loved Burlington, but...... (Rutland, South Burlington, Brattleboro: transplants, camp, to live in)

[RunawayJim]

Originally Posted by quickdraw

It is definitely the christian thing to do. With no disrespect to Christians, most of the cities that appear to assist and tolerate the homeless are cities where relatively few people go to church.

However, there are churches in each of those cities that play a major role in helping them.

Burlington being one of them.

The churches that tend to play a major role in helping the homeless also tend to be the more liberal accepting/welcoming churches as opposed to the conservative churches.

[pyrotech]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

I don't know, if I were homeless with nothing to fall back on...I'd be in the woods in the NEK with my best basic camping gear and a couple of my best guns (.22 long barrel revolver of mine, shotgun and a good big game rifle) and their ammo...I wouldn't head for a crowded, crime ridden city to beg for food...

LMAO @ crime-ridden.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by RunawayJim

The churches that tend to play a major role in helping the homeless also tend to be the more liberal accepting/welcoming churches as opposed to the conservative churches.

Doubtful. It's been said the Catholic Church feeds more poor than any other single organization or religious group.

The thing is the more orthodox Christian churches tend to focus on voluntary actions by individuals rather than government doing it through taxation.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by pyrotech

LMAO @ crime-ridden.

By VT standards it is.

[Evan_Lanctot]

There is far more crime in Burlington these days then in Portland(where I now am)for a city it's size.

[pyrotech]

Can you give examples of the crime? I just moved from there about 2 months ago, and would have to say the old north end of Burlington (I lived on Clark & Grant, so really not 'deep' into the north end, only a block from Pearl) and Williston have been the safest places I've ever lived. I did have my bike stolen off of my front porch, but that was because I forgot to lock it up.

In my 5 years there, I saw someone yell out of their car at another person that they wanted to fight, and nothing came of it. A girl was abducted when she was walking home alone drunk late at night, and she was found later in a gorge, but that was one of the more shocking / frightening events to happen in those 5 years.

Are these violent crimes you're talking about? Or is it more of some college kid getting busted for starting a flash mob pillow fight on Church St? (The pillow fight was wicked fun, by the way...)

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by pyrotech

Can you give examples of the crime? I just moved from there about 2 months ago, and would have to say the old north end of Burlington (I lived on Clark & Grant, so really not 'deep' into the north end, only a block from Pearl) and Williston have been the safest places I've ever lived. I did have my bike stolen off of my front porch, but that was because I forgot to lock it up.

In my 5 years there, I saw someone yell out of their car at another person that they wanted to fight, and nothing came of it. A girl was abducted when she was walking home alone drunk late at night, and she was found later in a gorge, but that was one of the more shocking / frightening events to happen in those 5 years.

Are these violent crimes you're talking about? Or is it more of some college kid getting busted for starting a flash mob pillow fight on Church St? (The pillow fight was wicked fun, by the way...)

Well, here's the difference btwn. Burlington and the "real" Vermont I'm from: where I grew up and lived for quite a bit of my life, if you didn't lock something up, you still had it the next day. There wasn't hardly any reason to even worry about locking the doors where I'm from...

The stats on Burlington crime speak for themselves. It's getting worse too from what I understand.

[MTK1]

Most of Burlington's homeless live in a huge outdoor camp in South Burlington in the median between I-189 and route 7. They have been camping there for years and I have heard there is quite a large population of them living there right through the winter. It was on the news today that a homeless women died there today.

On a related note the Somalia refugees targeted Burlington for its generous welfare just like the homeless do. They seem much better off though then the homeless on the streets. Take a ride by the Burlington Housing Authority's units on Riverside Dr and you would think your in Somalia. Google the great Somalia Welfare Hunt for more info.

[notfriedkasei]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

Well, here's the difference btwn. Burlington and the "real" Vermont I'm from: where I grew up and lived for quite a bit of my life, if you didn't lock something up, you still had it the next day. There wasn't hardly any reason to even worry about locking the doors where I'm from...

The stats on Burlington crime speak for themselves. It's getting worse too from what I understand.

I lived several hours from Burlington, in "real" Vermont ... I also had a bike stolen, a couple weeks after it was vandalized (and it was locked). A friend of mine was also attacked once by high school students.

People suck everywhere. Some places just have fewer sucky people. Again, a numbers game: where there is more people, there will be more sucky people. But what are the differences in percentages? That is what I'm always more curious to know.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by notfriedkasei

I lived several hours from Burlington, in "real" Vermont ... I also had a bike stolen, a couple weeks after it was vandalized (and it was locked). A friend of mine was also attacked once by high school students.

People suck everywhere. Some places just have fewer sucky people. Again, a numbers game: where there is more people, there will be more sucky people. But what are the differences in percentages? That is what I'm always more curious to know.

How far away is "several hours" and in what direction?