Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Stop giving them free handouts and the problem will solve itself. They receive fairly decent meals from the soup kitchens and it's super easy for them to buy drugs on the street cheap.
They can live an "easy life" on the streets without contributing to society. Make it harder and they'll go elsewhere.
I say bring back the institutions to house these people but make it more humane than it was before. Strictly enforce it and promptly remove the homeless from the streets and parks. Place them in supportive housing that will transition those that can get back on their feet and then just house the ones that will never be able to take care of themselves. Sf depends on tourism and conventions.
Just got very disturbing news that one of the people (42 yr old male) on my caseload is in jail right now. Let me tell you why:
He assaulted a 17 year old Australian tourist who was with his family at LAX and about to depart back home. This was completely unprovoked. No reason. Just was angry and decided to target the 17 yr old. The kid was treated and his family had to delay their flight back to Melbourne, but at least he's okay. It was a mother, father, 17 yr old boy and 12 yr old girl. I'm glad it wasn't the girl he went after.
But, how awful !
This is going to be etched into this family's brain forever! They went to California and on their way home, were assaulted by a homeless man at the airport.
Without divulging too much information: this man is not from California, but from Oregon, and has several restraining orders filed against him in Oregon because of aggression toward children.
Someone like this belongs in an institution, not on the streets!
Just got very disturbing news that one of the people (42 yr old male) on my caseload is in jail right now. Let me tell you why:
He assaulted a 17 year old Australian tourist who was with his family at LAX and about to depart back home. This was completely unprovoked. No reason. Just was angry and decided to target the 17 yr old. The kid was treated and his family had to delay their flight back to Melbourne, but at least he's okay. It was a mother, father, 17 yr old boy and 12 yr old girl. I'm glad it wasn't the girl he went after.
But, how awful !
This is going to be etched into this family's brain forever! They went to California and on their way home, were assaulted by a homeless man at the airport.
Without divulging too much information: this man is not from California, but from Oregon, and has several restraining orders filed against him in Oregon because of aggression toward children.
Someone like this belongs in an institution, not on the streets!
Sure. Terrible story. But in what way is this emblematic of homeless behaviors in general? This is an individual anecdotal story. You can cite these anecdotes many times over and still not correctly portray a statistical portrait of the homeless as typically - or even frequently - violent. It happens that any number of violent crimes can be and are committed against tourists and citizens alike all the time all across the country all around the world - committed by people who are ‘effed up individuals who are not homeless.
I can cite more anecdotal stories about housed individuals commiting violent crimes against homeless persons than you can about homeless attacking the general public. This is fact. The statistics proving it exist and have been linked elsewhere in this and the LA homeless threads. Does this fact mean that housed populations are more dangerous than homeless? Statistically it does. And yet that is of course silly since very few of us would ever attack a homeless person physically. Right?
You have in three posts taken anecdotal examples of common human behaviors and applied them specifically to homelessness as if unique to that condition ... these things you cite: taking advanatage of public services, avoiding work, free-loading, stealing, and violent crime all also occur in the housed population in great numbers.
I asked you before what kind of social services work you do for the homeless ... you haven’t answered.
I asked if you are aware of the studies on homelessness including the annual counts ... you haven’t answered.
I quoted you the researched statistics on origins of the homeless showing they are nearly 90% local to the state ... no response.
You are demonstrating a personal bias agenda. I agreed that if you are serving a segment of homeless population that profiles as persons merely grabbing freebies - and there are thousands in LA that fit that description - then it is understandable that you have the frustrated viewpoint you express.
However, it is clear at this point that your view is one wearing blinders to the breadth of the homeless issues beyond your small slice. Spreading your view as if it is summarily correct for homelessness overall is both disingenuous and a disservice to creating the public awareness and support necessary to get the big jobs done.
Sure. Terrible story. But in what way is this emblematic of homeless behaviors in general? This is an individual anecdotal story. You can cite these anecdotes many times over and still not correctly portray a statistical portrait of the homeless as typically ... or even frequently ... violent. It happens that any number of violent crimes can be and are committed against tourists and citizens alike all the time all across the country all around the world - committed by people who are ‘effed up individuals who are not homeless.
You have in three posts taken anecdotal examples of common human behaviors and applied them specifically to homelessness as if unique to that condition ... these things you cite: taking advanatage of public services, avoiding work, free-loading, stealing, and violent crime all occur in the housed population in great numbers.
I asked you before what kind of social services work you do for the homeless ... you haven’t answered.
I asked if you are aware of the studies on homelessness including the annual counts ... you haven’t answered.
I quoted you the researched statistics on origins of the homeless showing they are nearly 90% local to the state ... no response.
You are demonstrating a personal bias agenda. I agreed that if you are serving a segment of homeless population that profiles as persons merely grabbing freebies - and there are thousands in LA that fit that description - then it is understandable that you have the frustrated viewpoint you express.
However, it is clear at this point that your view is one wearing blinders to the breadth of the homeless issues beyond your small slice. Spreading your view as if it is summarily correct for homelessness overall is both disingenuous and a disservice to creating the public awareness and support necessary to get the big jobs done.
I can really do without your sanctimoniousness!
So, what exactly have you done? What do you do to "help"?
Please don't tell me you're one of these "Social Justice Warriors" who schleps over to the soup kitchen once a month and that gives you room to show righteous indignation towards people like myself?
You want "facts", but let me tell you something sweety, facts are subjective and don't paint the whole picture! Facts ask a question, and the answer given (at the time) isn't always accurate, so "facts" are skewed. Facts don't account for lies, or change of stories, or truths coming out at a later time.
I have tons of "facts" written down about my caseload, and there are "facts" about the caseloads that other social workers carry. The "facts" you're looking for don't translate into what's really going on. We all talk, we all compare case loads, we all have regional meetings and conferences.
You and the other far-left/SJW people don't get it. You're just like the journalists and politicians who decide to swoop down from their 10-story buildings downtown every so often to cite their "facts" and make self-righteous platitudes about the downtrodden, but you really have no clue. You guys get "facts", but you don't ever get the full story because you aren't Day-To-Day-Boots-On-The-Ground like we are!
You're focus on "facts" isn't giving you a holistic or accurate picture of everything truly going on.
The jobless rate is at an all-time low nationwide. This is a fact. So many of the young, able-bodied homeless are deliberately choosing not to work, choosing not to acquire a skill and choosing to be homeless.
This is spot on! The guys and few young females that live in the camps in my neck of the woods are able bodied and certainly know how to work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kttam186290
20-somethings and 30-somethings "rebelling" against society.
I wonder if they are truly "rebelling" against society or are they just losers taking advantage of the handouts in a "welfare" state. There are always going to be a % of people in society who will never lift a finger to learn a skill or put in the effort to make a good life for themselves. Instead they behave as freeloaders wherever and however they can get away with it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kttam186290
These people (21 -- 38 yr olds) sit around on their phones and listen to Spotify and Pandora, or play YouTube videos all day in their tents! That's what they do all day long!
Where do these folks clean up and use the bathroom?
Quote:
Originally Posted by kttam186290
Not even a hint of effort or drive.
Dead beat freeloaders are completely devoid of having drive or ambition.
This is going to be etched into this family's brain forever! They went to California and on their way home, were assaulted by a homeless man at the airport.
This sounds weird to me, how can a homeless get into LAX? The place is crawling with TSA and airport police, who kick people out for just waiting on the curb for pickups or dropoffs too long! Maybe you mean it happened at one of the hotels nearby?
So, what exactly have you done? What do you do to "help"?
Please don't tell me you're one of these "Social Justice Warriors" who schleps over to the soup kitchen once a month and that gives you room to to show righteous indignation towards people like myself?
You want "facts", but let me tell you something sweety, facts are subjective and don't paint the whole picture! Facts ask a question, and the answer given (at the time) isn't always accurate, so "facts" are skewed. Facts don't account for lies, or change of stories, or truths coming out at a later time.
I have tons of "facts" written down about my caseload, and there are "facts" about the caseloads that other social workers carry. The "facts" you're looking for don't translate into what's really going on. We all talk, we all compare case loads, we all have regional meetings and conferences.
You and the other far-left/SJW people don't get it. You're just like the journalists and politicians who decide to swoop down from their 10-story buildings downtown every so often and make self-righteous platitudes about the downtrodden, but you really have no clue. You guys get "facts", but you don't ever get the full story because you aren't Day-To-Day-Boots-On-The-Ground like we are!
You're focus on "facts" isn't giving you a holistic or accurate picture of everything truly going on.
lol ... “facts are subjective” ... that places you in with the “alternative facts” crowd . Ok ... confirmed now.
No. Facts - by the very definition of the word - are the opposite of subjective. How they are used can be subjective, true. But I haven’t used any subjectively.
Nor have I been in any way apologetic for the homeless or sanctimonious toward you.
The FACTS are that there are more attacks against the homeless than by them.
The FACTS are that approximately 88% of the homeless are residents of the city in which they became homeless or the surrounding counties / state.
The FACTS are that welfare and freeloading of all kinds of public services is common in working and housed populations, same as with a segment of the homeless.
I can go on with the parallels you and others commonly draw.
As for me personally? Well, anyone can claim anything on the anonymous internet forums - including that they “work with the homeless”. For what it’s worth, I acknowledged that you may well work in social services with the homeless - but that doesn’t mean you are well informed outside of your specific function ... and you have proven that with your specious sophistry.
I am a retired military combat veteran blue-collar guy ... I have pitched in over many years to support veterans most specifically who were in need of benefits including housing after evictions due to falling to mental illness and addictions. I joined and associated with a Vietnam veteran’s organization that runs multiple transitional housing facilities to get vets back on their feet. I have personally taken in a few for short periods while they were processed into benefits status. I have literally transported for hundreds of miles and carried sick and homeless vets into VA hospitals and down the halls into their appointments and procedures, and stayed with them in motels. I have worked suicide hotlines for vets.
No, I didn’t do any of it as a paid job. Just helping guys out based on phone call networking between others like myself.
Like Ripley said: “Believe It or Not.”
Learn your business and topic if you want to be of service.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. Ok ... confirmed now.
