-by Dorothy ReikPresident, Progressive Democrats of the Santa Monica MountainsIn Dallas it's illegal to feed the homeless. Now it seems that Malibu is following in a smilier path. The Malibu mayor, Skylar Peak, suggested that the local church to end their weekly homeless dinners-- what's good enough for Dallas is good enough for Malibu it seems. "For 17 years, religious groups fed homeless people (in Malibu), and the city and private donors put up hundreds of thousands of dollars for social workers to find them housing and services. But Malibu United Methodist Church-- facing pressure from the city-- in recent weeks took a U-turn, deciding twice-weekly dinners for homeless people would stop after Thanksgiving. The cutoff came after city officials summoned organizers and suggested they were attracting more homeless people and making the problem worse.In its wisdom the Democratic Party did NOT endorse incumbent Democrat Peak when he ran for re-election on a slate which included Trumpster Rick Mullen and the Trumpeter campaign manager, Chris Garcia, who, in addition to running the slate's campaign, led Latinos Para Trump.The Malibu Dem Club also did not endorse Peak. The club endorsed the fabulous Jennifer De Nicola whose entire family is the group leading the movement to hire social workers to feed and provide medical services and housing for Malibu's homeless. Over the past year, their work has found permanent housing for over 30 individuals and provided services for at least 150 more. But not being endorsed by the club you represent, did not stop one of the Malibu Dem Club’s officers from proudly displaying a Peak-Mullen-Wagner yard sign on his lawn. I hope he is happy. In response I (and many others) quit the club which I had helped restart. BTW Rob Reiner and his posse including a woman who calls herself JayFlo strongly supported the Peak-Mullen-Wagner ticket and worked hard and dirty to elect them along with their allies who run the Malibu rag "The Local" which ran a hate campaign against Jennifer who, by the way, also led the fight to to protect the children of Malibu and their teachers to rid the Malibu schools of toxic PCBs. The The Malibu Times has this to say about Jennifer: "Chicago-transplant Jennifer deNicola is proof that you don’t need a uniform or to be in a powerful position to be an advocate or crusader for your community, you just have to care enough to take a stand.Maybe Rob Reiner should go on TV and advocate for impeaching Skylar Peak and let others worry about Trump. All politics is local, Rob-- but then you don't really live in Malibu do you? BTW, Peak also thinks beach front homeowners should not have to allow others on "their" beaches! Maybe Rob agrees with that too!In Dallas homeless advocates had a different answer. They didn't back down. Packing AK-15s they proceeded to feed the homeless while "not complying" with a Dallas law that mandated "jumping through hoops" to get a permit to do so:
Matthew Short, with the aptly named organization, Don’t Comply, and dozens of volunteers from children to adults alike took to the streets of Dallas this week to hand out food, sleeping bags, clothing, and tents to the area’s less fortunate.As TFTP has reported on numerous occasions, often times, police will swoop in and shut down those who would dare defy the authority of the state and conduct charity without a permit. However, most organizations aren’t like Don’t Comply. As they took to the streets this week, many of the members of the organization open carried their weapons. This was done-- not out of an act of intimidation-- but merely to assert rights as well as protect them.The resultant heavily armed group of do-gooders effectively staved off any attempts by police to shut down the charitable efforts.In talking with TFTP, Short tells us that although police drove by fairly often, they never stopped and never attempted to intervene.
Maybe the church in Malibu should stand its ground! Would Skylar Peak send in armed sheriffs to prevent the homeless from being fed? Would Scott Mullen? And where is their is their slate-mate Zuma Jay Wagner? Will he speak up for the homeless? While I am firmly opposed to guns no matter how they are carried the folks in Malibu need to take a gunless stand. They have worked too hard to give up without a fight. Stay tuned.