Homeless people down town (2013, unemployment, tax)

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by citizenkane2

Ballard did not allow that type of thing in heavy pedestrian and tourist areas like on sidewalks in front of the circle theater! They were in parks or camps. Now I just heard on WIBC that a man was bathing in the circle fountain! It is no secret what Democrat leadership has done to San Francisco and DC! They have a human feces problem! The police get their orders from the mayor. Why is our current mayor allowing this?

What is your proposal to fix it?

[ColdAilment]

Originally Posted by citizenkane2

Ballard did not allow that type of thing in heavy pedestrian and tourist areas like on sidewalks in front of the circle theater! They were in parks or camps. Now I just heard on WIBC that a man was bathing in the circle fountain! It is no secret what Democrat leadership has done to San Francisco and DC! They have a human feces problem! The police get their orders from the mayor. Why is our current mayor allowing this?

So the city should create a camp for the homeless?

[phlinak]

Originally Posted by citizenkane2

I know we have a Democrat mayor now. Could this be why things are so lax now?

We have had both Democratic and Republican mayors here in Anchorage, as well as many other cities, and guess what?

We still have homelessness.

It's not a question of being "lax", whatever that means.

It's a matter of finding a solution to a complex problem that has many causes (alcoholism, drug addiction, mental health issues, etc.) and affects many people regardless of race, gender, political affiliation, or any other demographic.

[citizenkane2]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

What is your proposal to fix it?

THAT'S NOT MY JOB!!

Do you have a plan??

[citizenkane2]

Originally Posted by phlinak

We have had both Democratic and Republican mayors here in Anchorage, as well as many other cities, and guess what?

We still have homelessness.

It's not a question of being "lax", whatever that means.

It's a matter of finding a solution to a complex problem that has many causes (alcoholism, drug addiction, mental health issues, etc.) and affects many people regardless of race, gender, political affiliation, or any other demographic.

No one is saying we can get rid of homelessness! But they cant just be laying out on sidewalks. Maybe letting them have the camps like before will work.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by citizenkane2

THAT'S NOT MY JOB!!

That's about the caliber of response I was expecting.

[MortonR]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

That's about the caliber of response I was expecting.

It's a valid point, however. If you're going to challenge others to offer a solution, it's assumed that you have one of your own.

We can go back to the Reagan administration to see how public mental health resources were dismantled and led to the much of the current homeless issue we have now. Many, not all, of these people are in need of mental health resources that simply don't exist today. While I'm not keen about the institutional approach to mental health, it was certainly far better than abandoning a part of society that could otherwise be housed safely and humanely as well as treated for their needs.

I used to do work at Central State, and while I was never keen about being there, it served a purpose. I've dealt with mental health issues in my family that included institutionalizing people, and I will say that the resources available today are almost nonexistent, public or private.

RM

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by MortonR

It's a valid point, however. If you're going to challenge others to offer a solution, it's assumed that you have one of your own.

I didn't start the thread. Perhaps I am just biased by the professional environment I work in. It is assumed if you have a complaint about the way something or someone is operating, you have some sort of suggestion on what to do about it. Homelessness is a problem with a lot of layers, starting an internet thread to take veiled shots at a political party is not doing anything to help.

[missik999]

Originally Posted by ColdAilment

So the city should create a camp for the homeless?

Cincinnati is dealing with this problem right now. Approximately 40 people have set up a tent city downtown and the city has declared it to be a public health hazard due to the drugs, hepatitis, urination and defecation, etc.

There is available space in homeless shelters there but they don’t want to leave their tents, and they have resisted efforts to be relocated to shelters.

The reason they don’t want to move to shelters? They say they want a place of their own, which they consider their tents to be. But they are trespassing on city property, it is not their own. You can’t pitch a tent anywhere you want and claim squatters rights.

Business owners are complaining because customers are staying away. They say the camp is filthy and the area reeks of urine and feces.

Yesterday one of the men from the camp was arrested for selling heroin and fentanyl.

One if the men was interviewed on local news saying he had been set up in an apartment but he got kicked out because it was a “no smoking” apartment and he refused to stop smoking in his own home. Said he wasn’t going to walk outside every time he wanted to smoke. So he got kicked out and now had “his own place” which was a tent in the camp.

[citizenkane2]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

That's about the caliber of response I was expecting.

And that was the caliber question you get when you bring up point that makes people uncomfortable. Do you have solution?? Probably not. I’m not paid to fix this. The people we elect are the ones who need to have the
The answers.