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Tent City residents gather as the city of Ontario starts the process of sorting out who may stay and who must leave. The city issued wristbands – blue for Ontario residents, who may stay, orange for people who need to provide more documentation, and white for those who must leave. The aim is to reduce the number of people living there from over 400 to 170.
It's also a good way to discriminate between healthy people and sick people, the latter of which can have their organs harvested and provided to those who are otherwise healthy.
Nothing wrong with efficient use of resources, right?
Officials believe the local homeless number about 140, less than half of those currently in residence. Schultz wants to reduce Tent City to 170 people in a regulated, fenced-off area rather than the sprawling open-air campsite it has become.
Quote:
As the local homeless people were separated from the others, city workers were busy setting up fencing for the new encampment. Those who are approved will get 90-day renewable permits to stay.
I wonder how much the 90 day renewable permits cost? I mean, there's gotta be some revenue being generated out of this for the city somehow. Otherwise, I'm sure they'd just just run 'em all out of town on a rail.........
The principal reason for all of this control is because some of the 'residents' of the tent community were from outside of the city. It makes/made no sense to allow people who have no connection to the city to come in and take advantage of Ontario's solution to the homeless problem. The resources should go to those who are from the city such as residents who lost their homes - the ID allows the city to make sure that it does.
Granted, one could say, "Why bother at all?" but keep in mind that in the absence of someplace for a homeless person to set up camp, they would set up camp in front of a store, possibly intimidating customers, and hurting business. That would be a bigger headache.
Furthermore, keep in mind that staying at the camp is voluntary. Nobody is making them stay there. But the logic is if one is going to be there, utilizing city services, they should at least follow some rules. Is this a perfect solution? No, but it beats doing nothing.
BTW, the quoted news article is from March 18, 2008.
Perfect example of Liberalism at work. California is bankrupt because of these Liberal wackos who want to ban black cars while thousands do not have a place to live.
I don't see a problem with the wrist bands. Id that you are legally there is okay. Remember this if financed by Ontario and is a wonderful thing to do for their own citizens. People coming from somewhere else didn't pay anything into the tax base, now even sales tax on what they bought to pay for it. So it is quite reasonable that only Ontario residents should be allowed to stay.
Having a place you know you can come back to, even a camp, is a whole lot better than wondering is you get in a shelter or sleep in the car and what if you don't have a car.
There has been a problem with drug users. I'm sure those who are using will not be allowed to stay which is to the advantage of those for whom the camp exists. There are rules at shelters too. If you don't want to follow them you don't have to come. People who won't follow the rules are not going to try to go beyond their present state. Those who will will do all they can to not live in a camp.
Fencing can be for keeping people in or out. In this case its to keep people out who don't need to be there. The nightmare scenerio is to give the homeless 'their place' where they find they can't leave. But to fence a camp where strangers don't wander in is no different than putting a fence around an apartment complex.
The really really sad thing is that Ontario had to establish this camp in the first place and now is having to take steps to make it more than a quick temporary thing. But a sign of things to come.
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