Portland needs to do something about unlawful panhandlers

[aroseinrain]

All I'm saying is that in days of yore, the top dog in any company made about 100 times more money than the guy on the lowest rung. If the company made a huge profit they reinvested in the American economy by opening more stores or creating more product (and with that, creating more jobs) or else they gave everyone raises.

Today, the top dog makes about 600 times more money than the guy on the lowest rung. Instead of using the money to reinvest in the American economy and create jobs, they move the jobs over-seas where the profits will be even greater and invest the profits in financial institutions which then loan the money back to the the average worker at a rate of 23% so they can purchase things that, way back when, they would have been able to afford anyway -- like cars and homes (or food in some cases). In essence, we are being offered OUR money (money that, in a sane world should already belong to us) in the form a loan.

So, yes, I feel like I already paid for that lunch and now I'm ready to eat. Waiter!

[TechmanOR]

Originally Posted by aroseinrain

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation

That's as subjective as it can get and mighty hard to define what is "adequate"

For some, adequate is having yachts. For some, having meth whenever they please.

[TDNY]

I don't see much austerity here. This is a chart of total Oregon state and local government spending since 1995:

[haggardhouseelf]

The panhandling/homeless thing might also be much worse in Oregon because perhaps the networks of panhandlers are more established here than in other places?

Panhandlers are often part of a network of panhandlers controlled by "pimps". I'm not making this up... there have been stories in the news about these organizations. Many of these panhandlers often have homes, or rent apartments, or drive cars. They look homeless and act homeless but actually live differently than you would imagine.

So, if panhandling has become something like prostitution, selling drugs, etc. it's never going to go away. It'll just keep getting worse, don't you think? As long as people keep buying sex, buying drugs, and giving away free money to "homeless" people... there will always be others out there selling sex, selling drugs, and asking for free money. It's basic economics.

[davemess10]

http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=...gon+population

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...1t:429,r:1,s:0

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by rhodan653

Not sure your point? We were talking strictly social security (aka FICA) tax, not income tax.

We haven't been talking 'strictly' anything. That information is very relevant to the discussion. I am happy for it's inclusion. By being narrowly focused on points of argument Conservatives make credible arguments that Global Warming doesn't exist, that Racism doesn't exist, and that Tax Reform is not necessary. I read the article about the U.S being bankrupt. So, we need a doubling of personal income tax... for everyone. Am I to assume that this is with limits of ~$250K? What if the 50% went to 1M and a 25% to 10M and a 7% to 20M were brought in? Would we still be bankrupt?

SPENDING! That's where the issue lives for most of you. Let's look at spending. Yes, its easy to be outraged at the burned methhead who cost the state $400K. I look at that situation and wonder why his treatment cost $400K. COSTS! That's where the issue lives for me. When we control COSTS, SPENDING will control itself. Public sector employees are the villains. Cost of living raises, adequate health coverage, decent pensions... sacrilege. No one ever went into public sector work to get rich they went into it for security. The money has always been in the private sector. Until the Executive Branch got so greedy that they now account for 40% of revenue. I'll bet money its the Executive and Managerial public sector salaries that are skewing the data that public sector salaries and benefits are out of control.

H

[Leisesturm]

Did you hear about GM's _Quarter earnings report? Over a billion dollars profit. Can't be from sales, Can't be from the auto workers union bleeding them dry. Maybe the fact that the Executive Branch are capped at $500K... ya think? Maybe that's why the CEO wants to leave. How about those beleaguered airlines. Whoa... they're actually turning a profit as well. They can't pay their pilots or flight attendants, mechanics or baggage handlers... but they can pay themselves and their shareholders. I don't know of a single Fortune 500 that isn't beating earnings records but they are all laying off and/or cutting quality, cutting output and of course outsourcing and in-sourcing H1B skilled labor as well as illegal unskilled labor.

I am to understand that in 2010 we should be considering privatizing the U.S.P.S? We should be considering privatizing Police and Fire services? The outrage should not be that our governments are spending us into ruin but that we are picking and choosing items from the Second Bill of Rights like its some kind of fix your own burrito special. What kind of third rate hellhole are we wanting to sink this country to? Have you noticed that European immigration into the U.S. has all but ceased? One in eight on Food Stamps, unemployment extensions propping up I don't know how many and all some of you can say is: "cut them off". Now, before they drag us any further down. Get real. The real danger for the survivors of any disaster is that the decaying dead will breed disease and a lot of you don't get that you simply can't escape your fellow Americans unless you leave. There is no leaving them to their fate and going forward lighter for having cast off the burden. WE are all the burden. There is no good life for some and nothing for the rest. In only a couple of years of financial meltdown and pullout from the economy of the wealthy we have reached near civil war. How much longer till flashpoint? All rhetorical questions. I just don't get how some of you don't get it.

H