Good Trouble LFK

Seems like it *could* be a good warmup for a general strike. Maybe, kinda sorta. Maybe, hypothetically, we could lean into the ways that we come together to survive the shutdown to prefigure supporting that kind of action. Just sayin'.

On a lot of levels, organizing is often as much about building resilience networks that can adapt better to political turbulence as it is challenging the status quo.

This would be more helpful than the homeless camp snitch app.

What this means in Kansas is that AG Kris Kobach is on the side of Trump weaponizing hunger when he battles Gov. Kelly's lawsuit trying to force SNAP payments. (Gift link from yesterday!) #ksleg www.kansascity.com/opinion/read...

That said, the way the City/County government is set up, the Commissions are the only point of public contact and most of the decision making and policy implementation is handled by the City Managers office/County Admin staff. Which makes it hard for the average voter to know how to affect anything.

I also think that getting informed and building a political coalition is grueling hard work. That business interests have the money to pay staff to organize in their interest. And that we've been propagandized to believe we lack agency.

That wouldn't explain how few people showed up for the City Commission primary, so we ended up re-nominating Bob Schumm. I think it's that a lot of people don't engage politically until something impacts them personally, and then they do it reactively.

Hi Lawrence! when are we going to address the fact that most of this community doesn't want to engage politics, even at the electoral level?

If you are unwilling to listen to me about the power that empathy has against fascism listen to The Provost. her expertise is unmatched and we are saying the same thing for a reason because to truly defeat fascism you have to embrace our shared, collective humanity, it’s an anti fascist super weapon

The ways that current pushes in City homeless residency and camping policy are already driving discrimination against BIPOC and disabled people might be relevant to this discussion.

As bad as things are, they are not as bad as they could be and most certainly will be if we don't get it together.

What are we going to do about it?

A lot of back and forth about these kinds of posts.

Our two cents:

Grassroots community organizers have been running themselves ragged trying to get engagement with local organizing efforts.

We need more than single day 'I don't like what's happening!' events.

I don't know if many in Lawrence have ever lived in a strong labor city, but if Lawrencians want labor to have any power in this town, it needs more than unions. It needs a culture that supports unions.

That won't cross a picket line during a strike. That signal boost union actions.

!!!! general strike !!!!

I've mentioned this before but it bears repeating. Don't leave FSA funds on the table at the end of the year. LOTS of places like homeless shelters etc... would love donations of FSA eligible items. For the past 2 years, I've used left over funds to shop here: fsastore.com - then donate the items.

At this point, we don't even need fascists to invade this community. It's becoming more authoritarian on its own.

100 displays of consolidating power and flexing 'We're in charge, you're not.'.

We're not doing 10% of what we could be to organize against it.

KBI raids yield hundreds of pounds of marijuana, thousands of joints, vapes and edibles • Kansas Reflector The Kansas Bureau of Investigation seized hundreds of pounds of marijuana and tens of thousands of pre-rolled joints, THC vapes and edibles during raids last week at 18 retail stores across Kansas.

Kobach keeping his priorities on point as usual.

kansasreflector.com/briefs/kbi-r...

Its becoming clearer that 'Democracy dies in darkness' was aspirational.

Our prediction is that the City of Lawrence will end up paying more money to jail homeless people over the camping ban than they currently do on funding homeless services.

City Commissioners one year from now: "Wow hardly anyone is using the rec centers any more. I guess we should cut the hours and reduce staffing."

This is the political environment in which the City of Lawrence is planning to 'end homelessness in Lawrence' by gatekeeping access to services and running everyone else out of town and wrapping it up in care language.

This is what understanding both what you are fighting for and what you are fighting against looks like.

Lawrence to ban camping effective in mid-August as shelter options expand; coalition forming in opposition The City of Lawrence is planning to ban people from camping “anywhere in Lawrence” effective in mid-August, representing a change that has long been in the works.

The City of Lawrence is making moves to move forward on this NOW.

People are getting snatched off the streets of Chicago by Trump's gestapo.

Fox anchormen are publicly calling for homeless people to be executed.

And the City of Lawrence is pushing forward on criminalizing street homelessness.

Because the old 9th circuit ruling prevented the City from enforcing its Parks and Rec regulations up until recently, there has perpetual state of exception, and they are treating this as simply going back to enforcing standing statutes.

Although the residency restrictions on services are new.

Because the old 9th circuit ruling prevented the City from enforcing its Parks and Rec regulations up until recently, there has perpetual state of exception, and they are treating this as simply going back to enforcing standing statutes.

Although the residency restrictions on services are new.

There are campers with multiple dogs who will be forced to choose between abandoning their pets and facing criminal charges.

There are DV victims fleeing their abuser that will be forced to choose between staying at the shelter with their abuser and facing criminal charges.

Or leave town.

There are campers with multiple dogs who will be forced to choose between abandoning their pets and facing criminal charges.

There are DV victims fleeing their abuser that will be forced to choose between staying at the shelter with their abuser and facing criminal charges.

Or leave town.

People who are not 'Lawrence residents' are going to be denied shelter services.

City services have set the standard of residency at being able to demonstrate prior residential status in Lawrence.

There are people who have been here in Lawrence for over a decade who have *never* had an apartment.