Dear friends and residents of District A,
This Wednesday, the City of Houston administration is asking City Council to approve/pass a FEEDING ORDINANCE.
A feeding ordinance?!
Yes, a feeding ordinance. This is no joke.
Currently "feeding" (any distribution of food outside of the restaurant industry) is not regulated in Houston and they desire to "remedy" this.
Plenty of lame excuses (well-worded & deceptive) are being given in an effort to quickly push this ordinance through. ("declaring an emergency" - it takes effect immediately). One excuse is that some homeless could possibly sustain food poisoning because of the unsanitary conditions of some churches and/or non-profits. I guess we should disregard what the alternative would be - the homeless eating out of dumpsters again. But wait! Sometimes the government chooses to spend tax dollars on schooling the homeless in how to eat out of dumpsters (in the early 1990's "The Fine Art of Dumpster Dining," part of a program called Taking It From the Streets, was produced by Project Dignity, an advocacy group for the homeless in Orange County). http://articles.latimes.com/1992-06-07/local/me-350_1_homeless-people#.T1QOKMqPm64.google
So which is it? This is not about sanitation, so spare me please.
It's all about regulation and control (bringing structure to the process, lol, and that has to happen with government coming down on them, I guess). Here is the footage from the Quality of Life Committee (see part at 5:58 min): http://houstontx.city.swagit.com/player.php?refid=02222012-106
"We are encouraging [excuse me...you mean, mandating?] people to go through this so that they can learn some basic sanitary practices. There are minimal risks. My staff is fully prepared to coaching and counseling people on that [look, they are twiddling their thumbs now?]. It's not going to be a situation where it is overkill. I really don't have the staff to be a more of a Gestapo, to police this thing like that [laws are made to be enforced, so what you meant to say is that if we want to police this, it would be Gestapo like, and we would need additional staff]." (see 27:27)
The proposed ordinance will criminalize anyone who does not register, get trained, get facility approved, and comply before distributing/sharing food to those "in need." So who is to qualify and define "those in need"?
And this is not restricted to those "in need." (see 24:45 - "It relates to feeding people"). Part of the ordinance does not even say it pertains to "those in need" but just "individuals."
What happens in the event of a hurricane or the economic collapse of this city or nation? I asked if the rules would not apply. "I wouldn't say that" I was told.
You see, if this ordinance passes, people helping people with "food" needs will not be tolerated and will be criminals unless you get permission from the city via registration, training, and location approval. It must be all controlled and "organized" and as a matter of fact the city is even talking about having all "charitable" food distribution handled by ONLY one source. This ordinance will be taken very seriously, it was stated, and they would not tolerate any violators, and all violators will be criminalized.
What about religious freedom and freedom of speech?
For many, giving food to the needy is a part of their religious practice. In no way should government meddle in the practice of a religion and try to mandate any type of registration or training for individuals to be able to freely practice their religion.
For many, giving food to the needy is an expression of their beliefs and says something. Free speech is not restricted to just audible words. Religious expression is part of free speech. It can be expressed in acts of charity and kindness such as in the sharing of food. In no way should government meddle in free speech and try to mandate any type of registration or training for individuals wishing to express themselves in this manner.
Cesar MUST NOT regulate Jesus Christ!
Churches should not have to come to the state to get permission to do what they do best, ministering to the needy. Those who advocate a separation of church and state cannot have it both ways. Separation of Church and State was not that the church could not guide the state but that the State could not have a defined religion of the state or regulate the affairs of the Church.
What does the proposed ordinance say? We have attached the entire ordinance to this email. It is twelve pages long. The key points are as follows:
Sec. 20.5
(a) "a religious, community-based, or other charitable organization or individual desiring to conduct feeding activities without charge, payment or other compensation, to benefit those in need at a location off-site from organization property, shall complete and submit to the health officer a feeding registration form...."
(b) "....a religious, civic, or other charitable organization or individual seeking to serve or distribute food, without charge, payment or other compensation, to individuals at locations off-site from organization property ... may do so, provided that the organization:
(1) Conducts the charitable feeding activity at a location approved by the health officer....
(2) Has written consent from the property owner to conduct the charitable feeding activity on the property;
(3) Is currently registered with the health officer ... to conduct such activity on the property;
(4) Conducts the charitable feeding activity in accordance with all terms and conditions as required by the health officer, including, but not limited to, the following;
a. At least one person who has attended a city-sponsored or approved food safety training class and has received an appropriate charitable feeding certification ... accordingly, shall be present at all times when food is being prepared and served...."
What is the cost? Not mentioning the cost to the FREE EXPRESSION of Houstonians, currently the ordinance specifies that there will be no fee involved with the registration or training, just the initial costs to those who do not comply via the standard city ordinance VIOLATION FINES.
As has been customary in past times, a fee will later be implemented when the costs are realized and need to be covered, such as the costs of added personnel and police etc NEEDED TO ENFORCE this, such as the implementation, processing, prosecution, incarceration, etc. So let's not say this doesn't cost the taxpayers anything, or, that we don't place additional burden on our law enforcement and personnel for the implementation and enforcement of this. The city is already $1,700,000,000 billion dollars in debt with interest payments of over $10,000,000 per month!
We understand there are problems in this arena in the private sector, so let's work to solve those problems in the private sector vs allowing a broke government that cannot even govern themselves.
Please call 832.393.1100, today Monday, March 5, 2012 and sign up to speak before City Council on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, and let your voice be heard loud and clear: "My free expression and free exercise of charity shall not be infringed!" Just imagine, Jesus would have been criminalized for feeding the 5,000 men (not counting women and children) because he had no permit, no training, and no approved facility. What is this city coming to?
Thank you and God Bless!
