[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by pommysmommy

I think you missed the whole point of innocent children being homeless.

OP:

I was driving east on Tropicana when I got to the light at Maryland Parkway. I saw something I have never seen before. In the Von's parking lot, I saw families with blankets sitting on the tailgates of pickup trucks, begging for help. It was horrifying to say the least, and it just broke my heart. This is the first time I have seen this. I could tell these were good people who got really hit with the economy. I passed out a couple dollars, but that will not do much for them.

Not the interpretation I took out of this.

[JohnG72]

It's funny how people actually almost enjoy being marks.

[pommysmommy]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

It's funny how people actually almost enjoy being marks.

Even more funny that some sanctimonious people don't realize that they could be on the street someday.

[jfkIII]

Originally Posted by Kele

The Lakota will never have a successful casino. The reservation is dry and will remain so.

Not exactly conducive to landing thousands of gamblers on your doorstep.

And I think you're wrong to believe that people think that they are entitled to receive aid, although in all honesty, if anyone had the right to feel that way, it is the First Nation people of this country who have had everything of value taken from them time and time again.

Just curious....why so much alcoholism on a "dry" reservation?

nm...got my answer...

Alcoholism

Alcoholism affects eight out of ten families on the Reservation.

The death rate from alcohol-related problems on the Reservation is 300% higher than the remaining US population.

The Oglala Lakota Nation has prohibited the sale and possession of alcohol on the Pine Ridge Reservation since the early 1970's. However, the town of Whiteclay, Nebraska (which sits 400 yards off the Reservation border in a contested "buffer" zone) has approximately 14 residents and four liquor stores which sell over 4.1 million cans of beer each year resulting in a $3million annual trade. Unlike other Nebraska communities, Whiteclay exists only to sell liquor and make money. It has no schools, no churches, no civic organizations, no parks, no benches, no public bathrooms, no fire service and no law enforcement. Tribal officials have repeatedly pleaded with the State of Nebraska to close these liquor stores or enforce the State laws regulating liquor stores but have been consistently refused.

If alcoholism is such a problem while the reservation is dry...why not allow alcohol? Not much difference between 80% and 100% IMO. The good that opening a casino (with alcohol allowed) would far outway any good you and your colleagues can do with fundraising. Casinos are the mother of all fundraising events for these reservations. I know...proud people...stong beliefs..etc. But holding onto those beliefs comes at a great cost...to future Lakota generations that might be able to break out of the cycle with modernized health facilities and education...gotten with the profits of a successful casino.

[pommysmommy]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

Just curious....why so much alcoholism on a "dry" reservation?

I think Native Americans have a predisposition to alcoholism due to genetics.

[jfkIII]

BTW...The Oneida Tribe (near Utica, NY) runs a very, very, successful casino...called The Turning Stone. No alcohol allowed. It has done wonders for their people.

[las vegas drunk]

Originally Posted by pommysmommy

I think Native Americans have a predisposition to alcoholism due to genetics.

They do. I have a friend back in Phoenix who is a Cherokee Indian. He, and his whole family a drunks. They are way worse than me, if you can believe that. I also notice they have a tendency to blackout unlike me.

[mojavedxer]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

Might be more true in Los Angeles where there are an abundance of minimum wage jobs still to be had, but even in the ghetto rents are $550 a month and up,

But Fremont Streeet still has studios and one bedrooms at $300 a month and is a heck of a lot safer than skid row in Los Angeles.

And verifiable addresses are a dime a dozen. Anyway, there are a million ways to get food if you are hungry...shelters, churchs(yes nearly every church has a food program for local residents), etc.

Not to mention that there is NO shortage of people who will buy meals for hungry people. I guarantee if you stand in front of ANY 7-11 and tell strangers you are hungry and want something to eat, you will have a meal in less than 15 minutes.

I get tired of people scamming and the family in your example is doing exactly that. No reason in the world for a family to be going hungry and doing without shelter right now.

BTW your homeless situation was of your own doing as well. Also you know very well that there were shelters available to you, and you declined those situations because you did not like the terms of staying at those locations.

Again why should this "family", or you, have my sympathy.

I'll take it a step further....I'll never ever be homeless. Not even if I lose my job, not even if I have no money at all. Well, I take that back....if I ever had an addiction and it altered the chemistry of my brain....then I might be homeless. But under all normal circumstances, I won't be. It's because I'll do anything I need to in order to be a man and make my way about things. I already did it once. I was laid off of my first job I had after college. I took a security guard job at $7.25 an hour on graveyard shift because thats all I could find. I know a lot of people think that sort of work is beneath them, but whatever. I need money to live, I'll do whatever job I need to do. If I have to dig or do menial construction, or clean toilets, or flip burgers, I'll do it. But even if there are absolutely no jobs to be had...I still have about 15-20 family members or friends I can live with. I've been responsible and formed good relationships in my life. And I wouldn't be an imposition. I pick up after myself. I'll clean the house and clean and work on the yard. I'll wash their cars for them and cook their food. And I'll keep looking for work and take whatever piecemeal work I can find. In other words I make myself useful and you wouldn't find me sprawled out on the couch watching Springer all day.

No reason healthy adults should be homeless in the United States. And no sympathy for the addicts either. They choose their path. They have options which include free shelter and food and they decline those options because they "don't like it". Hrpmmph. No sympathy for me. The only ones that really deserve sympathy are the mentally ill and nothing can be done about those. They won't take shelter even if they were given an apartment for free.

For somebody who is not a resident of our community, you seem to be an expert on our social services.

1. There are few full time minimum wage jobs.
3. Rent in a fleabag motel on Fremont is a bit more than three hundred a month.
4. Shelters now are filled at full capacity. It's a four hour wait standing in line in hopes of getting a mat to sleep on.
5. If your single and working minimum wage full time, you won’t qualify for food stamps. If you do qualify due to restricted hours it's $50 a month for a single person.

[adamruns]

There are other ways to make money. Buy entertainment.com books for $20 and sell coupons for a few dollars each or buy restaurant.com certificatesfor $2 that offer the purchaser $25 off the purchase of $35 or more. Sell these outside the places they are good for.

Simple business with minimum expense and even relies on peoples goodwill without begging for money.

Just one of many ways to get by in a tough economy.

I think a lower income tax would go along way with taxing cigs, gambling revenue, automobile registration among others at a at a higher amount.

[Kele]

Originally Posted by jfkIII

Just curious....why so much alcoholism on a "dry" reservation?

nm...got my answer...

If alcoholism is such a problem while the reservation is dry...why not allow alcohol? Not much difference between 80% and 100% IMO. The good that opening a casino (with alcohol allowed) would far outway any good you and your colleagues can do with fundraising. Casinos are the mother of all fundraising events for these reservations. I know...proud people...stong beliefs..etc. But holding onto those beliefs comes at a great cost...to future Lakota generations that might be able to break out of the cycle with modernized health facilities and education...gotten with the profits of a successful casino.

Casinos are not the be all and end all answer for Native Americans.

Walking away in disgust now....