Guest Post by Gayle
I am barely out of my car in the Trader Joe’s parking lot when I hear again the familiar refrain: “…can you spare a little change?” The tone is polite, the eyes are pleading, the voice is hopeful from a young man standing next to the trunk of my car. Lately this has become a routine part of my life. I reply that I will give him no money, but if he is hungry I’ll buy him a snack. His eyes light up and he agrees, repeating “God bless you ma’am” about three times. For $4.83 I can get him two cheese/meat rollups, a Kind Bar, a piece of fruit, and a bottle of water. It seems a small price to pay to ease someone’s hunger for a little while, coming from a person who has never had to miss a meal.
The homeless are becoming a bigger segment of my town’s population, like I assume they are in yours. What are we to do with these growing throngs? They are refugees from a broken culture, a broken economy, and a broken mental-health system. San Francisco has experimented with liberal policies towards their homeless and the result seems to be unpleasant. Officials discuss “big pee spots” and “poop maps,” while tourists complain of open-air drug use and sexual activity by the homeless. While San Francisco has about 6,000 homeless, Los Angeles counts 44,000. There is a less comprehensive civic response to the problem in L.A., but homelessness there is a less in-your-face issue.
The chronic homeless make up about 20% of the homeless population. These are the disheveled ones you see shuffling along with their shopping cart or baby stroller, maybe accompanied by a hungry dog. Once I saw one digging through the garbage cans outside MacDonald’s, and I encountered him a little while later heading towards the entrance to Lowe’s, backpack for shoplifting at the ready. I slipped him a $5, suggesting he buy himself something to eat. (He is the only homeless person I have ever given money.)
The chronic homeless – the addicts, the burned-out veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome and other mental issues, and other mentally unstable who would formerly have received in-patient care – are the most needy of but often the most resistant to using resources available to them. Once I asked an addict why he couldn’t get it together to leave his spot under a bridge in San Bernardino and find better arrangements. “Why would I spend perfectly good money on rent when I can spend it on drugs?” was his smiling response. He had a point I suppose. We have our priorities.
Another type of chronic homeless may have an income and chooses homelessness as his or her preferred lifestyle. An income of some kind may be available. These are the free spirits, the solitary vagabonds, the ones who want no ties to nor restraints from the larger society. They have been found in many times and places and probably represent no greater a proportion in the larger population now than they ever have. Charlie, some local color from my town, was one of these until he died a couple of years ago. He seemed ancient and rode an equally ancient bicycle, very visible around town, very independent, never causing anybody a problem. Various people tried to help him, but he always refused. When he died, his obituary became a feature article in the newspaper.
Homeless who are victims of our messed up culture may not be so visible. Young ones find themselves with no place to go because of parental and/or social welfare system failure, while older ones have somehow, because of bad choices or bad luck, found themselves completely untethered from family and other support networks. For many of these, homelessness is a transitory period in their lives. A woman in my town started her own program to help homeless teenagers. It has grown beyond anything she ever anticipated. These kids are largely invisible; they try to blend in, then they go sleep under a freeway overpass. With enough support, many can be saved, but it requires a lot of public or private funding.
Much of the current increase in homelessness is due to a harsh economy. Rental prices have risen far faster than wages, and at least in San Francisco this a common reason given for one’s homeless situation. People who once lived normal lives have to cobble together another kind of existence. They may live in their cars, join a tent city like the one I saw recently in L.A. under a segment of elevated freeway, or access limited opportunities at shelters. Homeless children may continue to go to school and are probably part of a support program. Their parents are unlikely to be begging from shoppers at Trader Joe’s.
Most of us have had at least one encounter with a homeless person. I don’t seek out the homeless, but they seem to find me. There was a time I looked away and hurried on, ignoring their pleas. It’s just not in me anymore. I remain pleasantly businesslike with them. I don’t let them tell me their sad story because I don’t want to give them the opportunity to try to manipulate me. I am not particularly sympathetic to them; somehow I think this offers them more respect.
I wrote this last night and then read Admin’s Quote of the Day this morning. It reminded me I don’t have a choice – Neighbors are everywhere.
Well, at least the the CIA,clintin and buskwacker crime family are making trillion’s from the drug trade. That’s what counts.Right?
I’ve seen an evident homeless problem in every country I’ve ever been in. The US is the only place that criminalizes their homeless poor. Most places just leave them be to find their own way to survive.
I’ve bought them food, brought a few home from time to time, and I give them money.
There but for the grace of god, go I.
I live where there are lots of bums free loaders druggies and lazy asses. I don’t give them any money I tell my kids to not give them any money either. This dog has too many ticks and needs to shit a few off.
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
It also says, “Those that don’t work, don’t eat”. The Bible teaches work. It doesn’t teach us to give to drug addicts or people that keep having children when they can’t feed the ones they already have. It doesn’t teach us to treat a veteran any better than a civilian. That is firmly stated in the First Book of Samuel. Christ Himself stated, “As I see my Father work, I work”. Stop twisting scripture.
Matthew 25, my favorite Bible passage, I always give.
Quote-““The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’’
Jesus assumes that the hungry soul is unable to provide for him/herself, WITHOUT begging, and is not merely CHOOSING to beg for reasons of laziness or worse when he or she has other options.
Giving to those who have options other than begging mocks those who give to the truly needy who are without options.
These people used to hit Skid Row, the low rent districts in mostly old downtown areas, and eke out a living of sorts there that at least gave them a legitimate place.
Then came the wonder of Urban Renewal that converted the Skid Row’s into luxury living. shopping and entertainment districts.
There was no longer a legitimate place for their (former) residents and the homeless phenomenon developed.
We just don’t have a place for everyone anymore, the variety of people that fit in somewhere has been severely restricted and those on the fringe that no longer have a place to go where they will fit in are left to fend for themselves in any manner they can any where they can.
On of the worst things liberals ever did was to zone inner city residential hotels (a room with a sink, no kitchen, shared communal bathrooms) out of existence.
Those old flophouses served a good purpose. They were cheap, and provided a room over one’s head when one was down on his/her luck.
Now, people who are down on their luck get to live under overpasses.
Don’t worry……
At the rate things are going….Everywhere will be ‘skid row’……
except for the tony, walled compounds the fewer and fewer elite rich find themselves in……..
You’re a good person, Gayle. I can’t save the world, but every once in a while I can get some poor bastard something to eat….no money.
Back when I drove long distance,the truckstops were full of bums, con-artists, whores, hitch-hikers and such. I had the touch put on me so many times that I developed a ‘game face’ that told anyone approaching me to go bother someone else.
If it was a family in a car begging for money, which only happened rarely, I would not give them “gas money”, but I would offer to take them inside the truckstop restaurant to get something to eat.
The security at FedEx told us it would be a good idea to carry mugging money several years ago .Enough money to persuade the would be robber not to kill us.I ask how much was enough. They said a couple hundred dollars should do it.I still carry at least that much in cash every day.I get hit up every week. Usually at truck stops.I always have a 20 dollar bill ready.I have mixed thoughts about this .Some of the people really need help and I don’t have time to buy meals so I give the money.
A few months ago I took a trip to the Pacific Northwest and witnessed too many homeless people littering the landscape to count. Whenever I saw them I was conflicted with a heart/mind dichotomy; between what Monger has posted above (@5:38 pm) with, “if a man will not work, he shall not eat”.
At a restaurant there was a homeless man who took residence in a bathroom stall for the entire time we were there. You could see his wore out tennis shoes along with sunglasses and a set of ear buds on the bathroom floor. Outside, he left his shopping cart full of everything he had.
When the management had him gently removed from the premises, I watched him interact with those removing him as we were getting into our vehicles to leave. Watching him, I realized he was definitely mentally handicapped. Perhaps even autistic.
It is a real problem for sure. I like your approach on the matter, Gayle. Thank you for sharing it.
Uncharitable, I guess you didn’t give the poor sap any spare change.
I would have, but all I had were big bills at the time and I figured he couldn’t make change. At least I felt bad about it though. Next time.
Many of the ‘homeless’ are fakers. I’ve seen it over and over. They have a sob story then I’ve caught them later scratching off a four inch thick stack of lottery tickets. Or the young man that walked out of my apartment complex to the nearby highway exit and held up his ‘homeless please help’ sign. Whatever you do DO NOT give them cash. If you buy them food make sure to tell the cashier they are NOT to get cash for returning it when you’re not looking.
A derelict was standing in the median strip a few years ago with a ‘will work for food’ cardboard sign. I was trapped by the traffic light but said I would give him $5 but he had to give me 50 pushups.
Obviously I wasn’t going to stay there and count them but thought his offer to ‘work for food’ was genuine. It wasn’t. He cursed at me and I drove off.
“Homeless” is fascist political correct speak for “bums”. Around here most are just bums and they are quite industrious when it comes to scraping up some change for whatever need they have. They rarely ask for anything and are not the type holding up signs begging for money. I and most of us rarely interact with these types as they tend to keep to themselves.
The relative few true homeless people appear to be pretty easy to spot. They look shell shocked and truly embarrassed by their predicament. For these fine folks I give them a business card for the union gospel mission where I donate money to. The card includes a map so they can find the place. They can get a shower there, clean clothes, a safe place to sleep and a meal or two. If they want to, they can even work there.
The ones with the signs or verbally begging get the same card which they promptly throw on the ground. These are the scammers. In my area a few of them even have houses they live in and put on “bum clothes” to beg at the freeway off ramps and busy intersections. Try and offer them anything but cash and they are not interested. They even get into fist fights over “corners”.
About 10-15 years ago I used to see guys younger than me holding up signs that literally said “Vietnam Vet”……….yeah, right. In the coming chaos, like or or not, all these people and hundreds of thousands or FSA members are going to perish quickly along with anyone who cannot or will not take care of themselves. Look at Venezuela right now.
I wrote about that family that got a full tank of gas from me because I tried that, ‘I’l buy but I won’t give’ trick. They told me the usual sob story that they were from Timbuktu, just up the road some 50 miles and they were low on gas..same old story. I fell for it and said I’d buy them some gas. On cue, the preteen girl says, you’ll fill it up, oh say you will! I agreed and they said they’d go tell their brother. (I’m surprised the grandparents weren’t there too.) The dude pulls up in this old land yacht. Gas is cheap but dammit, it took $50 worth. Crap! a $2 donation would have been a bargain if I hadn’t been too smart for my own good. Damn Armenians or whatever they were.
Then the dude casually strolled into Sam’s to buy himself lunch at their ‘deli’ or ‘cafe’.
We were in Victorville up by 395. We had stopped to get gas. a Black chick comes up and I ignore her, she taps my illegal son-in-law. The poor dude barely makes $20 a day. He gives her a 5 spot. I complain, you’re driving this piece of junk and she has what, that Toyota that’s in better condition?
She didn’t even get gas! You should have asked her for money.
He works for another illegal, a slavedriver taking advantage of this dumb boy. He says he has to come to Victorville to pick up Civic motors that he then delivers all over the place; from Riverside to Bakersfield. I watch the junkyard kid load it onto his backseat with a forklift. How do you off-load it?, I ask. With my hands, he says. I wonder how much the motor weighs. He says, It’s around 350#s, I can lift 460, I tested myself. He looks like a Russian weightlifter. But I doubt that is a good thing for him to be doing.
I went with him to see an immigration lawyer, there is so much talk of all these idiots getting green cards…No dice, says the lawyer. He has no papers of any kind. His mom brought him and his sister over here when they were little children. They have no birth certificates, nothing to say who they are where they came from, nothing.
So what does he do now, stay illegal? I ask the lawyer.
You came for a lawyer’s advice, that’s it, he says.
I understand what he means, though. A foreigner on a visa can come over any damn day and secure a marriage of convenience and presto! They have a green card just like that. At one time they were offering Chinese nationals a green card for buying property here. Then there’s the million dollar investor trick, with promises of hiring a minimum number of American dupes.
But the lesser methods for poor people are; sick kids or spouse or both. The method the lawyer has in mind is a stay of deportation. But he has to wait to cross that bridge, that applies to folks who have been arrested and are in ICE custody or simply have an order of deportation. There are other avenues; abused spouse, police witness to a crime..
My son has a stack of McDonald’s job applications and he provides panhandlers with one when they solicit at intersections. You should see their look on their faces when he hands them one. Priceless!
What little I have to give to charity goes to the San Diego Rescue Mission. A member of my extended family is one of their cooks and I know most of the money goes to actually helping people, instead of admin fees (sorry Admin :).
It’s been my experience that giving to Red Cross or United Way doesn’t accomplish shit. Some food banks are good, and I’ve given to Salvation Army although I’m not a Bible Thumper. But I know they help people.
I don’t give street people money because some people make a living panhandling.
I’ve probably had it worse than 90% of the bums: my dad’s whereabouts was unknown because he had to run from the law, my mom was in and out of county nut wards, I had 50 cents per day for food, ate food from farmers fields and garbage cans, lived in the woods six months, worked 80 hour weeks and fell fast asleep whenever I wasn’t working, lost 40 pounds of muscle and had malnutrition, but never used drugs or begged. I was drafted and stayed 12 years, thank God for all His help and consider myself rich now. Yes, there is job scarcity and it will get much worse. We will soon need another WPA and anyone able-bodied that prefers begging to work can kiss my ass.
Sadly homelessness is an expanding problem in our country. Wether it’s from bad life decisions or bad luck and again mental health issues which I include drug addiction , thanks to the economic climate our government and their financial handlers the industries we once depended on for a modest life have been wiped out exaserbating every social problem that our donations to charitable church projects or tax payer funded programs all stressed to the limits meanwhile our ruling elite spin us as a nation deeper in debt with no benefit for those damaged the most from their combined actions . Yes homlessness is troubling especially those it hits without mercy but just wait because the shit is about to hit the fan and if you are any where in America look out ! Just take a look at Venezulea and grit your teeth,it’s coming to a street near you !
“Give to the one who ask of you…” Mt 5:42. Of course, back when Jesus walked the Earth, there was no SNAP, SSDI, food banks, etc. Sometimes we give just to heal ourselves a little bit – to take the hard edge off. Realistically, the best thing we could give would probably be a brownie laced with Zyprexa.
So few equate our safety, wage and benefits laws with this, but it is a huge reason why the available to us little guys, jobs went away.
Want to know why illegals and H1-B visas are allowed? So the rich can avoid the very laws they paid to have enacted.
Right before the Roaring 20s (banksters bullshit fueled by cheap money, speculation and rebuilding from the last war in preparation of the next) we outlawed booze.
It saddens me thinking about the ruined lives of the formerly productive when the Feds turned centuries old traditions of family owned, local, breweries and distilleries into the lifeblood of criminals.
We are to believe that the depression was a coincidence and had nothing to do with the HUGE percentage of the population that saw their jobs, lives, wiped out. At least during the depression, you could still go door to door and do some honest work. Women could go work as housekeepers and nannies. Not this time.
This time it’s offshoring, globalization, and more regulation than can be survived. Welfare and disability are the two best jobs we got for people with kids. The single, childless get nothing even when there is little to get.
Sadly, we still ignore the truth and blame everything except the evil rich bastards that have been using us, then strip mining back anything we try to gain.
Thanks for this Gayle, nice job.
The single childless live with parents or parents send them care (cash) packages.
Thank you TE. Now it is your turn to write an article.
I came in from mowing hay at 9:30 last night- just enough light left in the sky that I wouldn’t run anything over. My wife had a bowl of greens sitting on the kitchen island for me and I was so hungry I ate standing up, literally shoveling the food into my mouth. That ended the work part of a 17 hour day.
My oldest son and I spoke on the phone about his day- he is currently working his way around America- this past month he has been doing butchery with a Mennonite family that processes beef and pork commercially. He told me that the work day is 10 hours, the owner reminds him of me because there are no breaks, twenty minutes for lunch, but a steady and continuous pace interspersed with lively conversation about a wide variety of topics and a good sense of humor. He was offered- and took- extra work off the books cleaning out an industrial freezer on Sunday and has been offered other side jobs as well because he has a good work ethic. He sounded happy, I know he is proud of himself for the respect these people give him and while most of his contemporaries are slowly building up a mountain of debt for four years before they even hit the job market, he is learning new skill sets while being paid for it AND he gets to see his country first hand with only himself to take care of and look after. I don’t think it would ever occur to him to beg for something no matter how much he was in need.
I took an hour yesterday to take a litter of puppies and a crate of young chicks to the local library where they had a class for kids off from school- 20 seven and eight year olds- I had them sit in a circle and talked about what we do on the farm and hold the puppies and the chicks and then I showed them what happens when the chicks were let free and the puppies promptly rounded them up and brought them back into the circle. I explained that it wasn’t something I had to train them to do, that it was their nature to herd other animals, to work and it was clear that they enjoyed it. The children thanked me and I said my goodbyes and went back to my own work at the farm.
My clothes are worn out, my hands are rough and often dirty, there are all kinds of things I’d like to do, but cannot afford to, so I either read about them or dream about them because I would much rather be here, working for my family and improving this land. It is a choice I have made and live with the consequences and the benefits of those choices; seeing my children grow up, watching them head out into the world confident in themselves, being able to work alongside my wife and grow old together with her by my side, eat well and gratefully, sleep deeply with pleasant dreams and when we have a little extra treat ourselves to some good coffee beans or take the kids to the movies. In fact we went for my youngest son’s 9th birthday last month- dinner and a film in the capitol- and when we stopped for gas there were three twenty somethings camped out on the grass next to the gas station holding signs that read “NEED GAS MONEY”. They had several dogs, a pickup with a camper shell, they were well dressed, albeit hippy-ish with dreads and face piercings and the big ear spool things, tattoos, etc. They appeared well fed and healthy and for a second I wanted to ask them why they hadn’t chosen to work for money instead of beg, but I didn’t want to spoil our own fun and frankly, it isn’t any of my business what other people do with their lives, but I certainly would give them money just because they were asking for it.
The homeless came from families that had similar responsibilities for raising their children and the choices those families made determined the course of those lives. Once adults they were free to choose where they went and what they did and live with the consequences of those choices. Unlike the man in the parable of the Good Samaritan, these weren’t beaten and robbed and naked in a ditch on the side of the road, they are cared for by an extremely generous public welfare system entirely subsidized by the funds extracted from people who do work and who do create and maintain the society in which they live. Those people have their own needs and wants but instead of asking others to provide it for them, they get up every day and go out and get it for themselves or the ones they love.
Sympathy, empathy, consideration, generosity and altruism are valuable traits in human behavior and are hardwired in us like the herding instinct in a Border Collie puppy. There is a purpose and a value in them that helps to create bonds with others, to foster relationships between generations and neighbors. It is a give and take, an ebb and flow in communities and within families that helps make our institutions and societies stronger. In an atomized world or under certain circumstances it can be corrupted and turned into something else that rather than build, can tear apart- like a puppy left alone and bored will destroy a piece of furniture to satisfy it’s frustration at not being able to use it’s inborn traits as nature intends.
The more that you encourage a behavior, the more of that behavior you will see- as Gayle has pointed out- good or bad. I want to make the world better every day through my efforts and so I personally would not do anything to encourage someone’s indolence or sloth or allow them to think that everyone supports their failure or addiction. In the older world that once existed it was the family that was responsible for these people, if they had no family it was the community and if that wasn’t there for them there was a reason and that person would either change their behavior or eventually die.
Reading this I am sure that I seem hard-hearted, but that isn’t the case. Giving money to a beggar is like kicking someone who has a ‘kick me’ tag on the back of their shirt. Neither is really aware of what they are asking nor does it change their situation except for a moment- long term it exacerbates the problem and makes it become part of their nature and character. That is an injustice and harm.
I believe that we are about to enter an era where needs and want far exceeds resources and it is a problem that we have deliberately created in both our personal behaviors and our societal reactions to these demands.
God helps those who help themselves.
We will always be able to supply the needs of everyone living in or wanting to live in the USSA. The wants? Maybe a little short of satisfactory.
@HSF: You are many things, my friend; a philosopher, a deep thinker, a judge, a superb evaluator of character and have both feet nailed firmly to the ground.
We came to be what we are by different routes, paths and methods, although I’d really like to know what you did to earn a living prior to your decision to return to the land. If you don’t want to share, I’ll understand. If you do, just send it to [email protected]..
Your thoughtfulness on enabling and sharing what really has a positive return echoes in my heart and I’d rather wear an old second hand set of your boots that any new foot ware I can think of.
Muck
Years ago, when the economy was good, I went to Seattle, Washington. I have never seen so many homeless people camped around the government buildings and panhandling. In the morning many sleeping in doorways. I’ll bet it is unbelievable now. Anyone been there lately?
If you subsidize something, you get more of it. Probably 80% of charity cases are panhandlers. That includes anyone on welfare. I reserve charitable contributions for those who would help themselves but cannot.
“God helps those who help themselves.”
Is that in the Bible? I think not.
On the contrary, it seems God helps those who can’t possible help themselves. For example, take the gift of Eternal Life …. what role did you have in that? (Besides accepting, or rejecting, it.)
I think — I’m not sure — that True Giving is done without conditions.
Other than that, nice post HF.
Stuck, if I had to pick just one friend in the world, it would be you (or LLPOH). Just so I could agree with you when you are right. That saying is not in the bible. Self-reliance is something that came from Emerson. He would approve of HSF, maybe befriend him like Thoreau.
HSF, eloquent as usual.
In the old days, pre social security, you would offer the beggars jobs on your farm.
Now you risk violating labor laws, and the unable to be employed risk working up a non-paid for sweat, and maybe even a dream of a better future.
We have so failed this generation. Your son, my son who has never been unemployed, they are the outliers.
I thank God, that no matter how bad it gets, my son has real skills others will pay for. Yours too, working with the Amish and being gifted special projects shows your son is literally one in a million.
Last year my mind, and heart, made a radical shift, I decided to truly follow Jesus’s teaching and stop judging and start doing.
I was always so worried about the receiver’s immortal soul and “work ethic” I would hesitate to help others or support causes.
When I truly, for the first time in my life, looked around me and saw how very blessed I am, we all here are, compared to 90% of the world I realized I had a very real problem with my definition of “enough.”
I now, nearly weekly, make sure I am helping someone less fortunate than myself. I’ve set an amount I’m willing to live with, and only help if I truly want to give. No strings, perfectly happy knowing I may be getting scammed, yet giving anyway.
Besides, the government is printing so much money, their own pensions dwarf any money the poor actually receive, and the money they’ve printed and gifted to the richest 200 people in the world is the single largest theft and transfer from the weak, to the elite, that this planet has ever known.
Personally, I’m done judging others for reacting to the insanity in insane ways.
I know that I’M the outlier, the freak, the non-average American. To expect others to live, think, believe as I do would be insane.
Peace and continued love to you HSF.
“I’ve set an amount I’m willing to live with, and only help if I truly want to give. No strings, perfectly happy knowing I may be getting scammed, yet giving anyway.”
Outstanding! You get it. I hereby dub thee “Mother Teresa II”, even though I know you will reject it.
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” ——–Luke 6:38 (NIV)
Yes, but this is one hot mother Teresa
A short time ago the ACLU won a lawsuit against our city and the outcome was the law enforcement had to not encourage homeless to move along. Now our old town that was the idea behind Disneyland’s main street is inundated with beggers. This upsets the business owners as us locals have stopped going downtown to shop. Now the word is out and we suspect that the city of Denver to the south is bussing up their homeless to join the homeless from nearby towns and cities for the soft accommodations provided by our city. The homeless actually call themselves travelers and have no ties with the area. Our liberal college town has now about six businesses that help the homeless by giving out sleeping bags, ground cover, etc.
In my limited study of San Francisco’s homeless situation, one of the things that has caused so much trouble is allowing them unfettered access to all of the financial and commercial centers of the city. It appears they can plop a tent or sleeping bag down wherever. In contrast, New York, which has more homeless per capita, tends to keep them more sheltered and away from the action uptown, downtown, east side, west side. Of course there are homeless everywhere, but they are not invited to camp out in front of Rockefeller Center.
It sounds like your city (Fort Collins I’m guessing) has been forced to adhere to the San Francisco model. I’m sorry.
You are correct Gayle. Californians have moved here with their ideas of how a city should be run. Currently I am not a Christian, rather a Sitchinite. But I still support Christian organizations such as Little Sisters of the Poor as they seem to do the most with the money contributed to take care of the elderly and disabled. Most of the beggers accosting us are young and able bodied that refuse to work. But why should they, they can sit outside on a bench with a cardboard sign and collect money as long as they are not aggressive about it. It helps to have a dog as people give money so that the dog will have not suffer. Right.
Gayle,
Very nicely written young lady, and a good lesson as well.
Personally, I moved far from the big city yet all areas have
their poor. People in my little town (<1K) say, "no one wants
to work anymore," and complain about not having dependable
employees. The groups that will not work do not have to. They
are "eligible" for state sponsorship/welfare $ v having children/
no Dad, or being disabled…pot addiction/other drugs/mental health
issues. No beggars that I have seen. What I do is give directly…
eg, I have paid off someone's short term loan. I will always help
people with $ if they are hard working but short. I am lucky to have a little extra right now. I pray for guidance, and sure enough
I get an answer/a clear answer/ and I know what I am going to do
the next morning. Soon enough we will be piss poor as well…so
prepare while you can. Should we be lucky enough to have resources in the coming troubles…I will share what I have put back.
Thanks Gayle,
Suzanna
Thank you Suzanna. (By the way, I am probably older than you.)
If all ya’ll cheapskates would just make a hefty donation to the Clinton Foundation I’m certain those good folks that run that noble charity would use that money to take care of all these homeless people – for good.
the skinny guy holding his cardboard sign on the corner lives with his mother, has a cellphone and after collecting a few bucks goes to the minimart and buys cigarettes and a beer. My rational is “you must like what you’re doing or you’d make a change, good luck with that”
Thanks EC.
I give almost exclusively to animal charities. (I figure by the look of him Admin is an orangutang or very closely related). I never give money to beggars. I pay for them down out the tax office. On occassion I gave been known to buy them food.
My wife and I search out no kill animal shelters. They are around. We currently are sponsors for one that does not put any dogs down (save for a few that are certified dangerous by three independent vets). They will keep dogs literally forever if necessary, in nice large pens, where they get excercised three times a day, and volunteers come to pet them and keep them social.
We love animals, and they cannot care for themselves.
I know many people find themselves in bad straights, and come from harsh circumstances. But as I said, I pay for them via taxes, and have paid enormous sums for them over the years. Enormous. And I believe in personal responsibility and choice. Where it is enormously difficult is when kids are involved, but the responsibility falls to their parents. I do not believe hand outs work. Check Detroit for Exhibit A.
I will continue to fund no kill animal shelters. And to not give money to human charities.
I only give to injun charities.
Took us 400 years to wise up. If you can’t beat them and all that.
Nice to see you post, Admin. Been missing our little battles. Stuck almost riled me the other day, but it fizzled.
I do have a newbie lined up, though. He is starting to annoy me. I just need a little more background info before I welcome him proper like.
I know exactly who you are lining up. I can read you like a book.
It was getting boring and I thought a little shitfest for the folks would liven things up. So, yeah, I was actually pretty surprised that you didn’t engage. Then again, I wasn’t trying REAL hard … I was pretty much laying off the DPA (Deep Personal Attacks). I didn’t even call you a dumb Injun.
I think I know who the newbie is whom you have in mind. Once you attack, I might join the pack, in true #BigDogsLivesMatter mode, and help rip that fucker a new asshole, with your permission, of course.
Cocksucker won’t stand a chance
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Stuck – I am about to castrate SwampPussy and his sidekick Licksasser. I can take no more if their shit. They have been dumping shit for awhile and enough is enough. Feel free to kick asses and take names. SwampDick especially is a hate-filled loser pretending to have an IQ above low moron.y
Stuck – I barely had Swampy’s nuts in a squirrel grip when he went all overboard at me and Thinker, and Admin disappeared him. You missed your chance. It lasted just under 45 minutes, 40 minutes of it being while I slept, it being 4am here and all.
I figured he would go berserk when challenged. I was not disappointed. Gee, wonder where I learned that. TBP can be a harsh proving ground.
If your referring to Lysander, we already have a Darth Vader clone, why do we need this poor substitute? He’s more of I-S’ mini-me.
Actually, go easy on him, he’s too tender yet. After I told him flat out to go suck off a shotgun, he came back with a devastating “after you.”
Swampy has potential. He’s like Billy but with actual brains included. I might put a few bucks down on the rookie, sort of to juice the betting.
In case folks don’t understand, the Pastor said, well, some of you have been hanging around here for a few weeks and just like when you used to hang around with the guys at the park and you didn’t know about a special event. They only told you, we are going to have a special event. And you showed up to the park on the appointed day and all the guys were there, just so happy to see you arrive. And they said, you’ve been hanging around for a while, how you like it, you have a decision to make – are you in? And just like that they jumped you in the gang. Well we don’t beat you up here, we just ask you if you want to make a life changing decision, are you in?
My experience with the homeless in Houston is almost exclusively from my days of medical training cuz many would get dropped off at the hospital ER after: 1) suffering heat exhaustion/stroke, 2) getting the crap beat out of them by other homeless, 3) being found unconscious after ingesting Gods know what, or 4) clearly hallucinating/off their meds cuz they had schizophrenia and no support system.
They fell into 3 main groups: 1) 50% Hopelessly addicted to drugs and completely unwilling/unable to get off them, 2) 40% mentally ill/challenged and unable to care for themselves, 3) 10% just bums that want to sit around and not work.
I do not give them money, although I have handed my fast food lunch through the window a few times. I give to the Salvation Army, The Star of Hope and a local shelter for the mentally ill and tell them to check themselves in.
It is very irksome though to see some of them with smart phones……
Hi Hope. You, TE, and all the other ladies are sure fine folks.
I just saw HiLlARy giving one of her speeches on TV with her sly smile. I couldn’t help but think that there’s a woman panhandling for a job.
Most towns have a food bank with nice folks willing to help out. Free warm blankets also. The amount of folks living in the woods or down by the local river just doesn’t make the news. The unemployment rate is not like 4.5 % It is more like 15%. Yes there are con artist out there also.
I always hated bums begging for change so they could buy booze. I tend to recommend the military or a truck driving job to people who tell me they can’t find a job.
Diogenes –
The Seattle homeless scene is a real shit show, homeless encampments from one end of town to the other. People living under overpasses. Tents pitched in open spaces and parks everywhere. The city has established areas where they have fenced off areas for them to camp but are continually tearing them down when the community starts to bitch about all the open drug use and people wandering around at all hours. The areas are self-policing, so who knows what goes on inside.
The city is run by a gay mayor, not that there is anything wrong with that, who doesn’t really know what to do about the problem. Shutting down main city streets and replacing them with bike lanes seems to be his expertise. Seattle is about as bleeding heart liberal a place as you will ever find and collectively seems to go out of its’ way to accommodate the homeless.
A new wrinkle has emerged in the past year or two with what some of the homeless are using for shelter. They are getting their hands on old vintage motorhomes, think Breaking Bad, and parking them on residential streets and cul de sacs and just living there until the police come and roust them out. They drive a couple of blocks and set up camp again. Most of the time they are like a food truck except they sell drugs.
To sum it up it is a mess.
bless you Gayle , as a cook of a lowly status .I CANNOT , turn away someone who is hungry , no money ? no issue . You will be fed !!!!!!!!!!
It is my calling . Although I will feed all who come into my restaurant that need food ,I will not provide currency for drugs,alchohol etc.
One time I denied someone a cup of coffee , for lack of dollars .
NEVER AGAIN , for but the grace of GOD ,there I go . If that means anything .To anyone .
I still wish I could change that encounter with that person from 20 + years ago .
I cannot. I will provide for those that ask .
I will never make that mistake again .
Do you know how hard it is to ask for HELP?
Literally no hope?
Did not ask for the particular circumstances ?
Pride goeth before a fall .
If someone asks for the most basic thing ,food . or water ,then I challenge you all to meet that need
or if you think it cant happen to you , you will be humbled at some point .
Ty Gayle …………. brought back memories as to who and what I am now .
Once upon a time a lowly humbled cook
My thought when I see homeless is to pray.My next thought is There but for the grace of God go I
Anonymous, I gave Unsaved a pass because I thought he was kidding. Your kidding yourself here, pal.
Faith and Works
…15Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. 16If one of you tells him, “Go in peace; stay warm and well fed,” but does not provide for his physical needs, what good is that? 17So too, faith by itself, if it is not complemented by action, is dead.…
Tarded, I swear, you crack me up sometimes. I know Stuckey’s your best friend in the whole wide
world, and Llpoh’s your second best-est, but you really do make riding the short bus fun.