The Economist article on Sarasota (Clearwater, Arcadia: foreclosed, new home, camps)

[Obrero]

Interesting article on the Sarasota area in The Economist this week:

Recession and homelessness: Et in Arcadia ego | The Economist

[nphomeowner]

My that is a very enlightning article. I had NO idea there were so many homeless in Florida. Guess now we know where all the people went that were foreclosed on.

[JViello]

I'm not sure what to make of that article. It seems to smack of some kind of liberal elitism - almost a "see what you evil conservatives have caused" kind of feel with statments about how having lower taxes in the area caused the lack of a social services net. Ha!

They are interviewing people in a homeless camp in Clearwater and equating it to Sarasota? Really?

[Skunk Workz]

Originally Posted by nphomeowner

My that is a very enlightning article. I had NO idea there were so many homeless in Florida. Guess now we know where all the people went that were foreclosed on.

I don't know how many new homeless people have been added in the last 5-6 years, but FL has always had a large homeless population; mostly for the same reason that everyone else wants to live here, it's warmer.

[SoFLGal]

Originally Posted by Skunk Workz

I don't know how many new homeless people have been added in the last 5-6 years, but FL has always had a large homeless population; mostly for the same reason that everyone else wants to live here, it's warmer.

That's exactly what I was thinking. You would think it would be a bit easier being homeless in FL living without the snow.

On another note. This article says that Sarasota county has one of the highest homeless populations and then this : USATODAY.com - Sarasota, Fla. named meanest city for homeless USA Today article stated that Sarasota is one of the "meanest" cities toward the homeless because Sarasota bans sleeping outside overnight without permission on public or private property.

The articles don't exactly match up. I supposed you could be homeless and not sleep outside

[Old Man Winter]

I have been to a few homeless camps in Sarasota to do photography. You would be surprised how few there really are. Sarasota runs them off because they give the city a dirty run down feel. We cant have tourists looking at folks down on their luck now can we. What amazed me was the people were neat and tidy, their clothes were folded, dirty clothes were in bags and they cleaned up their garbage. If you want real info on the Sarasotas homeless community, ask a homeless person. I would take their word against some newspaper anyday.

[yellowsky]

I notice that the article uses the phrase 'sleeping rough'. This is an expression used by the English and as this is a British news magazine I wonder if the reporter is English? The article smacks, not so much of liberalism as someone else just wrote, but of a better than thou attitude. I greatly mistrust the lack of balance. Is Sarasota really this bad and isn't Clearwater north of St Pete?

[=^..^=]

Originally Posted by SoFLGal

The articles don't exactly match up. I supposed you could be homeless and not sleep outside

I don't know where the city expects them to go. Are the malls there open 24/7? Most have food courts if there aren't enough shelter beds for them all. The homeless.... every city's headache.

[JSnFla]

sarasota has an odd mix of elderly wealthy people, some younger middle to lower middle class and then substantial amounts living in severe poverty. bradenton and tampa/st. pete seem to have enormous homeless populations and a very sketchy vibe in many spots

[Col.W.Deering]

The homeless are not every cities "headache"... but our brothers and sisters in need of a decent job, medication for their illnesses and a chance at recovery from addictions. Mother Teresa once said it is much more difficult to be poor in a rich country like the United States than it is to be poor in a poor country.

BTW...the Economist is a British elitist rag that smacks of distortion in order to perpetuate their liberal agenda. It's not journalism as much as it is propaganda.