KVOA posted a story last night with the headline, “Downtown Businessman Said He Was Threatened by Homeless Camp Founder.”
The businessman is Maker House’s John Jacobs, and by “homeless camp founder” they refer to John McLane, one of the creators of Safe Park—an advocacy group made up of Tucson’s houseless residents.
Read McLane’s message below:
McLane is trying to put a forum together—he invited me, too—to discuss the way homelessness is dealt with at a city level, the lack of resources there are for some people, and debate possible long-term solutions to get individuals off the streets. All very relevant, fair and non-offensive conversations to have.
I guess, when Jacobs did not respond to McLane’s first message, McLane sent another—this is the one Jacobs took as a “threat.”
McLane posted the message on Facebook before a full-on news story about it broke out.
When I read the second portion, I took it as, “Hey, let’s try and gather as many minds as possible to figure out how we can fight this issue, otherwise the number of people on the streets is going to be so damn overwhelming, some may end up looking for a place to sleep in other areas of downtown, including in front of Maker House.”
I didn’t read it and think, “Oh, he is threatening to bring houseless people to make a mess in front of Maker House.”
But that’s what some people read and made a scene about it.
Throughout this months-long dilemma with the Safe Park so-called dream pods, a lot of energy—maybe too much energy—has been focused on badmouthing McLane. Even the fact that he hasn’t paid child support was, apparently, a relevant topic to discuss at some point (Tucson goes OK! Magazine).
He did burn bridges around town. We are all entitled to want to break away from a person when he or she does something we don’t like.
Say what you will about McLane—egocentric, he doesn’t care about homeless people, he pushed the movement too far, etc.—Safe Park has been one of those entities that managed to put this problem right in front of your face. It got a lot of people—even those who refuse to think of Tucson as anything other than a Utopia of socio-economic equality—to start caring.
I feel more threatened by the city ordinances and state laws that criminalize not having a home; the rules shelters have that leave out hundreds of people with no option but to camp behind Estevan Park, a wash or a sidewalk; the thought that if you have a felony in your record, you no longer qualify for most employment.
Those are the real threats, not silly, misinterpreted Facebook messages.
This article appears in Apr 23-29, 2015.
Not the way I read it. That is typical of activists today. Just look at what peta does to McDonald’s and KFC. Why do we let malcontents get the upper hand? Guilt? Or just plain lazy ignorance?
María wrote:
“I feel more threatened by the city ordinances and state laws that criminalize not having a home…”
There is not a single city ordinance or state law that criminalizes not having a home.
Homelessness is a serious problem that deserves to be addressed in a serious way. Framing the debate with false statements such as this one doesn’t help.
When I read the second portion, I took it as, “Hey, let’s try and gather as many minds as possible to figure out how we can fight this issue, otherwise the number of people on the streets is going to be so damn overwhelming, some may end up looking for a place to sleep in other areas of downtown, including in front of Maker House.”
That’s a big leap you just took, and comes across as advocacy rather than journalism. If that was what McLane meant then he should have written it that way. Instead, it does come across as a threat. Maybe a benign one, but the “ya know” at the end is gratuitously snotty and does nothing to help McLane’s cause.
And David, you kind of went of the rails there. This country was founded by malcontents. Nothing wrong with a citizen’s right to protest.
This country was not founded by malcontents unwilling to work. In fact they were just the opposite. They formed the government and became the governed. I’m glad they did, but this has become a bastardization of that effort.
John Jacobs has been one of the business owners willing to help create a conversation to meet the demands of the homeless downtown, he has given employment to some of the homeless downtown ,even some associated with safe park, maker houses space has made a nice place for people associated with safe park to meet, maker house as a community gathering. Place reached out to many impoverished persons to come explore their talents or learn one. Maker house is a place more people should explore ,especially they workers at the new court house low on time and needing a place to work, meet or grab a drink or edibles. We need more people like him and Micheal Kieth. High poverty and closing businesses not to mention a over spending government , there is a link there that need to be talked about. Jon should go pick on a bank not a local business trying to help. John Jacobs should go talk to michelle ream and Mr. Rothchild.
I find the comment on this country was not founded on malcontents, how funny that is and contradictory to history, our founders were many times fleeing from oppression in countries where state religion and obedience to a king was not a option and heretics were not merely shunned but burned at the stake after being tortured into confessing all manner of things, in fact they were deemed malcontents and let to immigrate due to the ruling elite saw it as a way to rid themselves of malcontents!:-) I find this idea our country was founded only by hero’s, perfect human beings about as honest as today, those who say we ought to have Christianity as our state religion do not know our history, our founding fathers knew religion was ok as long as it was allowed to be separate from government and each person allowed to worship in their own ways, today the right wing wants to create a nation with a state religion completely against what our founding fathers created, as a Christian, not a zealot who believes you have to obey my beliefs, the zealots more often than not fit the warning Jesus gave us, blind goats who will not care for the poor, hungry but he will not know them on judgment day and sadly they cannot see it coming!
I am a downtown business owner. ALL of us involved with the Merchant’s Council want to see a solution to the homeless population. ALL of us have been to forums and meetings and on and on and on. We’re tired of talking. It’s time for the powers that be to DO the things we’ve discussed in the meetings.
Was it a threat? That’s how we saw it and addressed it. Harmless or not, going that route does nothing but create more animosity among those you are seeking help from.
Maker House Founder Feels Threatened by Homeless Activist & It’s Hard to Grasp Why? Bhahahaha another stupid piece by Tucson weekly. Really? It is and Jon douche bag Mclane was advised by his lawyer friend to apologize and retract it.
As the ‘progressive’ center Tucson is proud to be, we need to recognize that the homeless are the pride of Tucson, much like the illegals, they must be protected, coddled, and their needs placed above all others.
Shouldn’t we at least be providing free ‘dump’ zones on the streets of downtown so they can come out of the shadows?
If the man feels threatened, he feels threatened. He has his own filters, and who are we to judge them? I don’t think he should be made into some kind of poster-boy for how frustrated we all are about the issue.
The homeless need to go. Bus Tickets to Flag Staff or the summer, then send them to San Diego for the winter.
The tougher we make it for these roaches and parasites to ruin our city, the better off we will be. They bring NOTHING to the table except their hands out.
I am currently enjoying our Congress Underpass that does not smell like human urine, unlike the old one.
There is no money here for rehab or mental health, no money for our community colleges. You can’t get blood from a stone. The solution is – there is no solution.