Fans and critics of Take Back Santa Cruz give their take on our profile.
No Need to ‘Take Back’
Re: “Pulling No Punches” (Cover, Sept. 25): Take Back Santa Cruz from whom? Who controls and benefits from Santa Cruz? The property owners, the merchants and the customers of those merchants control Santa Cruz. Who benefits? The patrons of those merchants, including tourists and locals. What, exactly, does a homeless person sitting on the sidewalk in front of the Del Mar Theater control? What benefit is he/she receiving? For that matter, what does a criminal get out of Santa Cruz? Very little. Some time spent in the slammer, maybe?
Analicia Cube says we need to take back Santa Cruz from “abusive gang and drug behavior.” I’ve lived in Santa Cruz County since September 1970, and I’ve visited downtown Santa Cruz two or three times a week every week during those 43 years. I have yet to be harassed by anyone, homeless or otherwise. You don't need to “take back” something that you’ve never lost.
So what is it that TBSC objects to? Perhaps they do not wish to see poor and homeless people. Maybe they should just put their hands over their eyes and ears. Or, like the proverbial third monkey, their mouths.
Live and let live! And, maybe, spend a little time and money helping those in need.
Robert Scott
Boulder Creek
Totally Meta
Re: “Pulling No Punches”: Take Back Santa Cruz FROM Take Back Santa Cruz.
Mick Maus
Santa Cruz
FROM THE WEB
Thanks to TBSC
Re: “Pulling No Punches”: Analicia Cube, I would like to thank you and TBSC for your hard work on behalf of the good people who live and work in Santa Cruz City and Santa Cruz County. You have brought light to the darkest places in our community. You have encouraged positive movement and momentum to address the passive, co-dependent apathetic attitude that prevailed in Santa Cruz politics for the past 3+ decades. Thank you! Thank you for being the adult among children who finally stood up and told the unruly children in the room, “Enough! Behave yourselves.” Those who criticize you and the efforts of TBSC are certainly among the most responsible for the lack of safety and civility in Santa Cruz, either by their actions or by their irresponsible complicity.
Malcolm Crocker
TBSC is Me
Re: “Pulling No Punches”: TBSC was responsible for launching the Clean Team, which donates time every week to pick up tons of garbage, needles, urine bottles, etc. from creeksides; which garbage would otherwise have washed into our watersheds and ocean (although Brent Adams contends all the garbage is “planted”). TBSC is there to speak up when citizens like Shannon Collins and Carl Reimer are murdered, demanding these incidents be highlighted and dealt with, and demanding that our city be made safe.
As somebody with children in Santa Cruz, I am profoundly grateful to Analicia Cube and TBSC for stepping up to the plate. My read on TBSC is that most of its members are working people with children, like me. Analicia displays unbelievable courage in the face of death threats and various other types of intimidation, smear campaigns and harrassment. Thank you, Analicia.
John Hohn
