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Free movie tickets for the homeless, as well as passes to local zoos and museums and a voter registration drive? C-SPAN playing on big screen TVs at homeless shelters? Sounds like part of a progressive fantasy about how cities should respond to homelessness -- short of actually providing housing, that is. But the city we're talking about is Denver, and the outreach to the homeless will take place only during the week of the Democratic National Convention, when the city will experience record media attention and an influx of high-profile visitors. Some homeless people and their advocates believe the extra effort to provide activities for the homeless during the convention amounts to little more than an attempt to shunt unsightly signs of poverty out of the spotlight. The Rocky Mountain News reports:
"It just sounds like another way to get rid of them," said Kayne Coy, 17, who volunteers feeding the homeless twice a week at Civic Center Park through the Food Not Bombs organization.As for the convention, Coy said: "I've heard rumors that all the homeless people are going to be sent away to Aurora or somewhere else."[Colorado Coalition for the Homeless President John] Parvensky vigorously denied that there will any attempt to hide the homeless during convention, which runs Aug. 25-28.Tight security around the Pepsi Center means some homeless people will get booted out of their regular camps along the South Platte River. Then, there's the protests and parades."A person who typically sits under a tree in a park that is now occupied by 1,000 protesters won't have the peace and quiet they're desiring," Parvensky said. "Particularly those with mental illness can't cope with crowds."Parvensky is confident Denver police won't target homeless people unless a law is being broken. Aggressive panhandling and begging for money in front of an ATM machine are both banned.--Dana Goldstein
