Sept. 16th, 2010: Letter to the Mayor
This letter is written by a friend of mine, Rene Ronquillo, to Mayor Berry in Albuquerque. It highlights some of the issues that we in Albuquerque are facing. Feel free to comment. I know this is a hot button issue. It could happen to anyone – all it takes is a small twist of fate. A debilitating injury, an accident, a divorce, loss of a job…all of these could lead to homelessness. The recent arrests of two men for feeding the homeless without a permit are terrible tragedies and a sad display of the priorities of our city and APD. Why would the honest giving of one person to another require a permit? Poor and homeless people will always be a very real part of our society, and I know that if I ever became a person in need, I would be so grateful that someone cared enough to spend every Sunday afternoon for 4 years helping to make sure that my belly was full. The police are claiming that feeding the homeless requires a permit and that that is why these men were arrested. Since wh