Buddy, can you spare a jail cell?

Brian Eastman wanted to spend the night in jail; instead, he faces a fine for drinking in public and still must find away to deal with the cold.

As reported by nj.com, police approached the 46-year-old Eastman as he was "drinking a 24-ounce can of Mike's Hard Iced Tea in front of Macho Nacho restaurant at 66 Morris St. at about 2:12 a.m. Wednesday, police said."

As O'Brien approached Eastman, the homeless man put down the can, police said.

"You got me. I'll take the ticket. I want to go to jail because it is getting cold out here," Eastman told O'Brien, according to the police report.

Instead of arresting Eastman, O'Brien gave him a ticket for drinking in public and threw out the alcoholic beverage without incident, police said.

The incident -- presented as a brief item in a police blotter -- offers a glimpse into our failed economy and the lack of seriousness with which we are approaching its natural byproduct.

The American economy has been rigged to generate massive wealth for a small subset of the population, who has managed to take the profits off the top while pushing the cost of the economic byproduct (as in a chemical equation) onto the public. Se we have homelessness and poverty and economic instability, pollution and health problems, shattered urban areas and devastated rural towns -- all created by the actions of corporate America, but ameliorated through the auspices of federal, state and local governments with the cost being shared by each and everyone of us.

Perhaps, this is logical. We get some of the benefits, so why shouldn't we share in the cost? The problem is that we are paying on both ends: We pay in higher prices and waning workplace power on the one side and then again through our taxes -- and rising crime, dirtier air and water, etc. -- on the other side. And people like Brian Eastman remain on the streets, and going so far as to commit a petty offense to get himself a warm space for the night.

Tent City needs your help

Photos by Sherry Rubel

While the residents of Tent City survived Hurricane Sandy with minimal damage, they were not so lucky when an early November snow storm blanketed the region in white.Tents collapsed and residents have been forced to scramble for new shelter. The folks down there need help.

If you can, please reach out to the residents down there through the Tent City Project -- send us an email -- and we will put you in touch with the Rev. Steve Brigham. The folks there will appreciate it.

The Tent City Project is an artistic look at human rights issues facing residents of a homeless camp in Lakewood, NJ and its connection to the growing number of tent cities across the country. See our Facebook page for more information -- and don't forget to "Like" us.

Report: Tent City survives the storm

A report in The Asbury Park Press offers good news for Tent City in Lakewood:

Approximately 40 residents of the community in the woods off Cedar Bridge Avenue stayed at the camp during the storm, the remaining members went to shelters or moved in with family members, said Steve Brigham, founder of the camp.

“The most important thing is that no one got hurt,’’ he said. “We did have one tree fall on a tent, but that couple had decided to leave.’’

Several structures where damaged during the storm, Brigham said. The camp has approximately 80 residents in total.

“There were a bunch of tents that were destroyed but we have ones to replace them,’’ Brigham said. “Overall, we are not doing that bad.’’

More to come when I talk with Brigham and can make my way to Lakewood.

Evacuated

We're waiting for news from Tent City, but it appears that most residents of the homeless camp vacated to local churches. I'll update when I get more information.

Housing is a human right

Former President Jimmy Carter reminds us today, in a post on The Huffington Post about World Habitat Day, of the importance of providing shelter.

Today, World Habitat Day, is a day to recognize the basic need for adequate shelter in a world where it is lacking for so many -- a day for grassroots action, starting in your community. As we reflect on the state of towns and cities everywhere and the right of everyone to decent housing, I challenge you to reflect on the actions that you can take. In your own community, in communities around the globe and in places such as Haiti that so desperately need our assistance. I believe, as does Habitat, in the idea of many homes, one community. The act of building, of renovating, of coming together cements a bond not easily undone. When we bring together available resources, take decisive action and advocate for lasting change, we build the kind of stability, that Haiti -- and we -- need.

Ithought it was something that goes for Lakewood, as well.

Update on Tent City litigation

Photo by Sherry Rubel

The news may be good for Tent City residents regarding their lawsuit against Lakewood and Ocean County. Mediation appears to be moving the process forward and could result in an agreement to prevent the eviction.

I'll have more going forward on this and we'll have our own clips and photos up. In the meantime, read the Asbury Park Press story
The Tent City Project is an artistic look at human rights issues facing residents of a homeless camp in Lakewood, NJ and its connection to the growing number of tent cities across the country. See our Facebook page for more information -- and don't forget to "Like" us.

Tent City to Tent City: Lakewood visits Camden

Photos by Sherry Rubel

Residents of Lakewood Tent City visited their counterparts in Camden last week to compare notes and make common cause.

The Tent City Project is an artistic look at human rights issues facing residents of a homeless camp in Lakewood, NJ and its connection to the growing number of tent cities across the country. See our Facebook page for more information -- and don't forget to "Like" us.

Covenant House book online

Open publication - Free publishing

Poet Tina Kelly, a former writer for The New York Times, and Covenant House President Kevin Ryan have published a book chronicling six kids who went from homelessness to success. The forward, by Newark Mayor Cory Booker, is online.

The Tent City Project is an artistic look at human rights issues facing residents of a homeless camp in Lakewood, NJ and its connection to the growing number of tent cities across the country. See our Facebook page for more information -- and don't forget to "Like" us.

Ocean County should step up

The Rev. Steve Brigham states the obvious -- that Ocean County needs shelter space. Will Ocean County listen?

The Tent City Project is an artistic look at human rights issues facing residents of a homeless camp in Lakewood, NJ and its connection to the growing number of tent cities across the country. See our Facebook page for more information -- and don't forget to "Like" us.

Saving AC from its neighbors

Gov. Chris Christie has assigned the Department of Health and Human Serviced to bring southern counties together to keep Atlantic City from being a dumping ground for the homeless.

He said last week that

“Essentially, what Atlantic County is telling me is, ‘Why should we be responsible for other places’ homeless?’ Atlantic City, in particular, cannot be a place where all the homeless are being sent,” he said. “It’s not fair, and it’s not right. Atlantic City is trying to revitalize, and some of the homeless are contributing to the crime in Atlantic City.”

Bill Southrey told during a visit to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission last month that the 270-bed shelter is almost always nearly full, and that many of those seeking shelter are from outside the area. Other southern counties, along with Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania suburbs, rid themselves of their homeless populations by placing them on buses and shipping them east. These tend to be the homeless in most need of services and many end up causing trouble in AC.

A tourist couple was murdered in June by a homeless man and others homeless people have been involved in criminal activity.

The bad press has the people who run the city worried -- and by run the city I mean not just the elected government but the casinos. This concern has caught the governor's attention, which may result in some changes.

The big question: What kind of changes? It is not enough to move the homeless to a new location. The short-term solution is to find housing for the homeless and make sure there are support services in place to help them remain housed.

Deeper changes need to happen, however, if we are not to create a revolving door of homeless individuals. The problem is endemic to corporate capitalism, which chews up resources -- whether they be petroleum, water or people -- and asks society to clean up the mess. That means we either need to reform capitalism or move to an economic system that takes the social good into account and makes the impact on people and the environment paramount in all decisions.

If that sounds like socialism or social democracy, so be it. Our religious devotion to markets has never made a lot of sense, given that free markets are far from free. Government has always imposed rules on the flow of goods and money; the current rules have been written by and for corporations, allowing them to privatize their gains while socializing their losses, whether it be pushing the cost of addressing homelessness, pollution or the financial meltdown onto taxpayers. This distorts the the calculus used to gauge costs and benefits, inflating profits, protecting shareholders and board members and leaving the rest of us holding the bag.

The Atlantic City Rescue Mission needs both help and protection, but that can only be a first step. Addressing the failure of corporate capitalism must be part of the solution.