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They're right on some aspects. But never mention the housing crisis. Meanwhile republicans deny there is one and fly to their favorite scapegoat of illegal immigrants. A meteor hits earth and the first thing they blame is illegals.
The problem has been ignored by both parties tossing a hot potato at one another.
Well there would be more housing available without illegals . So there definitely is a connection there .
Yes...... some basic sanitation. I am only guessing, but my feeling is that many Americans don't feel these homeless people deserve help. Sort of like it's their own fault, so lie in your filth?
The American mentality is hard for me to understand. I know there will be lots of concerned folks, trying to help with charitable work. This is getting too big for that, and needs large scale intervention, to prevent a disease epidemic breaking out. You have got heat, rats, and folks without any proper sanitation. All the ingredients for an outbreak.
It's very difficult to help people who either refuse your help outright or will only accept it on their own terms. And our laws make it very difficult to force people into housing or rehab or mental health facilities or whatever else might help those who are too stubborn or strung out or mentally ill to accept help.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elan
I don't know a lot about the bum situation in LA. However, a lot of the ones in my city don't like the shelters. They seem to like being outside, I have no earthly idea why. When it's extremely cold, they will go in. When it warms up, they are out again.
It's not that they enjoy the great outdoors. The problem is that putting a bunch of crazy, fkd-up people in a shelter together creates an environment so crazy and fked-up that even crazy, fkd-up people don't want to be in it.
We have a housing crisis. People oppose construction but then wonder why there's so many homeless. No one allowed the city to evolve with the growth and now everyone is paying for it.
Do you think the average person on skid row would be able to pay and maintain a home even if rent was half of what it is now ?
I agree that CA in general has messed up on development and has poor planning for the most part .
But it’s not the cause of the homeless issue. A lot of people come here from elsewhere knowing they’ll be tolerated and they know it’s a good place to be homeless . Also soft on crime /weak laws .
There are SRO buildings that can’t be torn down that’s what’s keeping it from actually getting gentrified .
The area around there though has gotten a ton of development and lots of new bars /restaurants etc
People in L.A used to avoid downtown if they could .. but now it’s a hip place to live .
LA had no downtown of any note historically. It’s a sprawl city that never concentrated the city’s hub in the downtown area like Chicago or San Francisco. Los Angeles isn’t a real city...it’s a bunch of enclaves and ethnic fiefdoms.
You’re right. It was a dump downtown. When my sisters were both at Pepperdine, they used to take me to eat at the Pantry on Figueroa. Bums and trash everywhere, but I loved it anyway. Big cities should have an element of bedlam and chaos. If i want a bucolic environment, I can visit Orange County. Lol
That said, Staples changed everything. Skid Row is GONNA get cleaned up. It’s only a matter of time.
I can remember when Hollywood was a dump with dirt cheap rents. Especially east of Vine Street and north of Melrose. Try renting there now. Good luck with that.
It's like the worst of Dickensian Victorian Society coupled with Darwinism and parts of US society are basically just survival of the fittest.
The US today seems to be like living in a giant video game with few safety nets if you fall down.
We British look at America with great curiosity don't we BNW? This vast land, speaking the same language as us, yet so different.
The mentality is very different. An independent spirit, and a love for a story of folks lifting themselves out of dire straits by sheer effort and will.
I am convinced that many Americans despise failure. Folks living on the street represent something to fear, and look sideways at. A deep felt fear of 'could this happen to me?' I have read many Americans are only a couple of paychecks from the gutter.
In recent decades, the crumbs off the rich man's table are less than they were. We know this ourselves from events in England. The situation has deteriorated here as well.
Some posting here speak of many of their homeless not wanting to move back into society. Of liking this way of life. Maybe that's true of some. But surely, many have genuinely fallen on hard times, and cannot find a way back.
A rich country, which I admire in so many ways, surely cannot allow this situation to continue to get worse. Does America want to see permanent shanty towns on the edge of it's cities? Does the right wing want to see more and more citizens fail, then tell them to lift themselves by their bootstraps? The occasional heart warming story of someone coming back from the gutter, cannot be enough surely?
There have always been folks who are weak, and drink too much, and in recent decades, harm themselves with other drugs of choice. Most people work hard, and ask why should help be given to those who fail. First, these people need to be got off the streets. Rents are too high, and government needs to step in, and build affordable housing. The same is true here in England. Some folks are getting rich off inflated rents, knowing supply and demand is on their side.
Capitalism is failing us. It is obvious to all. Wages have been stagnant for decades. Our jobs have left our shores to places elsewhere. Many folks are struggling to keep their heads above water, and some have fallen by the wayside. Does American continue on the same path as now? Just accept things getting worse for the ordinary citizen?
More and more mechanisation is on the way. Many more at the bottom of the pile will lose their jobs in the years to come. The rich can continue to live in their gated communities. Only leaving in their cars, to visit their friends and restaurants, where they can tut tut about the homeless, and how disgusting it all is. Just keep blaming the poor, and turning their heads away. Keeping their guns well oiled, and waiting for the day they may need to use them. Is this the future for Reagan's shining city upon a hill?
We British look at America with great curiosity don't we BNW? This vast land, speaking the same language as us, yet so different.
The mentality is very different. An independent spirit, and a love for a story of folks lifting themselves out of dire straits by sheer effort and will.
I am convinced that many Americans despise failure. Folks living on the street represent something to fear, and look sideways at. A deep felt fear of 'could this happen to me?' I have read many Americans are only a couple of paychecks from the gutter.
In recent decades, the crumbs off the rich man's table are less than they were. We know this ourselves from events in England. The situation has deteriorated here as well.
Some posting here speak of many of their homeless not wanting to move back into society. Of liking this way of life. Maybe that's true of some. But surely, many have genuinely fallen on hard times, and cannot find a way back.
A rich country, which I admire in so many ways, surely cannot allow this situation to continue to get worse. Does America want to see permanent shanty towns on the edge of it's cities? Does the right wing want to see more and more citizens fail, then tell them to lift themselves by their bootstraps? The occasional heart warming story of someone coming back from the gutter, cannot be enough surely?
There have always been folks who are weak, and drink too much, and in recent decades, harm themselves with other drugs of choice. Most people work hard, and ask why should help be given to those who fail. First, these people need to be got off the streets. Rents are too high, and government needs to step in, and build affordable housing. The same is true here in England. Some folks are getting rich off inflated rents, knowing supply and demand is on their side.
Capitalism is failing us. It is obvious to all. Wages have been stagnant for decades. Our jobs have left our shores to places elsewhere. Many folks are struggling to keep their heads above water, and some have fallen by the wayside. Does American continue on the same path as now? Just accept things getting worse for the ordinary citizen?
More and more mechanisation is on the way. Many more at the bottom of the pile will lose their jobs in the years to come. The rich can continue to live in their gated communities. Only leaving in their cars, to visit their friends and restaurants, where they can tut tut about the homeless, and how disgusting it all is. Just keep blaming the poor, and turning their heads away. Keeping their guns well oiled, and waiting for the day they may need to use them. Is this the future for Reagan's shining city upon a hill?
I agree.
The main difference I see between Britain and indeed Europe and America, is that people don't hae the same attitude to universal healthcare or welfare.
Some Americans are outraged that their taxes and hard earned money would go towards paying for others, in the UK we would rather pay slighly more taxes in order that a good level of basic health and welfare provision is provided for everyone.
Of course some of the problem is due to mass immigration, both in Europe and the US, whilst drugs, alcholism and lack of mental health services also play a part.
I just don't think such issues should even be political, indeed the recent plan for an NHS & Social Care tax rise through increasing National Insurance in the UK that would help.
I also think all parties now recognise the need for new housing, as populations keep growing, and in London and some other cities Social Housing must be part of all new housing schemes, whilst housing associations such as the Peabody Trust are working with Government in order to build much more and better social housing, and this has to be the way forward.
Another area that need better provision is mental heath care, although the system in the UK is better than in many countries with further improvements announced, and there are quite a few good mental health services.
In terms of the US, it seems incredible that the richest mightest country in the world has areas such as skid row in LA, especially given the vast budget that has just been passed. Although I am sure most Americans would like to see an end to these type of health hazard areas, and some kind of social housing coupled with better mental health services in order to alleviate the problem.
I think unfettered capitalism is definately failing us and this is what happens when capitaism isn't regulated properly and it becomes a case of survival of the fittest. Capitalism has been allowed to get out of hand, and needs reigning in, and we need a more compassionate type of capitalism which was what we had during the initial post war years, when from the cradle to the grave was the welfare states great motto.
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