Homelessness and crime could shape Denver's largely up-for-grabs mayoral race: radio host Ross Kaminsky
Ross Kaminsky, host on Denver's KOA Radio, discusses his city's upcoming mayoral election and the major homelessness crisis.
A Denver businessman dumped human poop that was found outside of his business on the steps of the Denver City and Council building on Monday, according to CBS Colorado.
Jon Caldara, the president of the Independence Institute think tank, dumped human feces on the steps of Denver's government building.
"This is a present from the homeless to the people who have kept this homeless problem going," he said, according to CBS.
Caldara told CBS Colorado that homeless people defecate outside his private business "at least twice a week."
An unhoused man walks with his belongings at an encampment in Denver on Monday. (Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
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Denver performed a homeless sweep on Monday and moved several of the homeless living at the camps into a hotel. Denver Mayor Mike Johnston hopes to find housing for over 1,000 homeless people by the end of 2023, according to the homelessness initiative listed on the city of Denver's website.
"We have to clean up vomit and urine and syringes and used condoms and feces," Caldara said, according to the outlet. "We didn't cause the homeless problem in Denver, but we have clean up after it."
He also called on others to do the same, as an "act of civil disobedience" the next time they find themselves cleaning up after the homeless.
"Next time you clean it up, drop it off here. Drop it off at City Hall as an act civil disobedience to ask them, to demand of them — to address the problem," he added.
Mayor Mike Johnston give an update on the City and County of Denver's State of Emergency on homelessness in Denver on July 25, 2023. (RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
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CBS reported that Caldera said he tried to appeal to police and Johnston and argued that the answer to the problem was not "tiny homes."
"This is a not an affordable housing crisis. This is a drug crisis, this is a mental health crisis, and this is a crisis of law. That these people who need help will never get help if they are not brought to jail where they are forced to get some help," he said.
Johnston and members of the city council are hosting town halls focused on the homelessness problem in the city and their plans to provide shelter to over 1,000 individuals, according to the city's website.
Cecilia Montielh packs up her belongings during a homeless encampment sweep in Denver on Monday. (Helen H. Richardson/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
Johnston's office did not return a request for comment. A spokesperson for the mayor told CBS Colorado that "the city has provided trash pickup for many encampments across the city to support both the residents living in the encampment as well as those who use those public spaces."