Abandoned Housing-LOCAL BLOCK GOVERNMENT: Version 3?

[Mike Adams]

(Block Government 2014a) (2014h?)
(I use Neighborhood Watch not as it is now, but more like the Guardian
Angels of NYC or like? I got to edit things some and ...)

LOCAL BLOCK GOVERNMENT:

The ideas, reasons for and how to for a local block/neighborhood government.

The idea of a block or neighborhood governmental body is not new, going back
to before the days of the manor and tun and like bodies. Some more
democratic than others, and some having more powers than others.
After all what is a self-sufficient community?

A local neighborhood/apartment complex or hi-rise can be just as a community
and government as a small colony in Virginia or Massachusetts was.

The basic idea of a local block government is:

To give local people a say in the day to day government of their local
community.

To see how the wheels of power work from a local perspective.
To bring the city government closer to home, more responsive to the local
peoples needs and saying.

A feeling of self/local control over how things are done.
Common defense against a wide variety of criminal elements.
To bring about community ownership of their dwellings and bring about
changes as needed and not as some absent landlord wishes it to be.

How this is done:

First off is to have communications between members of a community block and
this means to be safe from fear. Or driven by fear, a need to so something,
hopefully not violent.

Forming a Neighborhood watch is a major step along a long road, but the end
results will be wonderful.

Local Neighborhood Watch (NW) acts as a local block element of defense and
law enforcement, local law as well as city, borough, county, state, an
federal law. But first off local law. Basically the neighborhood watch is
a local police auxiliary and fits with in the traditional Militia/Fyrd
ideals. The NW is the members of the community doing what ever they can do
for the community to fight against any form of invasion of the community, to
bring to justice those in the community or from outside the community that
need to be brought to justice.
To stop being a lamb to slaughter and to take an active part in the
communities protection, safety and freedom to do what the community people
wish to do. Namely the freedom from fear.

The NW in the new government structure will become the communities law
enforcement and the militia arm of the local block/complex government.

Any law enforcement and militia/military structure must be under civil
control, and for this NW, a local block/neighborhood government is necessary
to make sure the NW does not become as bad as the elements they are supposed
to protect the community from.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE:
In a hi-rise for example, each floor would have a Floor Manager/Reeve, who
in concert with other Floor Reeves and the Building Manager/Reeve would do
the day to day governing (with comments and review by the citizenry of the
building). Normally I like the idea of each floor electing its
representative. And the building manager being elected by the people of the
building en-mass.

The Building Council:
Made up of the Building Reeve and the Floor Reeves.

Supported by select personnel who though not part of the building council do
play a part in the councils business and the maintenance and upkeep of the
building of which they are empowered to govern.

The Building Clerk: Charged to maintain the building records.
The Building Treasurer: Charged to maintain the building finances.
The Chief of the Fyrd: Charged to keep the peace as well as law and order,
leading the security forces and fyrd of the building as needed and directed
by the laws of the building.
Chief Judge of the Building: Charged to judge those who need to be judged in
matters relating to the health, safety and welfare of the building.

BASIC GOALS:
Bring about local government by locals getting involved and forcing city
government to recognize the local block gov as a viable tier of city
government, better able to deal with and collect local taxes and provide
police and local more responsive justice.

HOW TO INCORPORATE THE GOV:
First major step is to thru legal means, acquire the apartments/lands that
make up the local neighborhood, to include declaring the land abandoned by
its "owners" and therefore open for local purchase/eminent domain, salvage
laws and like laws.

Once the first apartment complex is taken over by its one time tenants, they
are to form a governing body, to control the cash flow, rents, utilities and
like, similar to a condo association. But with each tenant (lease holder)
having a share in the incorporated building tenants associations Inc. The
governing body is to use the money collected from rents and other means, to
pay for the upkeep/maintenance of the building complex, the utilities,
contractors and wages for workers (possible money off rent for work done is
possible). Each tenant household has voting stock shares of the Corporated
body of the Building Association, and as such as the power to vote on issues
such as:

Election of, removal of the Reeves.
Changes in the relationship between the tenants and their elected officials.
Expelling unwanted members, namely to throw out the criminal elements of the
community.

The Council has the below powers:
To negotiate contracts with outside government, to collect fees, to expel
members, and to act for all purposes as a local city government to include
local civil/criminal court (minor offenses). One part of the tenant
contract is the giving over to the building council the right to expell
unruly/criminal tenants with due cause and trial. Also one part is also
that tenants can not sell their shares unless the sale is approved by the
building council (to keep unwanted external elements out of the complex).

Tenants who are of legal age are voting members of the corporate body called
the Block Government and as such are eligible to vote, serve the community,
militia service and other tasks as needed.

GOALS:
The Governing Body is to make the apartment complex a safe and livable place
to live.

To form a Neighborhood/Block Watch from the tenants to act as a auxiliary to
the local police force. To provide for equitable treatment of all tenants.
To screen new tenants.

To act as the tenants representatives to the City Government. Also to bring
into the apartment complex those services directed by the tenant membership,
include possible convience store and like businesses on the first floor..
Also to remove unwanted tenants or unwanted elements (criminal namely).

Deliniating powers, how to get the powers (directors) in, and how to get
them out, what powers they have, and what powers does the body politic have
to remove, change, override them.

Board of Directors:
In a hi-rise apartment complex it maybe different, one Director per floor
(Floor Manager), whose job it is to maintain the peace, maintenance and well
being of the floor and the people on it, and to work with the other floor
managers as well as the building manager to provide what is necessary for a
effiecient and fair/just house management.

Floor Reeve: Individual elected by the voting members of the floor the Reeve
represents, to act as their representative to the building council.
Responsibilities: To give the members of their floor good and fair
representation in the tun/building council.

Tun Reeve: Individuals elected by the floor reeves to represent the
building/tun to the either block council or the city council.

Building Fyrd: A combined law enforcement and also in times of emergency a
militia, styled for the protection of the building and its inhabitants. All
residents are members of the fyrd in what ever compacity they can be used
in.

Officers and NCOs having to be voting members. Head of the Fyrd acts as the
Sergeant at Arms of the Building Council meetings.

Building Council:
Made up of the Building Reeve and the Floor Reeves, it controls (or
delinitates) the representation to the city council and its representative.
Also provides for quick and just law and court cases of building members
(members do not have to go to the Building Council if they do not wish to).
As well as to find cash sources, to collect building fees/rents and
debts/charges (taxes?). To act as the organizer of the building Fyrd. To
keep the building maintained and utilties paid. To provide safe law
enforcement and security of members. o expell any unwanted tenants and to
find wanted tenants. To give fair and just government to the members of the
building. To provide services that the individual tenants could not do
themselves.

Voting members of the community are the final court of local apeals. If a
majority of the voting tenents vote for expulsion of an unwanted tenants,
then the tenant is evicted as per local laws.

Maintenance: Would be directed by the local government, and contracts given
out as need of members, money and time becomes available.

Possible is to have people work off their rent for maintenance and new
works.

More ideas appreciated.

Mike
2007