Título: Cheri Honkala
Seção: Criticism
Background: Cheri Honkala was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1963. Her father, Maynard Duane Honkala, was of Finnish ancestry, and her mother had Cheyenne Native American ancestry. She grew up watching her mother suffer from domestic violence. Honkala's mother quietly endured this abuse for fear of losing her kids.

Conteúdo: Honkala has been a controversial figure throughout her career as a protester and organizer. Feather O. Houstoun, a former secretary of the (Pennsylvania) State Department of Public Welfare, said "She has not been working, rolling up her sleeves on issues like Community Legal Services does. She has never availed herself [of] that opportunity, while other groups have." John Kromer, a former director of the city's office of Housing and Community Development, faxed a five-page letter to KWRU, in which he claimed that the group was actually preventing its poor followers from obtaining housing through its tactic of breaking into vacant homes, rather than utilizing established organizations. He wrote: "No good can come of an organization-building strategy, which is based on misleading poor people or preventing them from obtaining access to available assistance and support." Honkala admits that the group failed to rehabilitate any of the homes illegally taken, but asserts that the group was instrumental in helping 500 formerly homeless people find housing through existing programs. Honkala added: "I get criticized on a regular basis for not being a team player. But I have no qualms about holding a protest tomorrow at anybody's offices if they are denying anybody the basic necessities of life. You're not supposed to do that in Philadelphia." She has been criticized for her confrontational tactics in dealing with the authorities. Author David Zucchino described Honkala's behavior at th

user: what is something she was criticised for?

assistant: She has been criticized for her confrontational tactics in dealing with the authorities.

user: What caused the controversary?

assistant: the group was actually preventing its poor followers from obtaining housing through its tactic of breaking into vacant homes,

user: What was she accused of doing?

assistant: preventing its poor followers from obtaining housing through its tactic of breaking into vacant homes,

user: what was the tactic they used?

assistant: breaking into vacant homes, rather than utilizing established organizations.

user: when did this occur?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: what were they going to do with the homes?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: what did people think regarding this?

assistant: "I get criticized on a regular basis for not being a team player.

user: Who else was involved in this controversary?

assistant: CANNOTANSWER

user: What is an interesting fact regarding this criticism?

assistant: "No good can come of an organization-building strategy, which is based on misleading poor people or preventing them from obtaining access to available assistance and support."

user: In what ways did she do this?

assistant: She would assault people with her high-pitched nasal voice

user: what other tactics did she use?

assistant: If the country was going to turn its back on the poor, she was not going to let anyone feel ambivalent about it.

user: was she ever able to help anyone?

assistant: the group was instrumental in helping 500 formerly homeless people find housing through existing programs.