Homeless in California , wheres the dream?

a reply to: NthOther

You are just wrong. An individual's choices can obviously affect one's financial situation. However, it is not the only thing. The overwhelming greed of the corp's and the complete lack of oversight by the gov't, regardless of which party is in the Presidential office, is making it ever more difficult for the average person to remain financially stable. Add to that the appalling education and medical systems we have and many of us are just one bad turn away from being homeless.

My experience in life has lead me to believe that when there is something unfair about the system it should be blamed on the powerful and not the powerless. I'm not arguing for equality of outcome but of opportunity.

a reply to: anonentity

Yesterday at night in Milwaukee it was around 4 degrees, with windchill it was much colder. I saw a bunch of homeless out and about on the streets. I just had to think to myself, if I were homeless, the very last place i'd be would be Milwaukee. I'd pick either Cali, or Florida for sure!

When I lived in Florida there was a gigantic homeless population. Most of it was completely hidden in the tourist areas.
What people don't want to accept, is that some people want to be homeless. Many others are mentally ill. It would be interesting to see an actual study showing what is the makeup of the homeless population. I'd be willing to bet that very few just have hard luck. I'd put my money on either mental illness, or substance abuse. (or as others have said many bad choices that have led to those things)

originally posted by: bigfatfurrytexan

originally posted by: Tucket
Stopped watching after Dude says "it looks something like a 3rd World Country."

I live in a 3rd world country.....trust me...those tents/that street is good living conditions compared...

I have a friend from Nigeria. I love talking with him because of his perspective on life in general. He has parables and sayings that are novel to me, and carry a large amount of wisdom in just a few words.

He marvels at what we call "poverty". Poor people with cell phones is an oxymoron. When I was poor I didn't have cable TV, i struggled to pay the basics. I ate bologna frequently, and ramen just as frequently. In fact, the only reason I know how to cook was because I didn't want my kids going without small treats when we couldn't afford to buy them. So I would make them.

ETA: in fact, when i was poor, being poor meant boredom. You couldn't afford to do anything. You didn't have any entertainment other than movies you'd seen 300 times, or the radio. Or broadcast TV with reruns and low quality programming. My grandma used to tell me when you are broke the only place you can go is to work. Nowadays, you can just forget about it and immerse yourself in a world of free entertainment. Just pay your $50/mo phone bill.

I've pointed this out in numerous debates about the "poor" in America. I saw a statistic that said the bottom 5% of wage earners in America would be in the top 5% of India.

Being poor in America is like the middle and upper classes in some countries. People in housing projects have xboxs, air conditioning, cars, shoes, shirts, three square meals...

I too had a friend from Nigeria in business school. We mentored some kids in Cabrini Green housing projects in Chicago. We went to the elementary school that served the area. My friend commented that he couldn't believe that the kids thought they were poor. He said his school was basically a one room school house with a dirt floor. This school in one of the worst neighborhoods in Chicago... all the kids had clothing, books, air conditioning, desks, chalkboards, etc.

It is all relative...

There will always be homeless because the vast majority of chronic homeless have either drug or mental issues that make it impossible for them to function in society.

The problem is unless society is willing to ignore their rights and forcibly remove them from the streets, there is nothing we can do about it.

a reply to: Edumakated

Did it seem like the people in the vid looked more like youths in their twenties? I was thinking maybe they went to Cali to become a star, and are temporarily down and out. I think I saw one older guy.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Thanks for that

Here in Anchorage I had a fellow we called Ogre, who panhandled on the street corner in front of my office. He did have an alcohol problem, but turned out to be a great human being.

I was standing outside my office getting some air one day and noticed a woman had broke down in the middle of the road. Before I could get to the street, Ogre (he liked that nickname or I'd not use it) had ran out, stopped traffic and pushed her car to the curb by himself.

I was close enough I could hear and the woman offered him money. He told her no, I don't accept money for helping another person out. I spent some time talking to him that day.

He was an older Vietnam Vet suffering from PTSD, had been approved for disability and housing, but was waiting out the list with nowhere to go or family. I offered to rent him a room for a few days but he refused. I found out he worked day jobs and lived with his homeless friends and shared his money with them.

A month later he got his apartment and walked over to me smiling and happy to tell me he got his first check also after waiting 18 months for the State to get it's act together. For weeks I'd see him over taking food to homeless people and he'd spend entire days with them. He was a large powerful man and thought himself their protector.

Then I come in to work one morning and across the street, near where homeless often spent the day because it was hidden, was a couple of police cars and people hovering around. Turned out Ogre had been visiting his friends helping them and died of a heart attack.

Here we had a man, who had served his country in a brutal war, who had finally gotten some help from the worthless government, who shared what little he had with the homeless who most people thought was just a drunk. He was a hero in my books and that day for the first time in years I broke down in tears. Such a good man that life had dealt a bad hand and I'd just had the honor of getting to know him.

The streets are full of these stories. It's genuinely sad that people view them all through the same prism.

California is a shaky toilet after bad enchiladas. Why does no one believe me yet?!?!

a reply to: Blaine91555

Thank you for that. I was weeping at his goodness, and now sad at his dying. But's he's okay. God knows a good man when he sees one.

originally posted by: toysforadults
a reply to: NthOther

seriously. we should put stupid people in slavery so we can work less

I'll let you decide who's stupid and who's not

Yeah!

Was gonna write more, but gotta go to bed early, to get-up early and go to that overworked/underpaid job again.

Hey! Wait a minute...

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: anonentity

Where are you going to get the money to take care of all the homeless?

we can barely afford to invade another country, how do we suppose to help the homeless

a reply to: Blaine91555


You will always have a few people who are homeless by definition, of not having a permanent address. I used to have a van with a bed and cooking gear , I just parked up, at friends but had a job. That was many years ago, when the definition of either being a Tramp or a Happy Camper was blurred. But in the last twenty years the type of people who become homeless has changed , to the "unlucky" because they find themselves on the streets and don't have a choice of getting the life they are used too back, because the job situation is now very bad, and the wages which get paid are pretty poor . Once not so long ago you could get a job, it might not be the best but it paid, and you could get by.
Yes a lot of the homeless have mental problems, but about twenty years ago they closed the mental institutions to save money, then they cut back on social services, now the patients live on the streets so I guess they don't live to long and that will save money. When I worked in the Mental health sector , If someone turned up at the gate depressed or sick, they were given a bed and admitted then assessed and helped. In that area I can say with a fact that the present society has devolved, to a point where I don't recognize it. It doesn't take millions to build good cheap social housing, its the lack of will, because it will drop property prices and rents. If your broke and living in a leaking tent its a mental health problem because you soon will be clinically depressed.

originally posted by: Edumakated
There will always be homeless because the vast majority of chronic homeless have either drug or mental issues that make it impossible for them to function in society.

The problem is unless society is willing to ignore their rights and forcibly remove them from the streets, there is nothing we can do about it.

How can you be so callous? You really think the homeless should be devoid of rights, where is it you think they should be forcibly removed to?

originally posted by: NthOther
The problem lies with the individual. Save your money, don't buy stupid s# you don't need, keep your nose clean, and you will never be homeless.

Homelessness has increased with Corporate Globalism since the 1990's.
It is not just in California.
This can not be denied.
Some say the reason these people are homeless is because of mental issues but that is putting the cart before the horse.
It is more the case they have mental issues because they are homeless.
There are many that are homeless and work as well but housing is to expensive.
Supply and Demand you would think would address this issue, but since so many are against capitalism, they do not want cheap housing built to meet demands because cheap housing would lower market values on existing homes.
It is a case of NIMBY with cheap housing.

San Francisco is a prime example where homelessness is rampant.
Many times, proposals were launched to build cheap high rises but the wealthy since it would ruin the skyline and their view.

originally posted by: ketsuko
Why are they living in California?

You don't see that problem to that magnitude in other states.

I won't tell you that there are no homeless people in Kansas City, but I will tell we do not have tent cities like that.

So why is California so blessed? What's the problem with California might be a better question? Why does it generate so many homeless people?

Your not going to have tent cities in colder climates.
Tent City Helps Florida’s Homeless
Florida has the same problem





I remember during the Cold War when we looked at the poor in the Soviet Union, we blamed it as a systemic issue.
When you have this many homeless increasing across this country, it says the system is the problem.
And that systemic issue is called Global Corporatism.

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

News flash . we have already lost most of our rights. Where im at you can be homeless but you cant panhandle or sleep over night on public property. Which basicly means being homeless is a crime since there is no way to be homeless without violating some law. Even being on a street corner has gotten some arrested.
They can also trash your things if they find them.

Its a terrible cycle that continues and will continue . so much i can talk about its just hard to find a starting place or all the lines of thought .

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

originally posted by: Edumakated
There will always be homeless because the vast majority of chronic homeless have either drug or mental issues that make it impossible for them to function in society.

The problem is unless society is willing to ignore their rights and forcibly remove them from the streets, there is nothing we can do about it.

How can you be so callous? You really think the homeless should be devoid of rights, where is it you think they should be forcibly removed to?

You need to work on your reading comprehension...

I never said I agree or advocate forcibly removing homeless from the streets. I said "UNLESS SOCIETY is willing to ignore their rights and forcibly remove them from the streets, there is nothing we can do about it (homelessness)."

I stand by my assessment. The vast majority of homeless would be homeless even if the economy was booming and all jobs paid $100k. Most homeless are homeless because the cannot function in society either because of drug and alcohol problems or they are a small fry short of a happy meal. So unless society is willing to just remove them from the streets, they will always be there.

To be clear, there is a difference between being homeless because of you being down on your luck... i.e., some woman got kicked out by her drunk boyfriend so she goes to a women's shelter for a few days or sleeps in a car versus a heroin addict who spends all day hustling so they can get high versus some guy who is completely off his rocker living in a cardboard box.

All homeless are not the same and lumping them altogether is misleading and won't lead to solutions.

Here in Chicago, the vast majority of the bums we come across are either drug addicts or crazy. This makes up the majority of the CHRONICALLY homeless.

a reply to: Blaine91555

Knocking it out of the park man.

War is a terrible thing to do to people.

originally posted by: HomelessWhiteMale
a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

News flash . we have already lost most of our rights. Where im at you can be homeless but you cant panhandle or sleep over night on public property. Which basicly means being homeless is a crime since there is no way to be homeless without violating some law. Even being on a street corner has gotten some arrested.
They can also trash your things if they find them.

Its a terrible cycle that continues and will continue . so much i can talk about its just hard to find a starting place or all the lines of thought .

Yeah its pretty bad situation all round, homeless people are getting the shaft and many people are completely devoid of empathy so the chances of getting a break a small to none.

a reply to: Edumakated

These is your statement

The problem is unless society is willing to ignore their rights and forcibly remove them from the streets, there is nothing we can do about it.

I never said I agree or advocate forcibly removing homeless from the streets. I said "UNLESS SOCIETY is willing to ignore their rights and forcibly remove them from the streets, there is nothing we can do about it (homelessness)."

So where do you think society should remove them to ?

Your post screams to me that you agree they should be forcibly removed just under the banner of society so that you can have a free conscience and keep your hands clean. Of course if I am wrong I apologise its just how your post comes across to me.

originally posted by: hopenotfeariswhatweneed
a reply to: Edumakated

These is your statement

The problem is unless society is willing to ignore their rights and forcibly remove them from the streets, there is nothing we can do about it.

I never said I agree or advocate forcibly removing homeless from the streets. I said "UNLESS SOCIETY is willing to ignore their rights and forcibly remove them from the streets, there is nothing we can do about it (homelessness)."

So where do you think society should remove them to ?

Your post screams to me that you agree they should be forcibly removed just under the banner of society so that you can have a free conscience and keep your hands clean. Of course if I am wrong I apologise its just how your post comes across to me.

People used to be institutionalized. Crazy houses.

Quite frankly, I do think the homeless should be forcibly removed from the streets. The drug addicts need to be thrown in rehab. The crazy ones need to be institutionalized. For the temporarily homeless, there are plenty of shelters and other services.

I don't see how it is compassionate to let people who clearly cannot take care of themselves sleep under a bridge.