Comments on: Could shelter showdown spell end for Peachtree-Pine? http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2008/12/03/could-shelter-showdown-spell-end-for-peachtree-pine/ Atlanta news and views, one slice at a time Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:00:16 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Midtown Ponce Security Alliance http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2008/12/03/could-shelter-showdown-spell-end-for-peachtree-pine/comment-page-1/#comment-101093 Midtown Ponce Security Alliance Thu, 04 Dec 2008 02:49:29 +0000 http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/?p=10142#comment-101093 This week, the City of Atlanta turned off the water for the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, colloquially known as Peachtree Pine. According to City officials, Peachtree Pine owes $145,000 for a meter shut off this past September, and another $16,000 for a second meter shut off this week. As we understand it, Peachtree Pine representatives sought an emergency injunction against the city. Judge Jackson Bedford ordered the city to turn the water back on, provided that Peachtree Pine pays $6,000 no later than Friday and another $2000 next week. They must also submit a plan to Judge Bedford for paying off the remaining water bill. We find this outcome to be far too lenient considering the severe level of community crime and public disorder generated and perpetuated by that horrendous operation, but one has to take into consideration that the Judge did not get to hear how negatively that "shelter" impacts the surrounding residential and business community. By egregiously amassing years of unpaid water bills, the leadership of Peachtree Pine prominently underscores their fundamental disrespect to the greater community. Throughout the 11 years of their presence, numerous community meetings have centered around the crime and disorder coming from that place. And each time Peachtree Pine gives the same response: what goes on outside their walls is of no concern to them. Peachtree Pine has put much effort in advancing the visibility of street people rather than undertaking any serious effort to steer those in need into rehabilitative services and onward to a productive life. As a result, the individuals using Peachtree Pine feel free to pursue their lives of street crime with utter impunity. Peachtree Pine's ongoing recklessness not only works against community improvement efforts, but endangers the community and the homeless individuals they pretend to be helping. By allowing a safe haven for a large number of street criminals, members of the greater community have had their homes burglarized, their cars broken into, have been robbed, and had their property destroyed. How many more people will have to be victimized by these crimes before the leadership of Peachtree Pine will even acknowledge that very serious public safety and security problems emanate from their operations? Peachtree Pine has had years of time to demonstrate their willingness to operate with consideration toward the community at large. Because Peachtree Pine has failed in this crucial point, we hope the City and courts will immediately cease all leniency with that dysfunctional organization. For more insights on how the community feels about Peachtree Pine see our Peachtree Pine digest http://www.midtownponce.org/news/PPineDigest.pdf Atlanta Journal-Constitution article: http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/12/02/water_homeless_shelter.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab This week, the City of Atlanta turned off the water for the Metro Atlanta Task Force for the Homeless, colloquially known as Peachtree Pine. According to City officials, Peachtree Pine owes $145,000 for a meter shut off this past September, and another $16,000 for a second meter shut off this week. As we understand it, Peachtree Pine representatives sought an emergency injunction against the city. Judge Jackson Bedford ordered the city to turn the water back on, provided that Peachtree Pine pays $6,000 no later than Friday and another $2000 next week. They must also submit a plan to Judge Bedford for paying off the remaining water bill.

We find this outcome to be far too lenient considering the severe level of community crime and public disorder generated and perpetuated by that horrendous operation, but one has to take into consideration that the Judge did not get to hear how negatively that “shelter” impacts the surrounding residential and business community. By egregiously amassing years of unpaid water bills, the leadership of Peachtree Pine prominently underscores their fundamental disrespect to the greater community.

Throughout the 11 years of their presence, numerous community meetings have centered around the crime and disorder coming from that place. And each time Peachtree Pine gives the same response: what goes on outside their walls is of no concern to them. Peachtree Pine has put much effort in advancing the visibility of street people rather than undertaking any serious effort to steer those in need into rehabilitative services and onward to a productive life. As a result, the individuals using Peachtree Pine feel free to pursue their lives of street crime with utter impunity.

Peachtree Pine’s ongoing recklessness not only works against community improvement efforts, but endangers the community and the homeless individuals they pretend to be helping. By allowing a safe haven for a large number of street criminals, members of the greater community have had their homes burglarized, their cars broken into, have been robbed, and had their property destroyed. How many more people will have to be victimized by these crimes before the leadership of Peachtree Pine will even acknowledge that very serious public safety and security problems emanate from their operations?

Peachtree Pine has had years of time to demonstrate their willingness to operate with consideration toward the community at large. Because Peachtree Pine has failed in this crucial point, we hope the City and courts will immediately cease all leniency with that dysfunctional organization.

For more insights on how the community feels about Peachtree Pine see our Peachtree Pine digest

http://www.midtownponce.org/news/PPineDigest.pdf

Atlanta Journal-Constitution article:

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/12/02/water_homeless_shelter.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab

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