Phoenix Landlord - Tenant Poem by RoseAnn V. Shawiak

Standing blindly in a hall of injustice - city hall
to be exact - waiting to be jerked around some more
at city employee's whims.
Landlord - tenant, a department created to help those
having problems with landlords also.
Yet, the only help any tenant will receive is a kick
out the door to live on the street.
They'll help some, by putting you up in a motel,
giving out McDonald's books of gift certificates for
meals and possibly extend your motel stay.
Also, if you can find a house in three long days, the
city will pay first month's rent, security and
utility deposits for you.
Just try to find a place, have it inspected by a city inspector and okayed - in Phoenix? - it's next to
impossible!
Yet that's the city of Phoenix's solution to a major
problem with slumlords and greedy landlords.
It works not at all, as poor people get tossed and
thrown from one hell-hole to another with no hope of
rest or a home in sight.
Ask Mayor Phil Gordon, about his slumlord legislation
and he'll tell you, 'but he's one of the good ol' boys.
I can't touch him - he's a landlord and helps me get
elected'.
So poor people are more often than not left in the
street to fend for themselves.
On television you'll hear all about problems of the
homeless and how the city will legislate to get them
off the streets into shelters and jails, while never
raising a hand to alleviate the problem the city of
Phoenix is causing.
Just ask around - but ask the right people - those
who have been and are being abused by the city of
Phoenix.