Before Launching “Crime Free” The City Needs To Become Confusion Free

The City of San Jose is considering the adoption of a Crime Free Multi-Housing Program supposedly designed to facilitate the eviction of problem tenants. However, it is written so badly it places at risk victims of domestic violence, residents who engage in acts of civil disobedience and others who are in no way a threat to their neighborhood.

The discussion over this measure has necessitated the creation of a whole new category of Whopper. Up to this point, Whopper stories were directed at statements that were false or misleading. A Galactic Whopper would identify a bigger lie than a mere Whopper. After hearing the “Crime Free” debate, I am now announcing the designation of INCOHERENCE WHOPPER. An INCOHERENCE WHOPPER column will identify proposals or comments characterized by such stupefying confusion that they boggle the mind.

Below are several excerpts from the comments of city officials during the discussion of Crime Free at the Rules Committee meeting of October 7th.

  1. Rick Doyle (City Attorney): “This is not a city law, this is not going to be a city ordinance, this is not going to be a city…the city is merely participating in a program, and it is a contract between private parties, that is, landlords and tenants.”
  2. Councilmember Johnny Khamis (speaking just a few minutes later): “…this is a program that would be run by our police department…”

  1. Councilmember Khamis: “The allegations that the Crime Free addendum does not respect due process is incorrect. The eviction process contains due process. (italics added).”
  2. Councilmember Khamis (speaking just seconds later): “Eviction is a civil process to begin with. If your landlord says you can’t smoke in an apartment, you have violated your landlord agreement and you can be evicted. And there would be no due process (italics added).”

 

Crime Free is a program which may lead to thousands of people being evicted including those who committed minor crimes decades ago. It is likely to disproportionately burden people of color. It allows undocumented residents to be evicted for the sole reason that they crossed the border illegally. Its astonishingly broad language encourages violations of first amendment liberties.

One would think that a measure with these kinds of possible effects would not be brought to the Rules Committee until its proponents had some notion of how it would work and what it would do. In fact, the proponents cannot talk about the measure for 10 minutes without hopelessly contradicting themselves. City Attorney Rick Doyle and Councilmember Johnny Khamis are hereby recognized for their historic role

in providing the basis for Left Hook’s first Incoherence Whopper.

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