My local McDonald's was demolished. It was only built in the last 10 years, but they decided this was no longer the way, and will replace it with an automated McDonald's. If you're homeless and read that, you probably got excited, because it sounds like an unstaffed heated and cooled area you can congregate in for 12 hours staring at our kids, fighting with each other, and cadging for money unbothered. I feel bad for your circumstances, and I give you money when I can. But after being around enough of you, and seeing what little a $1.3B annual budget (in LA) has done for your problem, I'm done. It's not going away. You don't change. Most of you are unemployable from a social standpoint, and even if you were, the skills and jobs that could've helped you get on, say even 5 years ago are GONE. The only way you'll leave is if another state offers better opportunities for your decline. You've pulled knives on me, stole my electric bike, vomited on my sidewalk, and get this, some angry employee at the Walgreens across the street ran around the neighborhood inviting you homeless into the store during his shift, and you ransacked the place so badly the store was closed permanently, so I'm walking an extra block to get basics like milk. Whatever, I'm liberal, conditioned to it, have no solutions myself, and bitcoin doesn't fix this, at least not in the short- to mid-term. Republicans don't have meaningful solutions on how to fix this. It's unfixable.
We throw money at you, and your network calls in bums from all over the country, and suddenly the problem is worse, and the drug dealers are taking a percentage of those tax dollars.
We throw no money at you, and you're still here somehow, just more violent, irritated, and looking great for the cameras matched to stories people use for political gain.
We hide you in polished homeless camps but, that doesn't mean you're gone, it just means there's more space for the next wave, and less competition for Good Samaritan dollars.
We build nice housing for you, and local business don't see a bump in revenue, they see less, because you harass, steal, pollute, and slowly wreck the neighborhood's desirability.
Anybody you know or bring along is no good. Swear to god the best time to go for a walk around here is in the pouring rain dressed in waterproof regalia. I'm moving. Probably Burlington Vermont, because it's a climate safe zone with huge bang for the buck, even on the lake. Could be a culture shock, but remote work means lots of travel.
What part of LA are you in?
Read the book San Fran Sicko. It's enlightening as to the homelessness problem.
Biggest barrier to progress, imo, is "Housing First" and "Harm Reduction" philosophies that are popular in the homeless advocacy community.
Housing First - the idea that before homeless people can get back on their feet, overcome addiction, and find a job, they need to be housed first.
Harm Reduction - the idea that the priority should be to make sure the homeless don't hurt themselves. Thus, safe drug usage is preferred to abstinence policies because it stops homeless from ODing on harder or contaminated drugs.
Not inherently bad ideas, but they've been taken way too far. Housing First advocates oppose anything that isn't related to building more housing... of course it just means more dollars for the builders of homeless housing. And Harm Reduction advocates oppose anything that might require homeless to get off drugs... of course it just means more dollars for the "public health" providers.
Both groups oppose anything that suggests that the homeless need to take responsibility for themselves. Before progress can be made we need to root out these ideologues and their influence on government.
And I'm sorry but I have to be blunt here. You automatically dismissed Republicans as not having any solutions, and you declared the problem unfixable because we "threw money at it and it wasn't solved." Maybe your liberal instinct that more money is the solution is the problem here ( and all the people who voted that way). Maybe your assumption that giving people nice things would make them change was also part of the problem. Hope you re-evaluate your politics when moving to Vermont.
Republicans dont have a solution to any problem at all. They just fear monger and make anything that challenges the social norms seem scary and unamerican.
They literally campaign by saying what the issue is and then point to the way us democrats are trying to fix it then make it seem like it's scary and not working even though the data and statistics show it is working in most cases.
They want to legislate based on the bible but act like Sharia law, which legislates based on the Quran, is completely unamerican and scary. What's the difference? both are monotheistic religions.
A majority of Republicans according to the polling believe a twice indicted, twice impeached ex-president should be the presidenital nominee for their party and literally think he's the best they can do. What happened to the Republicans being a party of the constitution or the law and order party?
The hypocrisy that runs deep in the republican party is fucking insane. They literally contradict themselves more than you can even count. And don't get me started on the fact that if you're not a straight, cisgendered, white male they believe you dont deserve any rights at all. I've never seen them try to ban vasectomies.
Don't try to understand human behaviour, is just pointless, move to an area where you avoid the people you don't like.
Wait for the nuclear apocalypse the most comfortable way you can.
Not an advice but that's how I think.
Yes, blast zones are not something I considered here. Vermont is too close to NY. Maybe Patagonia.
I was talking about living in a place that you like, no matter if you are going to get the blast in full force.
Dude honestly fuck you. You have no idea that 90%+ of the people who are in homelessness want to better their situation and are trying to every day. I worked at a homeless shelter for almost a year and the real issue is mental illness. Either you become mentally ill because you became homeless or you become homeless due to mental illness. That's the real issue..trust me on this one and stop being such a heartless asshole.
Dude, the homeless people I'm talking about don't use a shelter, those come with rules and restrictions. I'm talking about the ones who wanted to "better their situation" by robbing me at knifepoint. I'm not at all heartless, I give them money and voted on the propositions to help their cause. How much more money would like us to throw their way? They won't better their situation, two more will replace the ones that do, and I see zero solutions. What are yours?