Reworking the Poor Tax

Intro: Across the United States,

the real issues you don't
hear about elsewhere,

focusing on what matters
to you and your neighbors.

welcome to resist bot live.

Melanie: Hi everybody.

It's April 24th.

I'm your host, Melanie Dione.

That's Ari's tail.

And this is resist about
live welcome this week.

We're talking about
reworking the poor tax.

We're talking about how cities
are attacking the problem of

being unhoused in their cities
and treating unhoused people as

though they are the sole problem.

We're here today at one, like we are
every Sunday, 1:00 PM Eastern on YouTube.

If you want to catch up with us
every week, you can subscribe,

just go to rs.bot/video.

If you're listening from a podcast,
you can A, join us on Twitter or

anywhere using the hashtag live botters.

You can subscribe to our
podcast at rs.bot slash pod.

And I'm saying, listen from a podcast.

I mean, obviously listening from a podcast
platform, we are the podcast resist bot

live so thank you again for joining us.

As I mentioned before, we're talking
about homelessness, unhoused people.

And starting with the fact that 47
states in the district of Columbia

have at least one law that restricts
acts like panhandling or standing

in roadways building encampments
number of activities that unhoused

people rely on just for survival.

So I'm going to start bringing up the
all girl band and we are going to get.

Into this discussion.

First, I'm going to bring up Athena Fulay.

Hi, Athena

Athena: Hi, Mel.

Hi, everybody how's it going.

Melanie: going great.

How are you?

Ready to get into it today?

Athena: good.

Happy to be back this week and
learn a little bit more about how

different states are treated in the
own house and what we can do about it.

Melanie: Welcome back.

Welcome back.

Thank you so much.

And we also have blogger
extraordinary Susan Stutz

Susan: Hello ladies.

Melanie: Susan,

Susan: Happy Sunday.

Melanie: happy Sunday.

I looked short compared to y'all.

Athena: It's all about a camera tilt.

Melanie: Right, right.

So, Susan, we're going to be talking.

A about what different states are doing.

And B we have a few petitions that
we'll be getting into, and then

what new petitions can look like.

So we'll be talking about that as well.

I think the first thing, when we start,
when we think about humane treatment,

when we think about policies that
have human interests, Typically this

conversation goes more or less with
one side or another, having the blame

on the issue on an issue, right?

This is something that is not at all.

Partisan Susan, live in a state,
that's not necessarily a blue state

for it is decidedly, a red state.

I live in a red state as well.

I don't necessarily see
that many policies here.

Not that they don't have them, but when
we look at that, it seems to be something

that's not only a partisan issue.

Do you see much difference
in, in Florida where you are,

which is also very tourists.

Susan: You know, I know
that we have some panhandle.

Rules laws, it used to be that there were
a lot of people at our highway exchanges

and our intersections in our bigger cities
more towards south Florida, but, you

know, I don't see it very much anymore.

And I know that there, you know, you
get into the bigger cities and there's

definitely more unhoused people.

It's a bigger concern
in the bigger cities.

I don't see it a lot where I'm
at presently, although it, it

absolutely does exist, but it does.

At least the places that I go, the
things that I see I don't see a lot

of it and I don't see encampments and
things like that, that I know that we

have in bigger cities and bigger states.

Melanie: And I think that's, I think one
of the issues that I've been reading up

on is when we start dealing with those.

Those places tend to a skew, a
little more liberal, and B people

consider those opportunities to
be greater when they're unhoused.

I am sorry.

Aria is back here going ham.

She is not loving anything.

She wants to be in show business today.

I'm in new Orleans.

And we definitely there's a, there
are a lot of unhoused people here.

there are encampment sites at various
parts and at various places in the

city aids, very coming and going.

We have a lot of a tourist
entertainers, you name it.

So that means that there's a lot
more likelihood, for people who try.

Make a living out here and just, and just,
don't when we look at, when we look at

the actual policies and every, and pretty
much everywhere, like I said, 47 states

and NBC have these policies, but the,
especially in recent months, one of the

biggest voices or one of the biggest folks
on display has been in New York city.

Mayor Eric Adams has done a lot,
has done a lot to say that he wants

to reduce I'm sorry, written New
York city of the homeless problem,

but his tactic has more been geared
toward attacking unhoused people.

We seen a lot of the, we've seen in the
news, the encampments being torn down the

sweeps and the subway, things like that.

I would like Athena to kind of get
your thoughts a bit on what that

looks like for you in DC., how
government has been addressing.

Homelessness and unhoused people
in DC and where you think some of

those cracks are in the process.

Athena: Sure.

So I think DC is unique
for a lot of reasons.

One it's not a state too.

It's funding is usually very closely tied.

Anything the city wants to
spend their money on needs

congressional approval for it.

But I have to say as far as.

And the populations that are
unhoused in Washington DC are vast.

I think given the size of what the city
actually is versus the number of people

who are and at the moment is pretty large.

However, I do have some good news in that.

There's a Homeward DC plan that the
mayor's office does that Comes at

this issue from a variety of options.

One is eviction moratorium, and
not allowing that supporting the

number of shelters around the city.

Now again when you're talking about
homelessness, it's more than just there's

a very, there's easy black and white way
of looking at it and saying these people

are just not, do not have housing for
whatever reasons, economic health or.

Whatever issues they might be having,
but DC looks at it from several angles,

which has allowed it to actually have,
I have some statistics that were just

shared to me this week, actually,
that the housing homelessness in DC

has dropped by 13.7% across the city.

There is something called an annual
point in time survey that a lot

of people working in this field.

Do a census, basically, of those
experiencing homelessness across their

regions and DC had a as far as single
adult homelessness is concerned,

not families or anything like that.

There's been a 22% percent
decrease in single adults.

So how has this happening?

A lot of it is again, sort of, if there's
never really one quick answer, I, I

know that there was a story in Utah
where they just built homes for the.

People experiencing homelessness and that
drastically cut that and we're able to

support them, uplift them out of that.

So that's definitely one way
resources allocated that way.

But so this is looking at it from a
little bit more of a holistic viewpoint.

We're trying to make sure that their
experiences and re-entry are positive.

They get collaborative assistance to
these agencies that are working with

people experiencing chronic homelessness.

Chronic homelessness
is six months onwards.

But what I think also makes DC unique
is this idea that veterans affairs is

here in Washington, DC, not to say that
veterans affairs isn't around the U S

but I feel so many of the stories of our
friends experiencing homelessness are

I've come here to claim what to do to me.

I have come here seeking assistance, or
I have come to the DC area to seek out

What was owed to me given my, my time
in the service or what I feel was due.

So I, in my experience in, in street,
greetings is there's a significant,

I'm also happened to be in the
foggy bottom area, happens to be a

tremendous amount who are veterans.

And if people take the time to have
conversations with these folks, we'll

quickly realize how much closer any
of us really are to homelessness

versus launching ourselves up into
space to explore the stratosphere,

because th these, these folks are not
some definitely are struggling with

mental, chronic mental illness and
down in their luck, as they would say.

But a lot of this is a
manifestation of systemic.

Marginalization and
oppression by our systems.

So, yes, I think DC, I, when you read
about the homelessness and tips and

suggestions on how to work with them,
a lot of the recommendations you'll see

are people saying move to more liberal
cities, move to cities where, you know,

the resources are available to, help
and support people coming out of that.

and so DC, I think not just that in a
good way, but It's never going to be

enough, but it is a relatively decent
success story on our end here in DC.

Melanie: Thanks so much.

And that's the thing let's I'm glad
you mentioned that because I'd like to

talk a little bit about the breakdown
of what homelessness looks like.

Like who's, who's out there, you
mentioned veterans and that's roughly

about 11% of the homeless population.

When you look at from the.

Perspective of physical ability,
40%, 40 over 40% of unhoused.

People are also disabled.

And then when you, when you not only look
at that statistic of them being disabled,

but then you have to start dealing with.

What does receiving
services look like for them?

What does it look like if they get to a
shelter and that shelter isn't accessible?

I talked to our friend Melissa Thompson
cause I'm always loving her input and

she has done some work on a report with
the, uh, with the century foundation.

But one of the things that
she said to me, or one of the

things that she actually said.

Was that a disabled black and
Latin X renters were especially

likely to be housing insecure.

And that's roughly at 50
52 and 50% respectively.

And she went on to say that the
significant unemployment and

underemployment rates of dis of
disabled people in comparison to their

non-disabled counterparts, especially.

Of color as well as a host of
other factors contribute to

houselessness of disabled people.

And it goes on ignored and
unnoticed in these discussions.

One of the reasons it's so easy to
push past this problem is because

we're pushing past the people
who in other ways get ignored.

Anyway, when we're dealing with
people of color, when we're dealing

with people who have mental illness
when we're queer youth, 20 to

40% of queer youth are homeless.

And if you just look at New York
city, the average age for gay and

lesbian youth, 14.4 years old, the
average age for trans youth, 13.5.

So when you go back to incontinence
being destroyed, when you go back to

people being rousted on the subway, when
you go back to people being rounded up,

some of these people are children who
need other services who need educational

services, who need family services.

And instead.

They are being forced into more times
than not more difficult situations.

I mean that nothing,
everything is connected, right?

when you look at unhoused youth, then
you have to look at sex trafficking.

It's just one thing after another,
and we're not dealing with the issue.

And when we're talking about liberal
areas in liberal cities, It's

absolutely the place where we're
more likely to find aid and programs.

But one of the things that I've been
reading on the New York times had a very

interesting, video about the role that
blue states and blue cities play in.

The wealth gap in the housing crisis.

So when we start talking about being
housing insecure, when we start talking

about homelessness, as much as we want
to, you know, point fingers, Tennessee

just made this bill, that's basically
a poor tax where you for panhandling

and encampments, a $50 fine, and
you have to do community service.

I mean, it's free labor.

You're exploiting unhoused
people for free labor, and there's

no other way to look at that.

But when we start talking about who's
really enforcing these policies, even when

there are Democrats in, who are basically
controlling policy in these states,

there are still issues where are still.

California is a huge example of
these quality of life policies that

absolutely criminalize homelessness.

There's no other way about it.

These are the places that have what
they call, um, hostile construction,

where there are spikes on the ground
so that people can't sit there.

There are gaps in awnings so that you
can't be sheltered from the rain or the.

We just had earth day unhoused people
are the first people to be impacted

by to be impacted by climate change.

When we look at how there's been, there's
noted, increase in heat stroke there's

and none of these things, these aren't
the things that are being addressed.

There are so many.

Issues and solutions that are being
leapfrogged over in favor of fines,

service, throwing things away.

I wanted to talk a bit about
who's doing the work though.

Cause you mentioned some about DC, Athena.

Uh, you mentioned in.

There's also we've talked about
New York and there's a project

hospitality with Reverend Troy.

Who's doing amazing work in Staten island.

I'm here in new Orleans.

You you've heard me talk a fair bit
about Allen Keller and the work that

he's doing with tailgate together as
tactile the tailgate together, who, one

of the reasons that it's been difficult
to schedule him is because on every

Sunday, every Sunday, he's out feeding
on house people and things like that.

So I wanted to.

When, when we talk about how terrible
things are, I like to talk a little

bit about the things that you've
seen that have worked, or anyone

that you want to put a spotlight on.

Who's doing the work, especially
in helping unhoused or people

who are housing insecure.

Athena: Sure I'm in DC.

There are again, we're pretty fortunate.

There's a lot of infrastructure for this.

I know some crews who go out on Friday
nights and the tent cities and the DC

and the city specifically are very,
are getting more and more organized.

So they have welcome tables.

Now people are giving them
food throughout the week.

So I think we've come to a point in DC
where we're seeing that it's not just a

matter of, a feeding and charity, right?

If we want to be serious about
getting folks off the streets ending

chronic homelessness, providing the
safeguards and buttressing support

net so that they need to be able to
climb out of it and stay out of it.

A lot more needs to be done.

And those are sort of the questions
that I think your average person would

be more than happy to bring a sandwich
to somebody on a corner, but to have a

real meaningful conversation about what
it means to create legislation that

makes us a more livable city for every
economic bracket, uh, things like that.

Need to happen.

So organizations that I would
absolutely like to do shout outs and

supports to Mariam's kitchen here
in Washington, DC, a bread for the

city, also a great organization.

The Georgetown ministry center is an
organization that I work closely with.

They have a day shelter in Georgetown,
as you imagine, Georgetown is a

very affluent part of Washington
DC, but given how the homeless.

Are all over the city that this
is a coalition of congregations

and faith based groups that have
supported the functioning of this.

They shelter that has moved, I think
since November close to over 80 people

from the streets into permanent housing.

yes, Miriam's kitchen has been feeding
the on housing, the DC area for

decades as well and are fantastic.

And they're also building
that sense of community.

I know I talk about this a lot, but it
really does take a village and having

community and support systems in place.

Not only one helped through
that process of becoming, going

from one house to being housed.

Getting people access to continued
support throughout their transitions

and just providing that community and
safe space support and confidence to

to maintain to maintain the economic
security that they need to stay housed.

So, those are just quickly three
and one more in New York city.

Sure.

And here in Washington, DC, there's
this group called the community of

centered video that do provide in
New York large-scale meals out of

Penn station, but in Washington,
DC, it's based out of foggy bottom.

And it's more of a, sort of a
friendship conversation week.

Build relationships and friendships
with the unhoused to see what they need.

Because again, we'll show up with pasta
and that's great, but oftentimes they'll

say we'll have eaten already, or we can't
keep that overnight because it's going to

get hot and rats are going to get to it.

But again, fostering that conversation,
knowing when their birthdays are, when

is the last time people have greeted
these people happy birthday, or just

again, establishing that dignity.

That should be afforded to all people.

I think is absolutely lacking
in this larger conversation.

I feel what cities can do, what cities
can do is get rid of fossil architecture.

That's ridiculous.

You're right now, this idea of public
spaces, no longer being public and

public spaces by the nature of being
public should be a place for everybody.

And.

By putting armrests, having a bench,
but putting our armors there is

basically saying no one's allowed
to lay down here or having those

spikes so that it also discourages
people from loitering or sitting.

Yes, there's, there's a lot of terrible
here, but I would probably say of course,

house and feed them as this is the very
first thing priority of what you need to

do, but there is a larger conversation
that needs to happen about acknowledging

the inherent dignity and humanness of

Melanie: Absolutely.

When we talk about the war on
homelessness, it's absolutely what

we're looking at right now, as it's
being conducted a war on, on house

people, and that's just not acceptable.

One of the key things that.

Eric Adams brought up, he, he brought
up how well, this is undignified.

I seen this and this is undignified.

Okay.

But these are still people.

These, how, how much dignity do we
afford poor people, because I mean,

it's starting with homelessness,
but then it extends when you think

that I'm in new Orleans rather than.

After Katrina, they tore out a
lot of the housing developments

the word was, well, this wasn't
supposed to be permanent housing.

This is not supposed to be permanent,
but how much money do you have to have

before you get to feel a sense of home?

Like what entitles you to a sense of.

Belonging in home and just your own space.

So it's, it's always going to be,

there's always going to be a caveat
when it comes down to having a sense

of ownership, empowerment, dignity,
there's always a dollar figure on it.

That's just the, that's
just the prevailing.

Wisdom right now, when we look at again,
have to go back because we think so much

in terms of red blue, but this is a purple
problem because it happens everywhere.

Like we have to, if we're going
to bring people in the room.

Yes, absolutely.

Bring Texas in bring Florida
into the conversation.

But if we're talking about the wealth
gap, if we're talking about homelessness,

we got to say hello to California.

We have to say hello to Illinois.

We have to say hello to Washington state.

I believe it was Washington
state that had the opportunity.

There was a, housing issue.

And when it came down to actually getting
my, brain, cause I can't remember if

it's Washington or California right
now, but there were making changes.

Or attempting to make, how does zoning
changes so that single family and an area

zoned for single family homes could be
for large density populations and, a bunch

of nice rich liberals said no, because
they don't want it near their homes.

When we look at even education, which
is a, a key factor into pulling people

out of five, amount of money that
your school gets is determined by how

much the houses are in your district.

It's rigged.

And then the rig is rigged.

So there's there, there has to be, it
has to be more than just us looking at.

What party is doing what, and it has to
get down to what we are doing as people.

What are we doing to, to
our neighbors and house?

People are still our neighbors.

They're still parts of our community.

I grew up, I had to go across
town to school and there

were five men that I knew.

There are five men that you, if you put
a picture of them, You know that you were

on canal street in, in 1992, because those
men are part we're part of our community.

And we have to look at them like that.

and that means calling on more,
not only of ourselves, but

also of our representatives.

And that takes us to some petitions.

Susan, do you mind reading off
some of the petitions that we have.

I feel like we, me and
Athena have been going at it.

So we would like to hear your
lovely voice and you can talk

to us about the petitions.

Susan: It's 100%.

Okay.

Because obviously, you
both are very educated.

I appreciate the education
for myself a lot.

So we have two petitions that we're
focusing on and one of them, it the

title to it is shelter is a human, right.

We shouldn't have to say that.

We shouldn't have to say that I have
a right to have a roof over my head.

It should just be a given.

And so again, that's the
title of the position?

The call sign is P as in Peter and
as in Nancy, P as in Peter, S as

in Susan X and then Q as in quiet.

And so what we're doing is looking at the
author of this individual by the name of.

Pointing out that, every eviction
and the opening line, I love it.

Every eviction is a richer person
using the government to force a

poor person into homelessness in
order to make a greater profit.

And, I.

I find so much truth in
just that one sentence.

If you send that call signed to five,
zero four, zero nine, you can sign onto

that petition and you can send it to your
governor, and your state legislature.

The second one that we have is
entitled fund homelessness prevention.

And again, this speaks to.

This lack of community services that would
go such a long way to resolving, or at

least mitigating some of the challenges
that the unhoused face and that led them

to being unhoused in the first place.

So that call sign is P as in Peter,
J as in jelly, L as in Larry,

O G as in good F as in family.

And again, type that into 5, 0 4 0 9.

And you can send that to, again,
your governor and your legislatures.

If neither one of these petitions strikes
a chord with you or says what it is

that's in your heart to say by all means.

Send mayor send states and
governor to Pfizer, 0 4, 0 9.

You can write your own letter,
which you can then turn into a

petition that you can then invite
friends and families to sign on to.

So those are the two petitions
we're highlighting for today.

Melanie: Thanks so much.

Absolutely because there's those
petitions are great, but we don't

currently have anything that talks
about things like hostile architecture.

We don't have anything really
addressing these more recent policies

that are, or the growing poor tax.

I mean, we can't, I don't see any
other term that we could use for this

because you're literally criminalizing.

Poor people for surviving there's no.

And watching it being defended,
well, it's only a $50 fine.

Susan: I was just going to say, one of
the things that I find so difficult is

this T this issue, like so many others,
we place the blame on the individual

who has the challenge to begin with.

We place the blame on the unhoused.

We, I had not thought about the word home.

And the negative connotation that
goes along with it the vitriol

that goes along with that one word.

And I had not thought about that until
you Mel educated me on the word unhoused.

And then the more I read about it.

The more I saw, you know, if, if
the same people who are advocating

for these policies and these poor
taxes use their powers for good.

So to speak, look at the money you
spend on the architecture, look at

the money you spend on enacting,
putting into place these laws.

When, what we need is that money to be in
services for our communities and services

in our local communities, help mitigate
so many of the challenges that lead to

homelessness in the first place, the
mental health issues that go untreated.

And if they're diagnosed, they're
untreated or they're just not

diagnosed at all, we don't have
any mental health facilities

really that people can show up to.

I mean, speckled here and there, but if we
turned that attention, To what we can do

to help as opposed to placing the blame on
them and expecting them, you know, the old

bootstrap theory, which frankly is crap.

If you ask me but you know, if you
would just grab your bootstraps

and pull yourself up, then all
of your problems will be solved.

Well, it just doesn't work that way.

And we can't lay the problem of
the unhoused at their feet and

not provide answers and resources.

It just, we just, as a human.

As humanity, we just
shouldn't be doing that

Melanie: Yeah, bootstraps don't
work when you don't have boots.

Susan: 100%.

Melanie: it's not, a logical.

Expectation for the people who don't have.

And then we look at city governments
that do have budgets to, address

the needs of people without homes.

so compared to the police budget,
New York city's budget for the

department of homeless services is.

Relatively small and, was cut
by $615 million this year.

But it's still something about something
around 2.1 billion, and that makes

it roughly 50, a little over 50.

I think it's 58,000 per person.

When we look at the homeless
population, so $58,000 per person is.

how the budget breaks down.

And of course that won't
all go to an individual.

But when you look at, when we,
when you look at that, you have

to ask, where are the funds going?

if there's absolutely money available
for the 65,000 homeless residents,

but we'll just stick with New York,
the 65,000 homeless residents of.

Where is it going?

What is being done?

Is it being used wisely?

And we have to look at that.

We can look at that in, in varying
points of city, government in any city

in the country, but we have to look
at if the budget is being cut, there's

still logically should be enough
money to support these residents.

What's being done.

What is the end game since it's clearly
not to actually help unhoused people

and there are cities who
are beginning to get it.

Right.

I think Athena, you had some information
on that on one city who has been answering

the call to help on house people.

Athena: I do.

And I give Texas a lot of grief,
but I have to say that Houston,

however, has some successes to share.

Within the last decade, they've actually
cut their on house populations down

by over 50%, which is truly amazing.

They are very organized about it.

The coalition for homelessness has
been around since the 1980s and

they've approximately three 30,000
people across Harris, Fort bend and

Montgomery counties have access some
of the services that they provide from

clothing or food or food assistance.

Some lessons to be learned from that
there was an op-ed in the LA times

because everybody likes to tell
Californians what to do, especially

when they're doing things well.

But what can Houston teach Los Angeles
about solving homelessness or some

other cities that are experiencing this?

So around the same time that Houston
really got motivated in addressing their.

Unhoused populations.

This was, uh, also happening
in San Diego and they both took

different approaches to things.

And what I think has.

Houston more success in it that the
articles that I'm quoting from the LA

times basically breaks it down first,
basically their scale of effort.

They've th their focus has been almost
laser-focused on providing affordable

permanent housing units, much more of
course, including health and social

services to that, but it really is
the development of permanent housing

to to facilitate that transition.

Second they're very well organized.

they also have a sense of pragmatism.

I think even in our own conversations
today, we've been talking about

dignity and like their worth and the
compassion piece of that, which is

absolutely critical and important.

But Houston.

Not that they haven't done that,
but they have been really making

the key strategy about home.

Defining homelessness is something
that needs to be rare, brief.

And non-recurring so they commissioned,
they decommissioned eight hopeless

homeless encampments in the last year
with pathways to permanent housing.

So about 80 to 90% of homeless people have
taken them up on that offer in Houston.

But.

So, yes I, while I tend to lean on
the, like, we need to talk to them

to hear what their needs are in
the case of what Houston is doing.

They have a clear sense of the data,
driving their reasons for doing things.

And it really leaves a lot of that
compassion rightfully so to, non-profits

churches to be in charge of shelters
and sort of temporary housing.

The city is focusing all of its
efforts and resources specifically on.

The providing of more
permanent affordable housing.

just lastly, in comparison to why
they feel that this article, at

least is saying that Los Angeles is
missing the mark on this is because

nobody is in charge and LA is, is.

It's a massive urban sprawl as a
season, but again, this idea that the

laser focus with which the coalition
in Houston has been able to dedicate,

a decades worth of energy and focus
on it is something that they're hoping

to inspire Los Angeles to do as well.

Melanie: And there are just some places.

I think that feel as though they have a
certain amount of humanitarian credit.

So there are things that they could
just take their time on people

having homes should not be one of
them, especially when we look at

how many vacant homes there are, The
housing crisis is beyond anything.

I think any of us have seen
before, especially when we look

at the fact that a lot of these
homes are not owned by people.

Like a lot of homes now are
owned by corporations, not always

corporations in this country.

There's a very large Company
in Canada that owns just an

obscene amount of homes here.

it all boils down to will always
will down to profits over people.

Whenever we dig into any of these
issues, it's all, we're always going

to be looking at how people have
gotten the shaft because of a dollar.

And I don't think there's
any nice way to put that.

So one of the things, I just want
to reiterate that while we do have

open letters, there is so much green
space that we have to cover when

it comes down to unhoused people.

And this is where we
call out to all of you.

hostile, hostile,

Susan: Architecture.

Melanie: Hostile architecture.

Thank you.

A hassle architecture what's
being done with, for taxes and

criminalizing homelessness.

The bill in Tennessee, that was the
most recent that came out this week.

Uh, the bill in Tennessee it's
HBS 0 9, 7 8, and SB 1 6 1 0.

These are these.

Definitive things that, you can take aim
at, let your representatives know what

you think about policies like this and
what you want done to, to combat this

problem in your own backyard, because
it is something that affects all of us.

This is not a somebody else problem.

It's a societal problem.

And with that means, you know, at the
end of brought it up before it takes a

village and it absolutely takes a village.

Find your village do not
underestimate the importance of.

Finding your people and
asking the right questions.

I remember moving to moving up north.

I'm from new Orleans.

Everything is north for me, but I
remember moving up north in 2005, right?

When these kinds of hostile
architecture moves were taking shape

and just sitting down at a bench
and realizing there were things.

On two sides of me and thinking,
well, this is dominant tourist city.

And then I realized, no, it's not Dom.

This is what my mama would call having
ugly ways, because you don't want

somebody to lay out on the bench.

So examining what those things mean
and what can be done and finding a

group of people who can affect change.

We have resistance.

We have, we have a telegram.

Where we want organizes
to find each other.

That's one of the main purposes of it.

So by all means, join
us, and find each other.

If you need help getting an open
letter started, this is why we're here.

This is why we do what we do.

We love talking to you every
week, of course, but this is

not the only thing that we do.

So by all means, if there are things that
we can do to help, to get your voice out

there to amplify, please reach out to.

Support at resist that bot
it's really that, that easy.

And that's, that's kind of where we are.

I want to give you guys a chance to
shout out and, Take us out of here.

. Susan, where can we find you?

What are you looking at
outside of this cluster

what other things are
you looking at this week?

What has your eye and tell
the people when they can.

Susan: I'm on Twitter at twin thing too.

The two is T O O because I'm an
identical twin, so I'm an also

and one of the things, Obviously
the elections are coming.

So we're ramping up, get out
the vote efforts here in Florida

and on the treasure coast.

And I just can't, say it enough times or
loud enough, make sure you're registered,

make sure your signature matches.

If you need.

Take a look at our keyword list.

We've got a whole vote suite package.

We can, we've got you covered
in terms of being able to

vote at the end of this year.

So that, and I just wanted to give a
shout out to one of the organizations

that is in my neck of the woods.

That's really working on the unhoused
issue and it's a place called LA.

And it's that stands for
love and hope in action.

And it's a place where you
can go and get a clean shower.

You can take a nap, you can get some food.

They have a wonderful
place in Stuart, Florida.

So I just want to give them a shout out.

They're doing great work and if you can
support them, please do money time at all.

Have.

Melanie: Thanks so much, Susan, and
that's, I'm glad you mentioned that

because one of the things, when we
look at How difficult it can be for

people to transition, rather from
living on the street to housing.

If unhoused people do not want to utilize
the services that you have, that needs to

be interrogated, where are the shortfalls?

What needs are you not meeting?

Because that is not that's a.

That's a failure on a
governmental standpoint.

So thank you so much for pointing
that out, Susan and Athena.

Can you shout out some folks and let
us know what, where the people can.

Athena: Sure I am still on
the Twitters at am fillet.

As for things I have my eye on Susan
mentioned it, the elections are coming

up or an hatch Fest away from Utah.

Not that that's a flippable seat or
anything like that, but I think it's

important for us to start getting our
eyes on what's on key states, as well as.

Offices that are going to be
essential in the coming election.

I am also working with some folks
over here in DC that we've hosted

on the show before with Jennifer
and Musey and sanctuary DMV.

We're getting truckloads of.

Asylum seekers from
Texas here in Washington.

So it's been an interesting time to
actually demonstrate what solidarity

with migrants could really look like.

So I would encourage all of you to
also plug into the networks of folks,

working with migrants and refugees
to see what can be done, whether

that's buying some t-shirts for some
kids coming into your cities, picking

up some toiletries, or just adding
to their Venmo PayPal supplies.

Now.

We're ending the Easter octane for
the Christian world and the Orthodox

worlds are celebrating Easter today.

But everybody could need, some can use
some love and assistance the spring.

So seek out those places
and do what you can.

Melanie: Thanks so much Athena.

And thank you for joining us this week.

If you want to know more about
whether it's this topic or just

how you can volunteer with resist
bot, you can go to resist.bot.

If you'd like to donate what we do
every week, this contacting your

representatives, letters to the editor.

All the great stuff.

All of that.

We're powered by people.

Yes, we're about, but we're
actually powered by people.

And so we need your help.

We need you.

So if you'd like to volunteer,
also, if you'd like to donate, you

can go to rs.bot/donate, monthly
donors, get all kinds of neat stuff.

So we would love to have you, and you
can join our community and helping

make the world a little bit better.

We have monthly donors.

And so I want to give a
shout out to each of you,

And we have that Mary from
Ponti, Vedra beach, Florida, and

the focus is defeat DeSantis.

You know how I feel about the
random acts of the Santas.

So thank you so much.

You can, again, you can
follow us here every week.

RS, that bot slash video, we have every
Sunday at 1:00 PM on our YouTube channel.

You can also follow us on
Twitter at resist bot live and

our main account at resistance.

Our podcast will be up every Monday.

You can subscribe to
that reserve rs.bot/pod.

And again, you can join the conversation
by using the hashtag live botters.

So again, I'm Melanie beyond this has
been resist spotlight and thank you

for joining us in see you next week.

Outro: Resist bot live originally airs
as a live stream every Sunday at 1:00 PM.

Eastern on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter,
and Facebook, and is brought to you

by the same folks behind the chat bot.

If you haven't used resist bot
before it's simple iPhone users go

to resist.bot on the web and tap the
I message button non iPhone users.

Open your text messaging app
and compose a new text message.

For the phone number type five zero
four zero nine in the message field

type resist, or any of the keywords
you heard on the show, you can also

direct message resist bot on Twitter
or the telegram app for a printable

keyword guide and more resources.

Visit our website@resist.box.

Our website has a complete guide
to creating robust public policy

or voter turnout campaign.

And we're here to support your
activism, email support@resist.bot.

If you need help, getting started
resist bot is a nonprofit social

welfare organization built by volunteers
and supported by your donations.

You can donate on our website or
email volunteer at resistance, but if

you want to join our team resist bot
live is moderated by Melanie Dione.

Our regular panel includes Athena Fu.

Christine Lou Susan Stutz and Dr.

Joseph KU hill.

Thank you for listening.