The Fight Over Fresno's Homeless Heats Up

04/10/2007 (KFSN) -- The fight over Fresno's homeless is heating up. The City Council, and Mayor's office are taking opposite sides on how to deal with the trash, and waste created by hundreds of people living on city streets.

Emotions flared up at the council meeting Tuesday, council members seem to have drawn the line in the sand and even challenged the Mayor to veto the port-o-potties and dumpster they say are desperately needed for the homeless.

The streets of Downtown Fresno are where Terrance Thomas lays his head at night. He says bathroom options are limited for the estimated 300 other homeless people in Fresno who often have no choice but to use open latrines and sidewalks.

Thomas says "we're still people. If we're still people we should still have respect like a person." Thomas welcomes the idea of 2 port-o-potties and a dumpster on H street under the Monterey street overpass, being proposed by 2 City Council Members.

Jerry Duncan, Fresno City Council, says "an open latrine is a very serious situation. There are basically 15 diseases that can come from open sewage, including hepatitis."

But the Police Department and Mayor Alan Autry are against the portable restrooms, saying it's been tried and failed. Andy Souza, Fresno City Manager, says "he's been on the record that he does not support this an alternative so to somehow frame this as the Mayor is not willing to play together is just a bad characterization."

Council voted 5 to 2 on Tuesday to request the port-o-potties and dumpster, but next week they say they will vote on a resolution that will force the city to put out the toilets.

The Mayor is promising to veto the toilets. Henry T. Perea, Fresno City Council, says "if the Mayor wants to veto this, then let him. Let him veto it and then let this council override because I think we need to do more than just make a public statement."

Council Member Cynthia Sterling says the portable restrooms would be a small step toward working on the bigger picture.

City and county leaders are working on a date to meet to try to come up with some sort of an answer to our growing homeless problem.

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