Doc, Homless in LA

[_Markk]

I was homeless for half a year a decade or so ago. And yes it was because of alcohol addiction. I just thought that it is quite callous to claim that most homeless people are irredeemable. I certainly was not. So which is it, it would take money away from employees, or they were too far gone to even help? That's confusing.

The problem is that we live in a Capitalist Society and most people just don't want to be bothered with helping the homeless. There is no easy fix and that just adds to the problem. California is a bastion of Liberals, but they don't want to provide affordable housing for low income individuals/families. I live in New York and we are second behind California with 89k homeless, (compared to 134k for California). But we are really third, because Hawaii is second with more homeless per thousand than New York. And what do they have in common with California? Prime Real Estate. (Most of the homeless in New York are downstate, where real estate is sky high).

This isn't a social problem, it is all about greed and distaste for the homeless. And it lands squarely on the backs of the liberal elite in California, Hawaii and New York. This article was posted just yesterday,

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/livable- ... story.html

The Republican City Attorney for Huntington Beach's comments were just deplorable.

I was at that rally in OC...here is a video I took of the protest and the homeless camp at the county hall.

I don't blame the folks for protesting, no one wants a tent city next to their schools...this is the same tent city where they found 14k needles when they cleaned it up.

I took this video for Doc, in that he calls it "bumplex"...which is true in a Doc/cynical way. We need to figure out a way to not only house these folks, but make sure they are helped so they can stay housed...there is no easy answer.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0NVNQdOdRE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFGWS3CrYRk

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

I took this video for Doc, in that he calls it "bumplex"...which is true in a Doc/cynical way. We need to figure out a way to not only house these folks, but make sure they are helped so they can stay housed...there is no easy answer.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0NVNQdOdRE

Did you explain to all those hateful bigots that having the homeless next to their homes and in their community is wonderful, a plus for the economy, and if you remove them then they ought to have marble-floored 4-br apartments overlooking the Pacific?

- Doc

[_Markk]

I took this video for Doc, in that he calls it "bumplex"...which is true in a Doc/cynical way. We need to figure out a way to not only house these folks, but make sure they are helped so they can stay housed...there is no easy answer.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0NVNQdOdRE

Did you explain to all those hateful bigots that having the homeless next to their homes and in their community is wonderful, a plus for the economy, and if you remove them then they ought to have marble-floored 4-br apartments overlooking the Pacific?

- Doc

One lady was talking saying how she and her husband saved and scrimped for years, and moved out of LA, to Irvine... and was basically saying now you want to move LA here.

The council met and even one councilwoman apologized for not thinking it out...moving a tent city near by to a school.

The OC city officials really screwed up.

[_grindael]

Most these folks are beyond ever holding a job or being able to get off the streets on their own. The very most are drug addicts, alcoholics, and/or mentally ill/burn outs.

The poop and pee on the streets, have there own little economy...they cook, have pets, fix it shops, stores (plywood table with goods)...they even sell coffee in the morning.

A few make it out, but the most will never make it.

Did I read this wrong? "Most will never make it." And I wasn't saying hire them as permanent employees, but to throw them a little money, etc. to clean up the area they were staying in. In the past, I've had some success with doing this, I would go to the City Mission and hire some for the day and pay them in cash. In a lot of cases you need to think outside the box. (I'm not faulting you, you obviously have done a lot for the homeless).

[Guest]

About twenty years ago, I knew this guy that helped people locating missing persons and he was looking for a person who disappeared and had a drug problem. He tracked them to Syracuse to a crack house there, and wanted my help to go get them out. It was very dangerous since I'm white and this was an all black area (he is black). We went in there and did get them out, but we got shot at (it wasn't even close to hitting us). This guy the last time I spoke with him, had been shot seven times and he's still going. The person we rescued got off drugs and turned their life around. I don't think anyone should be counted out. The whole situation was surreal to me, and I was never in another like it. But he was and as far as I know is still doing it.

[_Markk]

Most these folks are beyond ever holding a job or being able to get off the streets on their own. The very most are drug addicts, alcoholics, and/or mentally ill/burn outs.

The poop and pee on the streets, have there own little economy...they cook, have pets, fix it shops, stores (plywood table with goods)...they even sell coffee in the morning.

A few make it out, but the most will never make it.

Did I read this wrong? "Most will never make it." And I wasn't saying hire them as permanent employees, but to throw them a little money, etc. to clean up the area they were staying in. In the past, I've had some success with doing this, I would go to the City Mission and hire some for the day and pay them in cash. In a lot of cases you need to think outside the box. (I'm not faulting you, you obviously have done a lot for the homeless).

The context is per the video that accompanied the quote of mine...these are the hard core chronic homeless in the street. Few will ever be able to function on their own.

This does not mean they are totally irredeemable, it means without consistent help, they will most likely die on these streets.

The context of the quote was in context to a question by Doc about putting those on the streets to work. My response was that they can't even take care of themselves, let alone hold a job.

I will stand by my belief that "they" first need to accept and acknowledge the problem, before we can mitigate the problem. The next thing is the accept that there is no such thing as "they." We can offer opinions all day long on forums like this, or throw very expensive band aids at it, like Orange County is currently doing...but in the end there are certain realities that are unfortunate, but none the less hard realities.

You mentioned liberal policy...which just throws millions and millions at problems with out real results, and I'll add... conservative policies more or less go after personal responsibility policy (war on drugs) which doesn't do much either in that it is half heart-ed. Both side just pander for votes, and do little to help the problems.

Which comes back to "they," which are you and me.

[Guest]

About twenty years ago, I knew this guy that helped people locating missing persons and he was looking for a person who disappeared and had a drug problem. He tracked them to Syracuse to a crack house there, and wanted my help to go get them out. It was very dangerous since I'm white and this was an all black area (he is black). We went in there and did get them out, but we got shot at (it wasn't even close to hitting us). This guy the last time I spoke with him, had been shot seven times and he's still going. The person we rescued got off drugs and turned their life around. I don't think anyone should be counted out. The whole situation was surreal to me, and I was never in another like it. But he was and as far as I know is still doing it.

Your friend is "they." I have a mentor that is similar. He is a pastor who works in the streets of San Bernardino. The city even tells homeless to go see him (his church) to get food and clothed, and he helps find cheap shelter.

https://books.google.com/books/about/Ju ... bFndZ3u1AC

He is ill now and semi retired, but he started a program to help people, knowing he was not going to necessarily make them "better". It was a ministry of both compassion and tough love.

He developed a program where people would have to register, they would get a "atm" type of card to track what was given to them (no double dipping) and feed them with donated food, like produce and restaurant left overs and basically what ever they could get. he would drive to the LA food bank to get food once a week, they buy it by the pound.

He fed the neighborhood in community fashion the last week of the month, in that the people in this poor neighborhood had exhausted their goverment monies by the last week of every month. This is when I helped and provided food on the last Sunday of every month. Usually hamburgers, hot dogs,and a big pot of Chile for around 200 people.

Like your friend he did not put up with the "bad guys", I have seen him go after and kick out the gang banger's and those that prey on the mentally slow and mentally ill. Or someone extremely high or drunk and acting stupid. He is fearless, and a personal hero.

[_Hawkeye]