"Homeless Are a Challenge for Sarasota, Fla." (restaurants, law)

[kiggy]

Originally Posted by PixiStix

Stopped at the CVS at Swift & Clark last night to get my son some cough drops. We literally hadn't even gotten the car in park when a man walks up to our car & asks for money. As soon as we said no, he rushes off to the next car that pulls in. He was working that parking lot like a pinball machine. Plus when you are in your car with your kids in the back seat & some stranger walks up & stands at your drivers door- that takes it to a new creepiness level.

This week, I also saw a pair of younger men get out of a car near Stickney Point & 41. They walk from where they are parked & onto the median, give each other a little fist bump, split off to different corners & pull out their carboard signs. Literally the first car at the stoplight hand one of them cash

I'll say it again- this crap is out of control.

There's absolutely no call for this kind of crap going on. When decent citizens are accosted by these bums, the police should be called then and there.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by PixiStix

Stopped at the CVS at Swift & Clark last night to get my son some cough drops. We literally hadn't even gotten the car in park when a man walks up to our car & asks for money.

In this case, I agree with you. I don't even like it when someone approaches me to buy Girl Scout cookies (although I just bought a box yesterday. I was responding to the posts talking about people holding up signs.

There was another thread not too long ago about people in Publix and other stores asking for donations. I suppose the men to whom you're referring don't look as clean or smell from alcohol? Unless someone is touching me or harassing me, I don't see the difference. I either say yes or no. My choice. However, I do agree that walking up to a car or stopping someone on the street is unacceptable.

[justNancy]

Originally Posted by gettinoutofjersey

if it bothers you so much just ignore it. i never mentioned your president you did. what i said is that the economy is crappy. i also said that if you listened to the state of the union that everything is great. both of those statements are FACT and not a debate. you turned 2 true statements political.

The second point is who are you to reprimand me?

I only need to read the words under your user name. Yes, it's your right to say & think whatever you want. However, this isn't the forum for it and I wasn't "reprimanding" anyone. I get my posts cut if I go off-topic so the rules should apply to everyone. Like it or not, he's your president too, that is, unless you don't really live in the United States. Admit it. You wouldn't be happy if he cured cancer and everyone had a nice house with a pool. By the way, I did listen to the address and I heard "we still have a long way to go" and "we are a long way from success." So I heard optimism and you heard something in your mind. Let it go.

[gettinoutofjersey]

Originally Posted by justNancy

I only need to read the words under your user name. Yes, it's your right to say & think whatever you want. However, this isn't the forum for it and I wasn't "reprimanding" anyone. I get my posts cut if I go off-topic so the rules should apply to everyone. Like it or not, he's your president too, that is, unless you don't really live in the United States. Admit it. You wouldn't be happy if he cured cancer and everyone had a nice house with a pool. By the way, I did listen to the address and I heard "we still have a long way to go" and "we are a long way from success." So I heard optimism and you heard something in your mind. Let it go.

pretty apparent you are the one not letting go and you were the one to high light a couple of words and make an issue. you say you dont like when someone does that to you but what exactly did you just do to me. i do live in the US, but quite frankly this is looking less and less like the US. you are the one going on with a political rant. read what you wrote. and yes you did in your simple minded way try to reprimand me.

[Chester Burnett]

Before things turn too ugly here I'd like to mention something positive and constructive that can be done. Many homeless are people who have aged out of the foster system without being adopted. 86% of children who don't get adopted become homeless. Coming from unimaginably, horrible backgrounds and possessing almost no basic life skills they are faced with being truly alone at a very young age. The Safe Children Coalition is program that provides foster and adoption services to prospective parents as well as a wide range of independent living services. Of course not everyone is in a position to foster or adopt but there are so many other ways to help. I taught a young man some basic cooking skills and helped him write a cover letter to submit with job applications. My wife showed a young woman how to organize household expenses, manage a budget and dress for an interview. Things we take for granted can be a huge leg up to one of these kids. Know some basic carpentry? Computers? You'd be surprised at what you may be able to teach someone who has grown up without guidance.

If you don't have a lot of free time there is also a huge need for furniture and housewares. I've seen some of these young adults with zero furniture or dishes. Really basic stuff. This requires a little coordination. They are not Goodwill and don't have storage. You need to let them know what you have and probable bring it directly to the kids but I tell you it can make a huge difference to someone.

This is a local community based group doing incredibly difficult work and I prefer doing this stuff do just writing a check or handing someone a dollar.

I know this won't do anything about the guys with the signs on 41 but I really don't think we're going to come to any consensus on that in this thread. Complaining... er I mean having a healthy discourse on the internet is fun but doing something to make even a tiny bit better is even more rewarding.

Chet

[kiggy]

Originally Posted by Chester Burnett

Before things turn too ugly here I'd like to mention something positive and constructive that can be done. Many homeless are people who have aged out of the foster system without being adopted. 86% of children who don't get adopted become homeless. Coming from unimaginably, horrible backgrounds and possessing almost no basic life skills they are faced with being truly alone at a very young age. The Safe Children Coalition is program that provides foster and adoption services to prospective parents as well as a wide range of independent living services. Of course not everyone is in a position to foster or adopt but there are so many other ways to help. I taught a young man some basic cooking skills and helped him write a cover letter to submit with job applications. My wife showed a young woman how to organize household expenses, manage a budget and dress for an interview. Things we take for granted can be a huge leg up to one of these kids. Know some basic carpentry? Computers? You'd be surprised at what you may be able to teach someone who has grown up without guidance.

If you don't have a lot of free time there is also a huge need for furniture and housewares. I've seen some of these young adults with zero furniture or dishes. Really basic stuff. This requires a little coordination. They are not Goodwill and don't have storage. You need to let them know what you have and probable bring it directly to the kids but I tell you it can make a huge difference to someone.

This is a local community based group doing incredibly difficult work and I prefer doing this stuff do just writing a check or handing someone a dollar.

I know this won't do anything about the guys with the signs on 41 but I really don't think we're going to come to any consensus on that in this thread. Complaining... er I mean having a healthy discourse on the internet is fun but doing something to make even a tiny bit better is even more rewarding.

Chet

Good idea, Chet!

[cherdawin]

After reading several of these comments , I got a feeling that not too many people understand homelessness. There are some really simple reasons for homelessness. The person who has fallen on bad times. This may be due to lack of education, inability to find work, lack of transportation, common problems that anyone of us can fall into in these times of economical instability.

Next we have the Mentally Ill, now this is a bit harder problem due to the fact we have made it that as long as they are not harming themselves or others; they have the right to live as they please. The fact that it encroaches on others rights was never taken into consideration. We closed the facilities that we warehoused these humans in and never put an alternative in place. So now we have our mentally Ill roaming our streets. Now although most are not dangerous there are the cases where a harmless can become agitated enough to do harm. Some are not diagnosed, some do not take their medication, some take medication and it is the wrong medication.

The next are our Drug Addicted. This group may come from any walk of life and now finds that it is easier to live this way to support their life style. They sort of moves from one place to another to avoid arrest or being known in any one place , as well, to avoid the cold or heat... These are one of the most dangerous. They are far from stupid, and have to maintain their habits. If their drug of choice is alcohol, they are prone to fighting among themselves and thinking others are in some way "Putting them Down". Within this group comes all sorts of problems. Theft, is one of the worst problems. Some will steal on the street, others will break into homes . There are many problems associated with this group, prostitution, passing disease, inappropriate behavior.... These are only a few of the problems.

There is still a mixed bag problem, it is called "dual diagnosed". This is where a person is an addicted individual, who has mental illness. This one seems to stem from the idea that,"we are not mentally ill". In our society we foster the concept that when you are unable to handle yourself correctly it is due to a weakness. So they, self diagnoses and use their appropriate drugs to make the illness more acceptable. Most addiction is a mood changer or emotion blocker in the first place, they are self medicating.

I have worked in most of these sectors. Most are good people, most are afraid, lonely, and feel invisible. I am by no means saying take a homeless person home tonight. I am saying We as a Society have made this problem and we need to address it and find ways to make a clear, workable package to address this problem... that is of-course if we want to alleviate it... Or not we can have these people living on our lawns... it is up to us!

[wondermint2]

Another example of the Florida politicians worried about depriving people of their "freedoms":

With law lifted, panhandlers dotting Sarasota street corners | HeraldTribune.com

[PixiStix]

In response to the above posted article, there has been a petition started by Sarasota county residents. Click the link to sign it & show support if you'd like.

https://www.change.org/petitions/city-of-sarasota-outlaw-street-side-panhandling

(No, I didn't start the petition, I just saw it & am passing it along)

[Rushmore]

Originally Posted by PixiStix

In response to the above posted article, there has been a petition started by Sarasota county residents. Click the link to sign it & show support if you'd like.

https://www.change.org/petitions/city-of-sarasota-outlaw-street-side-panhandling

(No, I didn't start the petition, I just saw it & am passing it along)

I might have done so had it not been for the awful and mean-spirited photo.

So no, I won't sign it.

Grow up and do something less aggressive, and sure, I will consider it.