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This man has been an absolute scourge to this city. He is a complete and utter narcissist, as well as a misogynist of the first order. He is undoubtedly experiencing a huge rush of blood to his already engorged ego because of the attention he's generating courtesy of this con.
I have never encountered anyone so smitten with himself as this man. He considers himself a player in this town and regularly assaults the ears of viewers who make the tragic error of inadvertently tuning in to his pathetic TV tirades, which are broadcast on the local sewer station, URTV. The only deity this man serves is CHRISTopher.
If he can be banned from the park, is there even half a chance he can be booted from the town– or, dare I hope, the state?
I will try and write more this afternoon. Chris is my brother. He homeless because of choice. He had a home he inherited from our mother in Hendersonville and he at one time worked for a heating and air company in Hendersonville. He smokes pot because he likes getting hi…not for some religious reason! I have to go for now but will try and write more later.
This guy has a rap sheet a mile long.
Creekside: I really don't think POT is the reason. His past convictions are. To read his convictions Google: Christopher Chiaromonte there is some pretty scary things.
I'm still confused. Was he arrested for selling marijuana and that led to banning him from public parks? Or, was he arrested for possessing a joint while in a public park? Are all people who are arrested for using and/or selling weed banned from public parks?
The desired outcome of his fast is equally unclear. His protest against "cruel and inhumane treatment of the poor and homeless" is too broad. What, exactly, does he want done or what specific action does he want stopped?
I don't know him but from what I've seen he seems harmless other than being an aggravation to City Council.
? Does he DO anything for the homeless other than talk to them and show up at City Council meetings?
Does he have a home himself? It's almost impossible to help someone else if you are unable to provide at least the basic necessities for yourself.
Just wondering.
Jason and others, please don't be so naive and gullible. Chiaromonte has options besides sleeping in the park, (which was his first gripe to Council back in July.) He is not above saying he's on a starvation protest to gain sympathy and naive supporters. Rev. Combs spoke with him and found him to be healthy and lucid. Chiaromonte is a traveling con artist of the first order…I think his con might just have run out in this town…might be time to think about moving on to green pastures.
I contacted (on the advice of some connections I have in the Asheville area) a pastor to the homeless in that neighborhood. his response:
John,
Thank you for the link. Chris is a regular at Haywood Street and I had a chance to talk with him on Wednesday after worship. He was lucid and healthy. So I'm not sure of the fast duration. But I'll continue to reach out to him, continue to welcome him to church, continue to dialogue with him about his commitment of faith to the homeless. Take care.
Peace,
Brian
—
Rev. Brian Combs, MDiv
E: All sex offenders are banned from parks in this state. That he was recently convicted of a marijuanna possession is irrellevent.
Yes, the POT is not the reason. His past convictions are. To read his convictions Google: Christopher Chiaromonte
Thanks, Read This. I was aware of his conviction. We wrote about it during his run for public office.
http://absolutely-outrageous.blogspot.com/
The issue, I believe, is he was arrested selling pot IN the park (Pritchard, I think). Could be wrong, but I think that's the case. That would explain the ban from the parks which, in that case, would be fairly reasonable.
How, exactly, is it "inhumane" to ban someone from a city funded/run park for illegal activities? Am I missing something here?
Now, I won't argue that more can always be done to help the homeless and those in need. It is our obligation as fellow human beings. However, if he's just upset he got in trouble for doing something ILLEGAL, then that's a horse of a different color. In which case, the lesson is "don't do stupid sh*t".
All sex offenders are banned from parks in this state. That he was recently convicted of a marijuanna possession is irrellevent.
Gordon, thanks for the extra info.
John, it does sound harsh, doesn't it?
Jeff, I hear ya. Like I said – I'm a little worried about him.
Sonie – well said.
Lift the ban on Chris in city parks. Was he dealing pot to underage kids? I think not. A ban sounds harsh. If the city bans pot smokers – pot SMOKING IN PARKS ok – from parks, then there wouldn't be that many folks in OUR parks would there now?
I've interacted with Chris many times over the years. Not once has he harassed me or hit me up for money. I support him in his quest to lift the ban if that's what he's trying to do.
You can be banned from city parks because you've had a previous possession of marijuana conviction? Is that really a law? I don't think it is. In which case he is being singled out and treated unfairly. Think of the vast hordes who've ever been caught in the dragnet of the war on weed.. we'd have some very empty parks!
As for the hunger strike and demand for proper treatment of the homeless.. His prospects are grim. This problem is not going to be fixed before he'll either have to give in or succumb to starvation.
"inhumane treatment of the poor and homeless" That's not the issue here. The issue is that the "real homeless" are shoved aside by the Transients that hike or get bussed into town. Now I have seen who this guy hangs with. So I have to wonder who's side is he on. The Real Homeless or the Transients stealing away every bit of charity they can get their hands on. Transients will do this for a few months just to move on to another town when they out stay their welcome or eat all the free food.
Come on people wake up. Asheville has a Transient problem and until we take care of that issue we can't help the Real Homeless.
Mr. Chiaromonte was delivered a letter several days ago from City Attorney Bob Oast. That letter described the reason for the ban (selling marijuana) and the process by which to go about having it removed (beginning by speaking with head of Parks & Rec, Roderick Simmons).
Assuming he's mentally competent (and he seems so, from what little I know of him), he should be given the respect of making his own choices if they don't break the law. Just because it makes us uncomfortable doesn't mean we have any right to deny that choice. It's supposed to make us uncomfortable. That's the point. When you can simply bundle away anyone who chooses personal sacrifice to make a point, we loose the ability to make uncomfortable points.