Democratic delegate Sheila Ruth
Posted on 02/24/2022 12:13:21 PM PST by MarvinStinson
Maryland state bill would prevent police from removing homeless camps from public property
Some of the nation's most liberal cities are cracking down on their homeless populations. But Maryland may soon ban police from removing homeless people from public property.
A Democratic-backed bill in the Maryland statehouse would prevent police from enforcing Failure to Obey Lawful Orders laws, which critics say would permit homeless camps, known as "tent cities," on public property. The sponsor of the bill, Democratic delegate Sheila Ruth, said in a committee hearing that these tent cities are not harmful or dangerous to communities.
"We shouldn't be destroying homeless encampments," Ruth said.
Ruth did not respond to a request for comment.
Ruth is pushing to permit homeless encampments in Maryland as Democratic politicians roll back on similar policies across the country. The Los Angeles City Council in October banned homeless camps in 54 locations. Austin, Texas, in May overwhelmingly voted to ban public camping across the city. Seattle and Washington, D.C., have cleared out homeless camps in recent months, and New York City mayor Eric Adams (D.) on Friday released a plan to remove homeless people from public areas such as subway trains.
Baltimore City estimates that there are more than 2,000 homeless people in the city on any given night. Statewide estimates put Maryland's homeless population at more than 6,000.
Maryland Republicans say Ruth's bill is the latest example of state Democrats' misplaced priorities on criminal justice.
"The last couple of years the focus of Maryland legislators has unfortunately been to treat criminals as victims and encourage breaking the law," state senator Michael Hough told the Washington Free Beacon.
Republican state senator Justin Ready said Ruth's bill would "encourage vagrancy like they have in places like San Francisco," worsening crime in Baltimore and other poverty-stricken areas in the state.
Maryland's term-limited Republican governor, Larry Hogan, is using his final months in office to press for a $500 million "Refund the Police" package and bills for tougher sentences for violent criminals. The Free Beacon reported in November that 88 percent of African-American Marylanders back Hogan's Refund the Police initiative.
Democratic state legislators in 2020 spiked Hogan's bills on tougher sentences and judicial transparency, even though polling showed near-unanimous support for his tough-on-crime reforms among Baltimore residents and African Americans across the state.
Democratic delegate Sheila Ruth
Will be pitching my tent* smack-dab on the verdant lawn in front of the Governor's Mansion!
That's legal now, right?
Regards,
*Anyone know where I can dig my latri... aw, heck: Why bother digging?
Pretty much exactly what I was thinking. Either the governor’s lawn, or on the capitol grounds.
Discrimination.
The Hoovervilles and at another time staying in the shacks of the army veterans in 1932 resulted in bloodshed.... (259 veterans killed).*
https://www.zinnedproject.org/news/tdih/bonus-army-attacked/
https://www.thoughtco.com/hoovervilles-homeless-camps-of-the-great-depression-4845996
search Google under Hoovervilles images
* How many Bonus Marchers were killed?
The Bonus Army : An American Epic (2004)
by Paul Dickson and Thomas B. Allen wrote that it brought death to at least 259 veterans.
Another: The War Against the Vets: The World War I Bonus Army during the Great Depression by by Jerome Tuccille.
Couldn’t happen in a more deserving state. Although I can think of a few that deserve it as well.
Photo caption:
The Maryland Public Meeting
They called me a Karen
and thought they were tough
So I gave ‘em a pounding
and asked “had enough?”
But one chick got up, slammed
my face to the bricks
and said now you’ll be ugly
and worked me over for kicks.
Good, all homeless need to move there ASAP.
Ruth did not respond to a request for comment.
Of course she didn't.
Not sure where in the district she lives, but this bee-otch deserves a "tent city" on the public land nearest her house. I'm sure her neighbors would love that. "Progressives", like her, think this is a great idea - as long as it happens somewhere else.
Democrat Sheila Ruth probably has stock in a tent company, haha.
Regressive libtards will put you back in tents or caves and you thought I was kidding 🤪
Be sure to open up the public areas as close as possible to her residence and let her experience first hand the impact it will have on her neighborhood. Must be a lot of homeless Democratic voters in Ruth’s district.....
Not only is Ruth stupid; she is ugly.
The sponsor of the bill, Democratic delegate Sheila Ruth, said in a committee hearing that these tent cities are not harmful or dangerous to communities.
“We shouldn’t be destroying homeless encampments,” Ruth said.
Well, except for criminal activity, and public health problems with urine and feces and trash, people getting sick and even dying from exposure to the elements, and making public parks inhospitable to people who want to use such places for their intended purposes, then I guess tent cities are not harmful or dangerous to anyone.
Interesting to see the reasoning ability of public officials.
When this depression gets worse, those who kick the homeless will soon be homeless themselves. There will be a lot more soon. Are they supposed to just disappear into thin air?
ah yes, Hamsterdam.
The Soros summer encampments must be planning to Occupy the MD beach towns this year.
Your summer beach trip should be inexpensive.
“Democratic delegate Sheila Ruth, said in a committee hearing that these tent cities are not harmful or dangerous to communities”
just wait until they camp out and block every business whose door fronts a public sidewalk, any metered space they want to camp out on, any public street they want to camp out on, any park, any public lawn or lot surrounding any public building or library, or the state capital, and THEN see how “harmful” that is, Sheila ...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.