Tam Nguyen, a member of the city council of San Jose, California, spent his Memorial Day weekend in Portland, Oregon, sleeping in the Right To Dream Too homeless encampment.

Nguyen has been on the council for a year, and in that time he says his colleagues have constantly dismissed the idea of supporting encampments, arguing that they foster crime and other social ills.

They have been, instead, talking about building permanent housing for the homeless.

But Nguyen says those discussions have dragged on and on for years and he's had it with all the talk and no action.

He accepted an invitation to visit Right To Dream Too “out of frustration,” he said, and “to experience for myself the good and the bad of it.”

He says what he found was a highly functional community, and one that could use improvements.

People living there told him “we want safety, we’re tired of being beat up and kicked and harassed on the street, we want a safe night’s sleep, a good night’s sleep,” he said.

“It’s very safe and it’s very desirable for people who need a place to sleep.

Of course it could be improved in many ways.”

Now he’s going to bring his experience back to share with his colleagues in San Jose as a way to explore the option of supporting encampments while plans for more permanent housing slowly grind on.

-Thom

(What do you think? Tell us here.)

Tonight on The Big Picture on RT TV at 7pm and 10pm... How Dems Forced the GOP to Act On Guns (check your local listings for stations or stream at RT or Free Speech TV, and catch past shows on Youtube)

Thursday's Daily Stack

In for Thom today... Progressive Talkers Danielle & Shane-O.

Hour One: Gun Victims Deserve a Vote... Will They FINALLY Get One?

- John Nichols, The Nation Magazine/People Get Ready: The Fight Against a Jobless Economy and a Citizenless Democracy

Video: Obama's Full 2013 State of the Union Address - SOTU 2013.

Article: "2016 Orlando nightclub shooting" by Wikipedia.

Video: U.S. Senate Holds 15-Hour Debate on Gun Control.

Article: "The Orlando Massacre Demands Not Another Moment of Silence but a New Moment of Action" by John Nichols.

Article: "GOP presidential candidates offer prayers — not solutions on gun control — after San Bernardino massacre" by Rich Schapiro.

Article: "Jim Clyburn, whose questions over why House GOP hasn’t acted on gun control were shut down, demands Speaker Paul Ryan stand up to fellow members who ‘worship at the altar of the NRA’" by Cameron Joseph, Adam Edelman.

Article: "Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting", December 14, 2012 by Wikipedia.

Tweet: "I am prepared to stand on the Senate floor and talk about the need to prevent gun violence for as long as I can. I've had #Enough" by Chris Murphy.

Video: Baldwin Speaks During Filibuster.

Book: "The Speech: A Historic Filibuster on Corporate Greed and the Decline of Our Middle Class" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "The 7 Most Compelling Moments From The Senate Democrats’ 15 Hour Filibuster For Gun Control" by Kira Lerner.

Article: "2014 Fort Hood shooting" by Wikipedia.

Article: "2015 Chattanooga shootings" by Wikipedia.

Article: "2015 San Bernardino shooting", December 2, 2015 by Wikipedia.

Article: "WATCH: Sen. Murphy Shares Dylan Hockley's Touching Story in Historic 15-Hour Filibuster" by Wendy Ann Mitchell.

Article: "Firearm homicides: 11,208" by CDC.

Article: "Ted Kennedy and the No-Fly List Myth" by Eugene Kiely.

Hour Two: Why Are Republicans Trying to Hide Exxon's Fraud?
- Farron Cousins, Ring of Fire Radio/DeSmog Blog/Trial Lawyer Magazine

Article: "Court Documents Show Coal Giant Peabody Energy Funded Dozens Of Climate Denial Groups" by Farron Cousins.

Article: "Biggest US coal company funded dozens of groups questioning climate change" by Suzanne Goldenberg and Helena Bengtsson.

Article: "Exxon knew of climate change in 1981, e-mail says – but it funded deniers for 27 more years " by Tim Macfarlan.

Article: "Texas Thinks The Investigation Into Exxon Is ‘Ridiculous’" by Samantha Page.

Law: "Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act", 1970 (RICO).

Article: "Standing (law)" by Wikipedia.

Case: "Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission" (2010).

Quote: "The First Amendment, ladies and gentlemen, doesn’t give you the right to commit fraud" - Attorney General Schneiderman.

Article: "Massive Victory for 7 Kids in Climate Change Lawsuit in Washington State" by Our Children's Trust.

Article: "Man with weapons was headed to L.A. gay pride parade" by Joel Rubin, Hailey Branson-Potts, Zahira Torres and Frank Shyong.

Article: "Shooting of Tamir Rice" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Dylann Roof" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Definitions of terrorism" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Oklahoma City bombing" by Wikipedia (Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols).

Article: "Ted Kaczynski" ("Unabomber") by Wikipedia.

Tweet: "Louise & I in Loire Valley/France. Hit small shop/restaurant & asked owner @ Trump. Threw her hands in air & said, "Bizarre! Dangereux!"" by Thom Hartmann.

Article: "Repressive Tolerance" by Herbert Marcuse.

Book: Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger.

Talk Media News Segment:
- Bob Ney

Article: "Benjamin Netanyahu Spent $1,600 for Haircut on New York Trip" by Marcy Oster.

Article: "Orlando gunman’s father’s visit to Washington played down by lawmakers" by Justin Duckham.

Article: "What to Expect From Bernie Sanders’ Livestream Tonight" by MaryAlice Parks.

Book: "Sideswiped: Lessons Learned Courtesy of the Hit Men of Capitol Hill" by Robert Ney.

Site: "Goats for the old Goat".

Site: Governor Free Don Siegelman

Article: "Quick Morning News - Obama To Orlando Today: Comforter-In-Chief - June 16, 2016" by Victoria Jones.

Article: "Quick Morning News - Orlando gunman’s wife could be arrested today: source - June 15, 2016" by Victoria Jones.

Hour Three: Do Nothing GOP Congress Strikes Again!!
- Congressman Mark Pocan (D-WI, 2nd District)

Article: "Pocan Statement on Mass Shooting in Orlando" by Rep. Mark Pocan.

Article: "Donald Trump stretches facts in fiery post-Orlando speech" by Stephen Collinson and Jeremy Diamond.

Article: "Hastert Rule" by Wikipedia.

Site: Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC).

Article: "Delaney Introduces Legislation to Reduce Carbon Pollution, Reduce Taxes and Boost Economic Growth" by Rep. John K. Delaney (MD-6).

Article: "Sanders Introduces Bill to Cut Carbon Emissions 80 Percent" by Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Article: "The People's Budget: Prosperity not Austerity; Invest in America" by Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Article: "Call the Top 20 Top Recipients of NRA Cash in Congress " by Alex Lubben and Jessica Corbett.

Article: "Federal Assault Weapons Ban" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Hamilton’s Lin-manuel Miranda Tells Orlando: ‘love Is Love Is Love’" by Erica Futterman.

Article: "Your Thursday Molly Ivins Moment: March, 1993".

Site: "Democracy Spring".

Article: "EgyptAir MS804 crash: Voice recorder recovered from sea" by BBC.

Article: "Six degrees of separation" by Wikipedia.

Article: "Rosemary's Baby" by Wikipedia.

Friday on The Thom Hartmann Program, 12-3pm ET

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What Should Bernie Do Right Now?

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Full Show 6/15/16: Bernie Calls for Open Primaries

Guest host Sam Sacks is in for Thom Hartmann tonight and discusses how House Republicans are preventing Democrats from protecting the rights of the LGBT community, Trump’s planned meeting with the NRA on gun control, and a big win for net neutrality. Sam discusses how to reform our voting system with Common Cause’s Karen Hobert Flynn and in tonight’s Daily take Thom details how environmental regulations are one of the best investments we can make in this country.

The Do-Nothing #GOP Congress Strikes Again! (w/Guest: Rep. Mark Pocan)

Gun Victims Deserve A Vote! Will They Finally Get One? (w/Guest: John Nichols)

First They Came For The Muslims...

It's Time To End The Discriminatory Ban On Blood Donations! (w/Guest: Jessica Firger)

Being LGBTQ is Dangerous in America... And it's Time To Change That! (w/Guest Tim Marcin)