, the public health deputy executive director, said the city is temporarily restricting access to Lincoln Park because of “significant environmental and public health concerns.”

That’s rats and other rodents, in plain language.

Trees and landscaping in the park show extensive damage from what the public health department and Denver Police say is a rat infestation. One tree has been gnawed almost all the way through at its base; another is surrounded by rat holes.

The park’s interior will be closed while the city evaluates the park’s condition and what it will take to clean it up, which could take weeks, Williams said. Sidewalks along the park’s exterior, which is bordered by Colfax and 14th Avenue on its north and south and by Lincoln and Broadway west and east, will remain open.

“We will be looking at litter and the amount of food waste, which is significant, and that’s drawing pests,” Williams said.

There are also the problems of animal and human waste, which contributes to the spread of disease and impacts water quality, as well as drug paraphernalia like discarded needles. That’s a significant health concern for those who are inhabiting the park, walking through it or cleaning the park, Williams said.

“We have to remove the people and the encumbrances so we can get a good look at what’s going on,” she said. “We have to be able to see everything. We’ll clean and mitigate the hazards that we find so we can restore the park to a safe and stable condition.”

Because of the public health and environmental hazards, the city was able to immediately take action instead of posting a seven-day notice.

Outreach workers are consistently working with Denver’s homeless, Williams said. Several have been on hand in the park since Monday and were present during Wednesday’s action.

“We will continue to connect people with resources with the goal of getting them into permanent housing,” Williams said.

“Sinner” is one of the 100 people who has been in the park for the past two weeks. He’s originally from California. “This is my family, this is where I belong,” he said.

Sinner said police and the public have been harassing them, and that people will drive by while honking and yelling at them. He was aware of the court decision, but said the city found a loophole — calling it a rodent problem — and now he and his companions out. He said he’s seen squirrels but wouldn’t say if he’d seen rats.

He doesn’t know where he will go after this. “If we’re such a black eye on society, this is how we live,” he said. “Some live this way because they chose to, others live this way because life got in the way. You can cut the tension with how we’re viewed with a knife.”

Sinner, who is in his 40s, suggested the city should buy a run-down motel, fix it up and let the homeless move in. It would cost the city only what it costs to renovate the motel. “It would get these people off the block.”

The eviction brings up emotions. Sinner said he’s had drug problems in the past but is clean now. “To get persecuted,” he said, “just because this is what’s going on in this chapter of our lives, is BS.”

“There is no place for us to go.”

The sweep of the park started shortly before the General Assembly began its morning business and continued in full view of the House.

“It’s a situation that needed resolution and it’s a challenge that Denver will always have,” said Rep. Hugh McKean, R-Loveland. “Denver isn’t just a city and county, it’s also the state Capitol. It’s very important when you think about what encampments mean to the state and what people think when they come to do business with the state. They need to figure this out.”

Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver, represents the portion of Denver that includes Liberty Park. He drove past the encampment on his way to the Capitol. Both Valdez and Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Thornton, called the situation disturbing. “We want these individuals to have the resources they need to sleep and live in a sanitary environment and be safe,” Mullica said. “It’s sad that we have to many individuals in this situation.”

It’s “ironic in the shadow of the Capitol” to have people in this situation, added Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood. “We know this is an emerging problem that continues to get worse,” she said, and the question remains whether there are enough resources in place to help the homeless. “Where are these individuals going?”

Valdez added that lawmakers had been talking on Wednesday about personal space, and that “where you live and sleep is an important part of your feeling of security. This is such a tragic thing to watch.” Valdez suggested that the park should add dumpsters and portable toilets. “Providing sanitation is part of basic human dignity” and could prevent the health concerns taking place in Liberty Park, he said.

There's nothing "ironic" about it, Rep. Tipper.

It's a direct result of your bullshit

quote:

“Providing sanitation is part of basic human dignity”

That phrase in this situation adds to the very notion of 'ironic'. Even adding power butt wipers is not going to solve the issue.

re: "We will be looking at litter and the amount of food waste, which is significant, and that’s drawing pests,” Williams said."

If these people are so hungry, destitute and otherwise broke/without 'stuff to live with' why is there some much debris and wasted food?

These homeless situations primarily in these leftist cities are first and foremost due to mental health issues. Until that is addressed, this problem won't be solved. It's time to reopen the sanitariums and abolish leftist policies.

quote:

Originally posted by signewt:

quote:

“Providing sanitation is part of basic human dignity”

If these people are so hungry, destitute and otherwise broke/without 'stuff to live with' why is there some much debris and wasted food?

Agreed...one of the facts that jumped out at me while reading the article.

IMO, most of those living homeless and doing drugs do not have mental health issues. They would rather live on the street and take meth or other drugs than work. Those people will not go to sanitariums. My estimate is 80% are voluntarily in the lifestyle they choose. 10% are down on their luck, and 10% have mental health issues.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
These homeless situations primarily in these leftist cities are first and foremost due to mental health issues. Until that is addressed, this problem won't be solved. It's time to reopen the sanitariums and abolish leftist policies.

And that is the nut of it. We’ve got to stop calling drug addiction and severe mental problems “homelessness”. The following video at the link was a real eye opener into the problems.

https://komonews.com/news/loca...ial-seattle-is-dying

Some people just want to get by with the least amount of effort. They have that right But we shouldn't be helping / paying them do it.

Create policies that will fail and only increase the publics reliance on government.

I think they're should be 2 classes of people- Freemen and Dependents.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
These homeless situations primarily in these leftist cities are first and foremost due to mental health issues. Until that is addressed, this problem won't be solved. It's time to reopen the sanitariums and abolish leftist policies.

Yep. And monitor those institutions to verify humane treatment.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
These homeless situations primarily in these leftist cities are first and foremost due to mental health issues. Until that is addressed, this problem won't be solved. It's time to reopen the sanitariums and abolish leftist policies.

To an extent, I agree. Mental illness, drug/ alcohol addiction, along with a growing counter-culture 'don't want to deal with jobs, housing, rules, laws'...and to be fair, a small percentage who don't want to be there but hit hard times... But I'm convinced the majority are homeless by choice.

,..which is why I now refuse to call them 'homeless' any longer. The term 'homeless' is simply one more example of semantic infiltration intended to invoke symathy for their cause. I now refer to them as 'street people' or 'urban outdoorsmen'.

And to think I was born in that city.

Denver has grossly mismanaged the homeless problem and pandered to social justice warriors who either can’t or won’t acknowledge that work programs help people far better than handout programs. It’s all coming home to roost—-along with all of the associated germs and smells.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
These homeless situations primarily in these leftist cities are first and foremost due to mental health issues. Until that is addressed, this problem won't be solved. It's time to reopen the sanitariums and abolish leftist policies.

It’s time to reopen the sanitariums and put the Leftists in them. There, fixed it for you.

quote:

It’s time to reopen the sanitariums and put the Leftists in them. There, fixed it for you.

Liberalism/socialism is a mental disorder.

quote:

“We want these individuals to have the resources they need to sleep and live in a sanitary environment and be safe,” Mullica said.

If my count is correct Colorado has 41 Democrat state reps (of 65.)
Dem Governor
Dem Lt Gov
Dem Denver Mayor
1 Dem US Senator
4 Dem US Congress

17 CO County Court Judges
22 CO Second District Judges
22 CO Court of Appeals
7 CO Supreme Court Judges
(for this example no need to add federal)

That alone is at least 117 homes to take in 100~ homeless less than 1 per available home - come on put your money where you mouth is. Maybe have a take your homeless person to work day.

We can add to that no doubt thousands of leftists with those virtue signalling signs in their yards about everyone is welcome here. This should mean there are no homeless people without a place to stay in all of Denver.

Oh leftists I am disappointed in you, you virtue signal all the time, but your personal actions do not back it up.

Maybe in kalifornia when the “Stars” step on a used needle or fresh poo on their way to get another statue award they will demand something be done there, and the same for politicians.

quote:

Originally posted by c1steve:
IMO, most of those living homeless and doing drugs do not have mental health issues. They would rather live on the street and take meth or other drugs than work. Those people will not go to sanitariums. My estimate is 80% are voluntarily in the lifestyle they choose. 10% are down on their luck, and 10% have mental health issues.

I agree- we have our share in town and when you talk to them you find that a majority of them are fairly rational and can carry their side of a conversation. Many even sound educated. It is the rare one anymore that seems bag-of-cats-crazy. I give them NOTHING and tell my wife to do the same. As long as people give them shame-money at street intersections it will not go away.

_{By Marianne Goodland; Colorado Politics January 15, 2020}
Denver Public Health declared Liberty Park — across the street from the state Capitol — a public health hazard and closed it, forcing the eviction of about 100 people who had been camping in the park for the past two weeks.

One of the problems with people establishing residency in such a public spot is that they begin to project dominance and ownership of their patch. And frankly, they are not the type of neighbors I'd want. Trashy druggies in your face to challenge them.

Philly recently cleared out an encampment upon prime green space at a center city on-ramp to I-676. Now, if the Philly campers want free space, I can envision a few dozen acres far to the south, along the marshy fringes. Open, say, a month at a time before everything of scooped up into dumpsters as the "new" locale is established a few hundred yards away.

I simply call them bums. Government doesn't give a rats ass about the problems and stresses in my life, why should they about bums? There are 3 places they should go, as appropriate: 1) a mental institution 2) a drug rehab program or 3) a work camp to teach them job skills/life skills. Those refusing should be incarcerated, 30 days at a time.

Couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of leftists.

Love reading the results of liberal policy success stories.