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Seems to me, that part, and I want to emphasize PART, of the reason this county has an issue with homelessness and generation after generation of families living off the welfare system is that they are being given the wrong thing. They are being handed a place to live or a check every month for doing little more than giving birth to yet another illegitimate child. And yes, that is what happens...the county that we live in now is the 3rd poorest county in Florida...I see it every day. Perhaps, the government should focus less on putting money into the welfare budget and using those funds to teach these people how to make a life for themselves and their children, on their own! I have no issue whatsoever with helping out a family/individual that has truly fallen on hard times, but when it becomes their sole income year after year after year, there's something wrong with the system. That was not the government's intention when they created the welfare system.
"If you give a man a fish, he will have a single meal. If you teach him how to fish, he will eat all his life." Kwan Tzu
I have been visiting there for years from florida. asheville is nice. The problem I have noticed is that NC residents didn't want to be over run by newcomers. Now that the market has slowed down in NC The residents are saying where is everyone. People don't like change. I think NC has cool laid back people and it's a great place to move. Check out Arden High Vista Estates great mountain views nice looking homes.
Asheville has a lot of beggars, because Asheville caters to the beggars second only to the tourists. The homeless have their own networks, and the word is out that for the homeless, Asheville is the land of milk and honey.
On WLOS news (local TV station) this morning was a story about a new apartment complex for the homeless has just opened, and has 60 apartments for the homeless, free of charge. Why in hell wouldn't they come in droves?
I heard Asheville wasn't like this until 15 years ago where there was a homeless mayor, so the city was promoted heavily in areas like San Francisco with signs "Asheville, NC is friendly to beggars and the homeless. 2977 miles-move there."
Compared to today, Asheville's downtown was dead 15-20 years ago. Whatever has been done since then has been GREAT for this city. Downtown is vibrant, with restaurants, art museums, Pack Square, etc. Quite a change from the empty storefronts circa 1990.
I guess the people that view downtown as positive now, are all the imports from the big cities. The stench of the homeless, the pervasive urine smell in places like Pritchard Park, the aggressive beggars really seem mild in comparison to the crime ridden streets of the big cities, like NYC, LA, NO,Philly, or Miami, with their gangs, and arrogant citizens.
Likely it is better than where they come from, but in comparison to the town that Asheville was, it just sucks to see how far it has deteriorated. It is no longer the friendly, safe town it used to be, now filled with glassy eyed tourists, unpleasant to repulsive homeless, and the arrogant rich seasoned with what can only be referred to as freaks.
This seems pretty off-topic for this forum and also like a personal (issue?)
Quote:
Originally Posted by a2zmom
Seems to me, that part, and I want to emphasize PART, of the reason this county has an issue with homelessness and generation after generation of families living off the welfare system is that they are being given the wrong thing. They are being handed a place to live or a check every month for doing little more than giving birth to yet another illegitimate child. And yes, that is what happens...the county that we live in now is the 3rd poorest county in Florida...I see it every day. Perhaps, the government should focus less on putting money into the welfare budget and using those funds to teach these people how to make a life for themselves and their children, on their own! I have no issue whatsoever with helping out a family/individual that has truly fallen on hard times, but when it becomes their sole income year after year after year, there's something wrong with the system. That was not the government's intention when they created the welfare system.
"If you give a man a fish, he will have a single meal. If you teach him how to fish, he will eat all his life." Kwan Tzu
I hope I don't sound too biased but I am one of those who was "priced out of town" The attitude of the true natives is probably due in part to this problem. I know many people in the area who have had to sell land that had been in their family for generations because they could no longer afford the taxes. The wonderful place that it was twenty years ago is gone. Being "discovered" has been terrible for all of WNC. When I go back to visit family it just makes me sad for what it used to be.
I don't want to sound insensitive, but don't almost all areas change, grow smaller/larger, over time?
My dad was from a small town in NC that had thriving textile and lumber industries that employed most of the local people. In it's day, it was the shining example of the all American small town. Various reasons, caused the backbone economy to fail...people moved and now it is sadly (for me) just a ghost of the place I grew up hearing about...tree lined streets safe to walk at any hour, friendly neighbors sitting on front porches having lemonade etc....Crime has increased (due in part to decades of economic decline), many of the majestic homes on and near Main street stand empty and deteriorating....It IS heartbreaking!
In the larger cities, ie: DC I could easily have been priced out of my hometown because of the then exploding housing market! My home tripled in value in under 5 years, bringing higher taxes along with it.
I am not an Asheville native but I do remember Asheville from summers spent in small town NC.
I don't see how what is happening in Asheville is that different from what happens everywhere...except perhaps in the details.....
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asheville/arden cool places
