The Libertarian Solution To End Homelessness

[Tom Sawyer]

I don't know if the Institute for Justice would be interested or not. ACLU perhaps. If any of the people there are veterans, a veterans group might be interested.

Organized CD sooner rather than later might get favorable public response. Having a weenie roast for the homeless might be an event to draw participation and would make good video of the cops busting people trying to eat and stay warm. Little old ladies from the church would be difficult for the authorities to deal with.

[Russell Kanning]

IoJ would definitely be interested .... but the gears move slowly.
I agree .... keep up the helping others, peace and good will to me
might be because I am hearing Christmas music right now.

[Alex Libman]

I obviously can't afford to pay a lawyer, it would have to be pro-bono.

Two separate legal teams are already involved in Tent City related cases, working pro-bono.  One, headed by the Board Member of the NJ ACLU, got that "one year of free housing to GTFO" deal that I've refused to sign on to.  And another is defending Minister Steve Brigham (the founder / organizer / leader of Tent City) from the aforementioned bullshit charges with "witness tampering".

Thanks for pointing me to the "Institute for Justice", I'll check it out.

But, lawyer or no lawyer, these anti-homelessness laws have to be confronted and challenged.

Lakewood just might be the most corrupt town in the most socialist state.  It might tie into Free State Project just by being its polar opposite place.  If there are Tent Cities in NH that are left alone and allowed to evolve into "the libertarian solution to homelessness", it would make a clear contrast...

But for now this remains the biggest Tent City in North Eastern USA, and this battle needs to be fought to the end...

[Alex Libman]

Notable Facebook posts -

People who claim that Lakewood Township, NJ is "pulling the homeless burden" for other cities / counties should review the arithmetic...

The number of homeless people in NJ is estimated at "12,000 to 20,000+".  Taking the higher number as a percentage of the state's population of 8,864,590 - about 0.23% of New Jersey's population is homeless, or about 1 in 400.

Lakewood has the population of 92,843 (about 1% of NJ). All things being equal, you would expect a homeless population of 214 people.

And all things are not equal - Lakewood Township ranks #663 (and Lakewood CDP #699) out of 702 municipalities in NJ by per capita income.  Ocean County overall ranks #16 out of 21 NJ counties in per-capita income - and it doesn't have a homeless shelter.

So you would expect a lot MORE than 214 homeless people in Lakewood, from the local population alone.  Why is everybody up in arms about our Tent City, with only half that population?

Most homeless people live outside of a Tent City like ours - either in taxpayer-funded housing or on the streets.  Bulldozing our Tent City will result in more of both - more homeless people living on the streets (especially after the "one year of free housing" runs out), as well as higher taxes.

Yes, many TC residents aren't from Lakewood, but that is also true of normal population in NJ - people move around a lot.  The reason why the largest Tent City in North Eastern USA is located here in Lakewood, NJ isn't because Lakewood has pulled in all the homeless from surrounding areas, and it isn't that the government of Lakewood has ever been particularly kind to us...

Lakewood was just fortunate to have people like Minister Steve Brigham, who had the dedication and the competence to organize the support network that makes Tent City possible.

Lakewood residents SHOULD BE PROUD of the Tent City - it is an accomplishment that means fewer people living on the streets and lower taxes than would have been without our Tent City.

Lakewood Township, NJ is to become the 3rd largest city in NJ by 2030!

It could even become the largest in the state by mid-century! After all, with fertility rates declining everywhere else, Lakewood is famous for its wonderful community of a certain cultural group whose fertility rates are poised to remain high.

I think this is wonderful - MAZEL TOV!

But there's also every reason to fear that this growth will be terribly mismanaged by the government. High property taxes chase away businesses and create unemployment. Artificial scarcity in affordable housing is the reason why we have the Tent City of Lakewood, NJ - the largest in North Eastern USA.

Government favoritism is turning back the progress that has been made in "race relations" over the past decades, and creating great resentment as one ethnic / cultural group brilliantly manipulates the Welfare State for its collectivist advantage... This ethnocentric use of government will eventually backfire, and a new wrong will replace the first - a vile crackdown on "segregated" private neighborhoods, private schools, private ambulances, and other voluntary establishments of the Orthodox Jewish community that are perfectly legitimate in the free market.

And so I ask - "can't we all just get along?" Can't we all recognize each-other's Rights (including Parents' Rights, Property Rights, Contract Rights, and legitimate Homesteader Rights) to live as we please and not aggress against others, not even through the mask of the state?

I think that Lakewood, in spite of all the negatives, has a great potential for a Libertarian Spring!  I think that if we were to competently explain the ideas of liberty to the Frum / Orthodox Jewish Community - they might just listen.

If you agree, then please join our new "Free Lakewood" Group help get it off the ground!

If only libertarians in New Hampshire had fertility rates like that...   

[Russell Kanning]

for worst city you haven't visited New London have you?

[Alex Libman]

On October 25th, Tent City had its second visit from a 2013 gubernatorial hopeful - New Jersey Libertarian Party candidate Kenneth Kaplan [FB] [TW] [YT] [BP].

Ken is running against Barbara Buono (who visited Tent City on August 22nd) and the presiding governor Chris Christie.


Ken's platform on housing states:

We need a creative solution to the decades long quest to create affordable housing in New Jersey. The state must enact legislation to supersede local zoning ordinances, removing zoning barriers which currently prevent owners of single family homes from converting them to two family homes and the owners of two family homes from converting them to three families. This will solve the affordable housing crisis not just for people renting the new units, but also for the home owners, many of whom might be senior citizens, who will now be able to remain in houses that had become too large and too expensive for their needs. This will solve the affordable housing problem without the expenditure of any tax dollars.

Ken Kaplan, Minister Steve Brigham, and I discussed economic issues that contribute to the rise in homelessness, and what role Non-Governmental Organizations like Tent City can play in solving this problem.


Here's a photo of the three of us by the Tent City "LIBERTY" bell:




The weather at the time was pretty chilly, with a cold wind blowing through Tent City...




Ken also met several other Tent City residents and toured the camp's facilities.  He had a look inside Elwood and Cynthia's picturesque shanty which is famously featured in many videos and photographs.  Here's Ken and I standing outside:



After their planned departure from Tent City, Cynthia wanted to give their home to Jeri, who is disabled, but Jeri was one of the people that were evicted by the police...

(Click the above photos for a Facebook Album which contains a few others.)


---


One can't fail to notice a huge difference between the two gubernatorial candidate visits...

Buono came to Tent City with a gaggle of press and video cameras rolling.  She charisma'd her way through the camp, like everybody's favorite aunt, talking fast, setting up photo ops (including the one I was ambushed into), petting dogs, and if Tent City had babies I'm sure she'd kiss every one.  But what was the outcome?  She has done nothing to help us, in spite of her existing political position and media attention.  She did nothing to put pressure on the Township to back off.  She didn't discuss the real issues, just made more of the same old economically-insane tax-and-spend promises that she's in no position to keep.  Her campaign just used Tent City residents as props!  They didn't even link to our Web-site, where the viewers could have learned how to help and make a donation...

The two visits we've had from Libertarian Party candidates were completely different.  They didn't bring any press.  They didn't want photo-ops (I myself encouraged them).  They wanted to understand what Tent City is all about, and to discuss ideas - how to solve the underlying problems that multiply the cost of rent, how to try to reason with the Township, how to help us make it through the winter, how to get free land for the Destiny's Bridge project, etc.

It's like we have one party for adults (the LP), and two parties for children playing make-believe (Dems and Reps)...  And sadly mature rational adults are only a tiny minority...

[Silent_Bob]

Presented without comment...

Venue    OCEAN    Docket #    L -002462-10    Court    LCV
Proceeding Date    11/8/2013    Proceeding Time    200   P M    Court Room    006
Proceeding Status    PENDING    Case Filed Date    6/28/2010
Calendar Type    MOTION HEARING    Judge Name    JOSEPH L FOSTER
Caption    LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP OF VS BRIGHAM
Motion Type    MOTION FOR MISC MOTION
Motion Status    PG HEARING    Scheduled Hearing Date    11/8/2013
Oral Argument Requested    N           Granted    N           Granted Date    
Motion Comment    ORDER TO ENFORCE THE C/O & FOR EJECTMENT - EJECT 59 TENENTS FROM TENT CITY O/A IF OPP

[Alex Libman]

They can kiss my fat homeless arse...

BTW, what's the source of that?  Google can't find it.  Is it some sort of Lawyer TeleType Subscription Service?

[Alex Libman]

You can download the sermon [MP3] that Minister Steve Brigham had shared with the faithful at the Tent City Chapel this past Sunday (Oct 27).

It contains a eulogy for Slavik (Slawomir Szustakowski), a Tent City resident and friend, who passed away the previous week...

[Russell Kanning]

so are they celebrating the anniversary by kicking people out?

[Silent_Bob]

Update to the motion hearing:

Venue    OCEAN    Docket #    L -002462-10    Court    LCV
Proceeding Date    11/22/2013    Proceeding Time    200   P M    Court Room    006
Proceeding Status    PENDING    Case Filed Date    6/28/2010
Calendar Type    MOTION HEARING    Judge Name    JOSEPH L FOSTER
Caption    LAKEWOOD TOWNSHIP OF VS BRIGHAM
Motion Type    MOTION FOR MISC MOTION
Motion Status    PG HEARING    Scheduled Hearing Date    11/22/2013
Oral Argument Requested    N           Granted    N           Granted Date    
Motion Comment    ORDER TO ENFORCE THE C/O & FOR EJECTMENT - EJECT 59 TENENTS FROM TENT CITY O/A IF OPP

[Alex Libman]

BTW, what's the source of that?  Google can't find it.  Is it some sort of Lawyer TeleType Subscription Service?

[Viscid]

BTW, what's the source of that?  Google can't find it.  Is it some sort of Lawyer TeleType Subscription Service?

http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/acms/motn/

[blackie]

Hi Alex.

Are Michael and Marilyn Berenzweig still living in Tent City?

[Alex Libman]

Hi Alex.

Are Michael and Marilyn Berenzweig still living in Tent City?

Yup.  Vegans have excellent longevity.      

VegMike is gaining musical fame.