Wealth And Power Vs. Poverty in Northeast KC

Here in Northeast Kansas City there has been a patriarchal power elite enforcing it’s desires upon the people. They say the answers to the problems of the Northeast can be found in locking human beings in cages or from forcing them out of the city. Women who are prostituted out are being further victimized by their self righteous legislation. The only help most of these women have is located in the Northeast. Their legislation bans these people from Northeast Kansas City. The Power elites Adam Schieber With the Bourgeois Neighborhood Association and Will Royster are on their crusade to use their power to gain what they desire. Will Royster has expressed his hatred to other human beings who are different than himself in an article in The Pitch: Meet the most notorious prostitute in a neighborhood known for – and trying to get rid of – its hookers. The article boasts his patriarchal credentials in his family lineage and the power they have wielded in this neighborhood for well over a century.  The article is interesting in the fact that it depicts the wealthy patriarch in his large historic home with his family as he maintains his battle against the human beings suffering on the street. Their opposition is Nick Pickrell, one person who had dedicated his life to fixing the very problems they claim to oppose. My opinion and stance is not that of Nick Pickrell or the Cherith Brook community.

Nick lives at  the Cherith Brooke Home, a community that is dedicated to helping those in need, a part of the Catholic Worker Movement.  The people at Cherith Brooks are wonderful, they open their home to those in need of shower, food and other resources. They have given their lives to fight against the exploitation and plight of other human beings. We have one side, those who are out in the community working hard to care for those suffering in the community. Then we have the other side working hard to put human beings in cages and make any effort to get out of a bad situation worse with the new felonies they invent with their religious devotion to the words they write and label “rule of law.”

Dear Bourgeois Neighborhood Association & Will Royster, Beating your slaves and wives was also protected and defended by “rule of law” at one point. I guess that made it right.

In the middle of all of this are the victims, the human beings that the “rule of law” threatens to attack and kidnap off the streets by their foot soldiers in blue. Here the century old patriarchy claims “right” over the region. They hide behind their invented titles and wear their wealth and status found through the coercive system of the state.  One group gets their hands dirty by being in the center of the problem voluntarily giving of themselves and working hard with human beings to help with their plight. The group side gets their hands dirty with the victimization of the poor and powerless forcing their will upon them.

I first became aware of this when they were working hard to pass SOAP/SODA.

SOAP stands for “stay out of areas of prostitution,” and SODA is an acronym for “stay out of drug areas.” They’re a new technique in crime prevention. A habitual prostitute, for example, might get a SOAP order as part of her probation. If she got busted for working on Independence Avenue, she wouldn’t be allowed to hang out there anymore. Some Old Northeast neighborhood groups are pushing officials to use SODA/SOAP clauses more.

Read more: http://blogs.kansascity.com/crime_scene/2009/05/should-old-northeast-use-soap-and-soda.html#ixzz0u8ppUSky

I write this because of an e-mail that was sent to me this morning. I want to share this with you all.

From Nick Pickrell

Hey there! It has been a long while since we have sent any information out…so here we are once again.

The reason for this email is to invite you all to attend one of two events coming up. The main individual responsible for getting the SOAP/SODA passed through the city hall last year is now running for political office. He is running for the district 40 seat on the state legislature. recently, he released a flier that went around to many of the Northeast residents. In the flier, Royster misrepresents himself by stating that he “acts, not just talks.” Unfortunately, Will Royster was absent from all the Northeast Working group meetings where community advocates and residents met with the city prosecutor to work out how to positively affect change in the Northeast through restorative justice practices instead of SOAP/SODA’s drastically increased criminalization of women who are being prostituted.

Okay, so here is where you come in. We are wishing to have a presence at these political forums coming up. We wish to hold Will Royster accountable for misrepresenting himself. We are asking for folks to come en masse to one -OR BOTH- town hall meetings. Please spread the word to as many people as you can. Invite any advocates, social workers, ministers, and community organizers as you can.

Below is the flier Royster issued as well as the information for the 2 upcoming town hall events. Thanks! Peace to you all.

EVENT INFO:
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Tuesday, July 20th at 6:30pm,
at Northeastminster Presbyterian Church (301 S. Van Brunt)

Thursday, July 22 at 7pm,
at Grace Church of the Nazarene (4300 Independence Ave. Kansas City, MO)

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WILL ROYSTER FLIER
(front) “There is only one person who’s plan was endorsed by prosecutors and neighborhood leaders to: REMOVE street gangs from Northeast / ELIMINATE drug houses plaguing our neighborhoods / STOP the prostitution on our streets.” (The last heading includes a picture of Darlene cut and pasted from the Pitch article)

(back) “Will Royster is a community leader who truly captures the essence of community leadership – looking out for his area, coming up with solutions. . .he’s done a fantastic job.” – Cathy Jolly
“Will Royster initiated the strongest legislation ever introduced in Kansas City to combat gangs, drug houses and prostitution in Northeast. In his first session in Jefferson City, Will pledges to work with leaders on both sides of the aisle to introduce legislation to drastically increase penalties on those convicted of gang violence, drug dealing and prostitution. A true neighborhood advocate, Will Royster is a proven leader with proven experience.”
“The Pitch Weekly / September 10, 2009 “Will Royster is a Dad who wants his kids to grow up in a neighborhood that’s safe.”

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Here are excerpts from ROYSTER’s INTERVIEW (from northeastnews.net ) – coming out July 14th:http://northeastnews.net/meetcandidates.html
If elected, what are the first three bills that you will submit to the Missouri House?
1) State enabling legislation allowing Kansas City to confiscate abandoned property faster and easier than currently allowed.
2) State enabling legislation allowing for violation of drug/gang/prostitution “Stay Out Of Area” orders to an automatic felony conviction.
3) State enabling legislation allowing the city of Kansas City to grant legislative and enforcement autonomy to selected neighborhoods regarding codes, zoning, liquor control, Section 8 density, and sex offender residential density within its boundaries.
(many questions and answers cut out here)
Crime, especially gang activity and prostitution, is an ever-present problem in the Northeast. As a state legislator, what would you do to assist our local police, courts and citizens as they address this problem? Drugs and prostitution are completely interconnected with gangs and vacant buildings. I would continue to advocate for County adoption of the SOAP/SODA anti-prostitution, anti-gang resolution, which was unanimously passed by City Council and municipal judges, so that we could have integration of the Drug Court into cooperative work with City Courts. I would also seek state legislation elevating violation of these orders to a felony level.
In your own words, why should you be elected to represent Northeast?
Because I promise nothing that I have not already done. I don’t just run for office every two years and talk about what I’ll do for Northeast — I accomplish things for Northeast, and I promise to continue doing so in an official capacity as state representative. In the last six years and four elections, my opponent has accomplished nothing for Northeast. More importantly, he hasn’t even tried. My “interests or hobbies” are [my community involvement — which is listed in full on www.northeastnews.net]. That’s what I do. That’s what I’ll continue to do. This election is about action vs. talk; progress vs. blight; and public service vs. self-service.
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ONE LAST TIDBIT – AFL-CIO endorsement troubles about Royster

From Will Royster

One note of clarification: I did attend the first meeting that Beth Murano orchestrated (at St. Anthony’s). I disagreed with the direction the pro-prostitute lobby was taking the proceedings, because it sought to remove prostitutes from anti-prostitution legislation. Drug-addicted prostitutes are the brokers for gang-related drug dealings. Graffiti marks gang territory in which gangs sell drugs and control prostitution.

Gangs, drugs, and prostitution promote blight. SOAP/SODA removes blight.

Just so that everyone knows my position on this: I do not support “watered down” anti-prostitution initiatives over proven anti-prostitution solutions.

Sincerely,

Will Royster

From The Bourgeois Neighborhood Association

Historic Northeast Leaders and Residents,

I have no desire to make this a fight between 2 campaigns and we get forced to pick sides, but an email copy at the very bottom of this email will detail an attempt by one person to rally a group of outsiders to influence how Northeast protects itself. Read the email I have attached below from a guy named Nick Pick[sic], a response from Will Royster, and then read my response which is the 7 points directly below.

Here are the facts of the situation:

1) Nick Pick[sic] is the public face for Cherith Brooks and Veronica’s Voice for opposition to ANY enforcement of ANY legislation that focuses in ANY way on the prostitute. I attend the same church as Nick Pick and respect his heart for serving the poor. He has a lot of grassroots support from people who mean well but know little about living in the Northeast with crime all around you. Nick may be one of the few who may claim to live in the Northeast as he within the past year (I believe) moved into the homeless house known as Cherith Brooks on Benton Boulevard. He is living here in the name of serving and living with the homeless (a worthy cause), not as a resident trying to provide a decent life for a family and safely raise kids in an historic section of town.

2) I, as an elected neighborhood leader, support the rule of law in the Northeast in general; and specifically believe street prostitution is and should continue to be illegal and it should be enforced, and, as with any enforced crime, should have penalties for violation of said crime. Any attempt by non-residents to tell us that it is wrong to enforce the rule of law should face the highest opposition from the Northeast leaders and residents. I am confident that past state legislators such as the respected Ronnie DePasco, or even Henry Rizzo, would not have stood for this when they were NE leaders – some outsiders coming in to tell us we shouldn’t enforce laws against street prostitution. I think we all can think of lots of other crimes that PLAGUE this community because a total lack of respect for basic laws. Littering, fireworks, street racing, street prostitution, drug lords, felons with guns, graffiti, rape, murder – it is indeed a slippery slope.

3) It is important to understand the 40th District race implications of the intended actions of Nick Pick[sic] and his outside posse. As Scarritt Neighborhood President and Cliff Drive Corridor Management Committee President, I attended a meet and greet for JJ Rizzo last night and identified myself as such to JJ. I am trying to attend many functions to let candidates know the Northeast community has a voice and wants to know how each candidate proposes to help the Northeast make their communities better. JJ spoke of attacking prostitution, but by focusing on the men who purchase sex, not the prostitutes. I recognized it as a repeat of ideas from past SOAP/SODA opponents, but respect that JJ is entitled to his own ideas if he can come up with them. However, it is clear from the email below that Nick Pick[sic] is directly working with one campaign to smear an opposing candidate (he is mentioning items that have nothing to do with SOAP/SODA, such as an AFL-CIO endorsement, and its bent on de-railing the campaign of a supporter of SOAP/SODA), and it going to leave Northeast as an even bigger hub for illegal street prostitution if he is successful.

4) As neighborhood presidents, Indian Mound President Scott Wagner, Pendleton Heights Past President and Current Vice President Kent Dicus, myself, East Patrol Major Ell, Jackson County Legislator Teresa Garza-Ruiz, city prosecutor Beth Murano, ALL of the city council, and ALL of the civil court judges of Kansas City, have ALL come out in support of SOAP/SODA legislation to continue to combat the rampant illegal street prostitution that is a black mark behind our businesses, in front of homes, and across our community. As neighborhood president I continue to support such legislation and hope that all listed above have the courage to continue to stand up to crime in broad daylight and say “Not in our community!”

5) I will continue to support the residents of the Northeast and their proposal of SOAP/SODA, led by Scarritt’s Renaissance Neighborhood Association and their board members. I will seek help from any and every elected official and any and every candidate who wants to offer support for SOAP/SODA.

6) I call upon ALL Northeast neighborhood associations to publicly show support for the rule of law in our community, and that illegal activity should be forcefully prosecuted by the Kansas City, MO Police Department and the City Prosecutor’s Office. That can range from fireworks to street racing, from littering to street prostitution. I call on all Northeast neighborhoods who believe crime should not be allowed to exist in broad daylight in our community to publicly call for residents to stand up against outsiders who think they know better than we do how we should protect our families. If you specifically believe your neighborhood has an issue with illegal street prostitution, I challenge you to support SOAP/SODA, or for your residents’ sakes, offer an alternative that carries that same respect for rule of law and consequences for those who chose to break the law of illegal street prostitution. There is no point in going to the table with individuals who seek to remove any criminal case for illegal street prostitution, when in fact the current situation in the Northeast demands we receive more criminal enforcement.

7) As Scarritt Neighborhood President, I ask that you forward this email on to your neighborhood association members, friends, and neighbors so they have a chance to counter a group of outsiders coming in to tell us how we should keep our families safe. Please attend the upcoming forum on Tuesday, July 20th at 6:30pm, at Northeastminster Presbyterian Church (301 S. Van Brunt) and stand with me to support the rule of law in Historic Northeast.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to me.

Sincerely,

Adam Schieber

President, Scarritt Neighborhood Association

These men label the opposition as an “outsider” in the same xenophobic way one attacks the migrants. They seem to be playing on the “us vs. Them” concept to discredit the people they do not like in this way. Furthermore, The only defense they give repeatedly is the same defense the anti-migrant movement gives “it’s the rule of law.” This defense stands on nothing short of the cultural myth that these “laws” that rich men invent and write on paper are somehow sacred or holy. This is all despite the fact that no person they are aggression against ever signed the contracts these men wrote to justify the kidnapping and aggression against a population they feel uncomfortable with. These “laws” are nothing more than contracts between these bourgeois men on how to pay their foot soldiers and what marching orders to give them.