The face of Manteca’s complex homeless situation is no lo longer Robert Schuknecht, the guitar-strumming guy that stationed himself on the sidewalk at the East Yosemite Avenue McDonald’s often with a BBQ fired up cooking dinner or lunch while waiting for handouts.

It’s Norman John Moore who keeps getting citations for unlawful camping and keeps clamoring for a jury trial to “expose” his conclusion Manteca’s enforcement of anti-camping laws that a federal district court settlement gave its blessing to as well as other measures the City of Manteca has taken are unconstitutional when it comes to the rights of the homeless.

Schuknecht along with three other homeless men — Mario Acosta, Justin Lightsey,  and James Escobar — filed a class action against the City of Manteca on  Nov. 13, 2015 contending the city was violating their civil rights. A settlement agreement gave the four and their attorneys $47,000 and cost the city $30,000 in legal costs. The lasting legacy is the rewriting of the city’s anti-camping ordinance in such a manner that it did not zero in on the homeless and made it clear that anyone had the right to lie down and sit on public property between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. unless there were justified exceptions that applied legally to everyone.

Moore’s latest citation for illegal camping was issued on Dec. 15, 2018. It involved illegal camping in the 1400 block of West Yosemite near Midas. He was supposed to appear in court last month.

By his own admission he’s been ordered six or seven times to move his tent for illegal camping including once in the PG&E right-of-way along the Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Louise Avenue after he said a nearby homeowner complained of his presence.

In information he submitted to the court this time around, he provided several written documents that underscore in a Mad Hatter way what Manteca is up against.

Mad Hatter situation No. 1 is about his housing wishes.

First he refers to an encounter with Manteca Police Community Resource Office Mike Kelly who is dedicated to homeless related issues. He talks about how Kelly introduced him to five people representing different organizations helping the homeless.

One was a lady from Catholic Charities out of Stockton who made him aware of a studio apartment they’d help him secure that he could afford in French Camp for $400 a month. It is something he could swing on an $805 a month Social Security check.

But Moore said thanks but no thanks after discovering French Camp wasn’t within the 10th Congressional District. It was important for him to be able to cast a vote in the highly contested race that he determined to be of more value than having a roof over his head.

Clearly Moore has a list of housing requirements that he won’t compromise on including a permanent address in the 10th Congressional District.

Mad Hatter issue No. 2 is whether commandeering electricity is stealing or simply using public commodity.

It involves a second encounter between Kelly and Moore after a city employee complained Moore had plugged in his coffee pot to an outside electrical outlet near the Parks and Recreation Department on the Civic Center’s “park-like quad”.
Moore was not happy that Kelly ordered him to unplug the coffee pot indicating if he didn’t Norman would be issued a citation for stealing electricity.

Norman’s comeback: There was no sign saying people couldn’t use the electricity and he asked who does the electricity belong to anyway?

After Kelly ordered Moore to unplug the coffee pot and remove it along with a crock pot, the officer tells him that he can get coffee at the senior center.

Moore then shares how he often does that and even drops by for the lunch that is supposed to cost all seniors $1.50 but the kitchen manager will waive the cost for him. He also talks about how he chats with other seniors at the center that aren’t homeless.

In a way it weakens his argument than Manteca is giving the homeless the cold shoulder.

Moore also takes exception to District Attorney Tori Veber Salazar’s efforts to work with cities such as Manteca to target the five most problematic homeless individuals in terms of crime they commit as well as comments made by Mayor Ben Cantu and Councilman Gary Singh made last year that they wanted to see Manteca hire four more additional police officers.

It is clear many homeless have an alternate reality where meeting a list of conditions most would view as unreasonable as a precursor to securing permanent shelter and the idea that it is OK for citizens — whether they are homeless challenged or not — to simply procure electricity from power outlets at city facilities because there are no signs posted saying it’s illegal to do so.

One would expect the city would take a dim view of someone running extension cords onto various electrical outlets in the downtown district that have been used over the years to string clear lights in trees along Yosemite Avenue during the holiday season.

Rest assured if a business was caught doing that the city would throw the book at them.

Moore supplied a few reasons why the homeless issue makes about as such sense as the mad hatter’s Tea Party.

Mayor Cantu live

tonight at 7 p.m.

on social media

Mayor Ben Cantu will be holding a live video chat with the public on Monday, Feb. 4, at 7 p.m. The live chat will be on the mayor’s Facebook page, and is the first-ever live chat conducted by a sitting mayor.

“As mayor, I believe in the importance of using technology to communicate with residents in ways we never have before,” said Mayor Cantu. “I see this as another way to be as accessible to folks as possible.”

Individuals can tune into Mayor Cantu’s Facebook page at 7 p.m. at Facebook.com/mayorbencantu. Folks will be able to ask questions of the mayor in real-time and have them answered. Questions can also be emailed ahead of time to bcantu@ci.manteca.ca.us.

This live chat will be the first in a series of live chats with the public that Cantu will hold during his term.