This photo….

Filed in National by on April 17, 2014

0328141014

…accompanies a story that News Journal ran this morning on New Castle County government clearing out a homeless tent city near Christiana by week’s end. The photo is from New Castle County.

A sprawling homeless encampment secreted within a wooded area adjacent to University Plaza in Christiana will be cleared out by week’s end, New Castle County officials said Wednesday.

The camp was well-established at one time – and not so long ago –with at least a dozen separate sites, some with timber shelters lashed together with rope, some with large-capacity tents and some with a few creature comforts, including a generator, a small refrigerator, a sofa and some other furniture. […]

County Executive Tom Gordon said he had toured the site – situated on private property in the woods that border Del. 273 and Old Baltimore Pike – last month.

“When we were there, there were fires still smoldering,” he said Wednesday. “We’re hearing about these tents all over the place, but we just can’t throw people out.”

Gordon said the county is working to develop a “humane” policy.

Given that Gordon wants to develop a humane policy, I am not attacking him for touring the site or having it cleared in lieu of better options for the inhabitants. It is private property, and such tent cities are not safe. But the photo makes it look like Gordon is personally ordering the woman (who is Executive Assistant Angela Walker, rather than a tent city inhabitant) to leave now. Not a good image, even for the law and order Gordon. I am kinda amazed the PR department at NCCo. didn’t think about that, since the photo is from them.

About the Author ()

Comments (12)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. anon says:

    Wow, that is amazingly poor PR.

  2. Geezer says:

    I disagree. It’s obvious from the look on his face that he’s upset by what he sees. Tom Gordon lacks some things, but compassion isn’t one of them.

  3. SussexWatcher says:

    I agree, Gordon looks like a pissed-off rich landowner in an expensive coat who’s ordering people out. He looks constipated, not compassionate.

    The lack of experience of his PR staff is widely known.

  4. AQC says:

    I don’t care how Gordon looks, this whole situation is sad.

  5. Delaware Dem says:

    Like I said Geezer, I do not doubt that Tom Gordon wants a humane solution to this. I am just saying the photo, at least to me and some commenters, looks otherwise. I’m just saying they should not have released this photo to the NJ

  6. Dorian Gray says:

    This post is complete nonsense. What leads anyone to believe that the woman on the left is homeless? Her overcoat is as nice as Gordon’s and it’s clean. She has visable jewelry (earring) and there is absolutely no indication she lives outside. Her hair is cleaned/groomed… This could win an award as the most ridiculous post of the year so far.

  7. Geezer says:

    As a PR photo, it’s got a lot of problems, but I think you’re overstating them. I didn’t see it the way you’re claiming when I first saw it on the front page. Even with your prompting, it doesn’t look like your interpretation to me.

  8. cassandra m says:

    Gordon was concerned enough about DD’s perception to post an explanation of it on his Facebook page, and post up other pictures from the same day to give it some context.

  9. SussexWatcher says:

    It looked way worse on the front page. Just saw it now. If you don’t know Tom Gordon from Joe Podunk, you think he’s ordering a black woman to GTFO. Another fantastic job by Prado!

  10. My question is this. If Gordon is seeking a ‘humane’ solution, why evict the homeless until he has one in place? It’s not as if it’s getting colder now. Wouldn’t it have been more humane to roust them when we had those relentless low temps and snow?

    Couldn’t care less about the photo. It’s not as if it was staged. What was he/they supposed to do, tell the aide not to get anywhere near him lest a photo might be taken that would make him look heartless?

  11. SussexWatcher says:

    El Som: Gordon didn’t make a mistake about the photo. His staff made a mistake about releasing it.

  12. Wow, assumed it was a staff photog. Not. Good.