Home > Aquarium coverage > Fish Tank > Archives > 2005 > November > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USGroup advocates for more housing
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Downtown has gone to the fish, homelessness protesters shouted this morning at Centennial Park.
“House people before fish!” chanted the raucous crowd of about 50 that began arriving at about 9 a.m., many wearing blue cardboard shark heads.
“A sad day for Atlanta when we choose fish over thousands of homeless,” one protester’s sign read.
“We’re calling on the citizens of Atlanta to redirect their priorities. Before we find the money for a fish house we should find the money to house the poor. We’re concerned that more public housing is being demolished and the residents aren’t being taken care of,” said Heather Bargeron, with the Martin Luther King Campaign for Economic Justice.
The group also shouted out their disdain for Atlanta’s new anti-panhandling ordinance which bans beggars in the downtown area. Fake dollar bills featuring “Barnacle Marcus,” aka aquarium sponsor Bernie Marcus, Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin and aquarium mascot “Deepo,” bemoan the ban, saying it limits free speech and led to the “unjust jailing of hundreds of Atlantans.”
Mike Vosburg-Casey had a sign that said, “How much is that fishie in the window? $280 million.”
“We need to build an economy that’s sustainable for all people as opposed to the anomaly of this place. We need a living wage, good jobs and health care for the poor,” Vosburg-Casey said.
Protesters from as far away as California were on hand.
“In L.A. we have similar problems, such as the Disney concert hall, which are all about building expensive projects to serve people who have money, so they can spend money, and this type of thing is going on all over the country,” said David Gardner.
The protesters are being watched closely by members of a private security force that oversees the park, the Georgia World Congress Center Authority Police. Officers on bikes scan the crowd from beneath a Brand Atlanta sign featuring the image of a fish and the slogan “Every Day is Opening Day.”
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Comments
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By E
November 21, 2005 11:32 AM | Link to this
Bernie Marcus was not born a billionaire - he did that himself and has brovided thousands of jobs for people while making it easier to improve your home. I have been volunteering for over 20 years including bringing food to the homeless. There are plenty of jobs and the illegal imigrants in Atlanta is proof of this . Over 50% of the homeless in Atlanta are not from Atlanta. Atlanta, with all it’s churches, is known as an easy mark to those in the US who prefer not to work and live off othersand the weather isn’t too bad.* We are spending about $ 123,000.oo a minute on the war in IRAQ-Complain about that. Work hard, become a billionaire and give your money to the homeless or go to a third world county and see what homelessness really is. STOP BMAMING OTHERS FOR YOUR LOT IN LIFE AND GET A JOB!!!* I’m a Korean war vet and live off my social security.
By Alexander
November 21, 2005 12:25 PM | Link to this
All these protesters have set out to prove is that where there are sharks, there are most certainly remoras (aka sucker fish).
By Tim
November 21, 2005 01:02 PM | Link to this
I was born and raised in Atlanta. I’m 47 years old and I’m sick of what it has become. The “homeless” and the misguided liberals who support them have made the downtown area uninhabitable for the rest of us. You think the money spent on the aquarium should have been “givenâ€? to others for them to have a place to live. Why don’t you let them all live with you! All of you need to get a friggin’ life, better yet, get a job!!! Great job Mr. Marcus. Thank you for such a great place, but you should have built it in the suburbs so we don’t have to deal with these people.
By Jess
November 21, 2005 01:54 PM | Link to this
Since Mr. Marcus is a private citizen he can use his own personal money to do whatever the heck he wants and that includes creating the GA Aquarium. I am pretty shoked that people are out there complaining about this! He employed thousands of people building the place and I’m sure hundreds more running the place plus all the educational values it has for educating our children in turn preventing homelessness and poverty.
By Jess
November 21, 2005 01:59 PM | Link to this
I’m sure you complainers would much rather have the downtown area be a huge haven for the homeless. I think that is a great idea, I’m sure it will help bring jobs and prosperity.
By Scott
November 21, 2005 02:06 PM | Link to this
How about the homeless actually go out and get a job? I think it’s hilarious how illegal immigrants from Mexico can find jobs in a country where they don’t speak English and most are alone or with their families. Most are homeless when they come over but find a way to make it. The fact that people don’t want you to know is that most of the homeless in Atlanta are crack heads and lazy. They can’t hold down a job because they are lazy and when they do get money they spend it immediately on drugs. For these idiots that are protesting they need a lesson in reality. This is America and it’s survival of the fit. If you are too lazy to work then I have no pity for you at all.
By Becca
November 21, 2005 02:54 PM | Link to this
What amazes me is that some people try to make it out like you can’t support charitable causes AND something like the GA Aquarium. That makes no sense to me. I am all for helping out those who WANT to help themselves out — I think there is a lot to be said for helping out our fellow man. However, there is nothing wrong with eco-conservation, entertainment, and enjoyment. I say WAY TO GO GA Aquarium. I can’t wait to visit next week!
By Chad Hyatt
November 21, 2005 04:05 PM | Link to this
The point is not that aquariums are bad. The point is that people should come first.
Mr. Marcus’ aquarium is being targeted because he was a prime mover behind the recently passed anti-panhandling ordinance. $280 million on fish; $20 million (maybe) on people. Those are bad priorities. There’s enough money, private and public, in churches and in businesses, to care for all the citizens of our city. The aquarium and its many sponsorships prove that.
For those who think getting a job is the solution to all the problems of the world, try making it on minumum wage. That translates into little more than $10,000.00 a year. Or work as a day laborer, that’s what many homeless and immigrants do. In fact, more than half of all homeless folks do work—they just don’t make enough to live on.
Jobs aren’t the answer. Rearranging our priorities to put people first is.
So support a living wage. Advocate for affordable housing. Stop jailing the poor when no one is looking so tourists and suburbanites can feel safe downtown. In that kind of Atlanta, everyone could enjoy the city. Everyone could feel safe. And we all might enjoy the aquarium. That would be a nice change, don’t you think?
By Berly
November 22, 2005 10:54 AM | Link to this
All I have to say is, “Put your money and your time where your mouth is.” Would the time spent protesting been better spent cooking for or developing relationships with these homeless people? It’s a question for the individual protestor to answer. Also, none of the protestors should have been out there if they do not personally put what they can financially and time-wise into homeless people. Again, that is something for the individual protestor (this goes for protestors of any issue!) to consider. And wouldn’t such protests have been more effective when the plans for the aquarium were in the works? What’s done is done. Now, throw yourself even more into the plight of the homeless in a way that will actually help them if that is where your heart lies.
By T
November 23, 2005 09:51 AM | Link to this
Oh my….I was appalled at the protests about the aquarium. The wonderful man spent his OWN money to build this aquarium in OUR city, OUR state. Not only did he employ people to build the aquarium, he then has a staff to run it and also is offering classes to our children. Where is this wrong? Did anyone think of the tax revenue this aquarium will bring in to Atlanta?? Of the out of state people coming to see it and spending their money in our city? Boosting our economy? Hello!!!! More money creates what? More jobs, more housing, more benefits to those who are unable to work.
I love the quote in the article….”are all about building expensive projects to serve people who have money, so they can spend money, and this type of thing is going on all over the country,â€? said David Gardner.” Well DUH!!! If they spend money here, revenue should go to help the citizens…maybe a few city employees who do not pass it on….but mostly to help people.
Thank you for your generosity Mr. Marcus.
By Mick Stone
November 23, 2005 04:46 PM | Link to this
Why do activists insist on calling for a “living wage” when people making minimum wage live lives of greater material abundance than 99% of the people who have ever walked the Earth?