Tent cities have sprung up outside Los Angeles

I heard a visiting American economist and author on the radio the other day say that USA has so far spent 3 trillion dollars on the war in Iraq...

... or was that 4 trillion ?

aw heck who's counting anyway ?

I tried to read this entire thread. I really did. But pages kept adding as I read.

Anyway, first off, I wanted to say that I hope you kids that think you have it all figure out have a great escape planned or a solid family fortune to fall back on. I have been there several times. I've had several great jobs dematerialize before my eyes. 12 years on a job, moved for better pay, flying high, then cutbacks... see ya. Coupla hard months, then another good job, kept the house... business went under. Bye bye. Another great job... Corporate "accounting irregularity" scandal. Everyone lost their asses. Finally lost my house in the midwest.

Moved to So Cal because it's the only place I can get a decent wage. Living in LA. Making enough to pay crazy rent. Just enough. My wife and I have a 1BR in a quad-plex. The rent is fully half of my income. The other half is utilities and insurance, and we scrape by on her income for food and gas.

If you think you're safe, you're not paying attention. You guys talk about "just move somewhere cheaper." Are you all waitresses and waiters or something? My job doesn't just "move" with me.

That all being said, I would like to interject something about this topic at hand. I live in LA. I listen to NPR from Pasadena here, because I can't stand getting my news from the windbags that fuel the hate that you people have for the less fortunate.

In any case, the NPR stories are usually much less sensational and usually more fair than most MSM. The story that they have been telling is not one of an increase in homlessness necessarily, but more like one of migration of the homeless to this new "friendly" environment.

There are literally thousands of people living in RVs trying to find somewhere to park where they will not be hassled. Thousands. And those are people that are lucky enough to have RVs.

So this locality (which is quite far from LA, BTW) decided to open a small safe area for their local homeless as a safe refuge. It was a noble idea, but the word spread. Now they have homeless migrating from all over to this safe area. Now they have a system in place where they are giving new arrivals a few days to prove that they have local ties to the ONtario< CA area. Otherwise, they are going to be moved out.

It's really a case of a bad idea gone wrong.

But either way, there is no reason to be so mean toward people who have made mistakes in their life or have been unfairly treated. Unless you happen to be lucky or you come from serious money, this will probably happen to you at some point. It doesn't make you a bad person or stupid. But it does give Rush Limpbag something to hate, which is what fuels you people anyway.

Hi Ive been a long time reader of ATS and never wanted to post before. but I had to on this thread.

Ive been reading various points of veiw and there all valid in my book. But this is california were talking about here and that place is just expensive as heck. And we all know why. As for the rest of the country and the houseing market. Move to the country outside of the major cities and you wont see this. I live in indiana atm and im from Texas (and I cant wait to go back). I dont see this "crisis". Even my family back home doesnt see it. I saw it in CA. Where I lived when I was in the USMC. I got the heck out of there when I got out.

Well my opion is that most see what Hollywood is doing and the various other "Cool" places in this country and think thats the United States and frankly this isnt the case maybe in a city were the population is over 3 million. but it isnt the same in the smaller towns and cities in this country. I know of many places where you can still buy houses and land for under 100k. Will ppl moved to these places? No I dont think they will and I dont want to go into that even if we all know the reason.

thanks for listening and excuse me for the spelling/grammar. Im really bad at it and Im ok with that.

reply to post by flashback


Here's an update on the "tent city" in Ontario Ca, outside of LA. Naturally they started having some criminal incidents and drug dealers and gang bangers started showing up.

Now they're basically making it for locals who have an Ontario "connection" only.

www.pe.com...

My guess is most of these people losing their homes probably could afford their house at the time of purchase. However, rising fuel costs driving everything up and a weakening dollar, for reasons we all already know, have made it very difficult to make those payments now. ** I do, however, not feel too badly for those who took an adjustable rate deal and are in their 'fix'... although, I guess I would assume if rates got cut then my int. rate on mortgage would go down, but that is apparently not the case... so I'm sure others did not understand that as well **

From tent cities... to detention centers. I just found out about a very under reported military base being built in a certain small town... directly across from a prison. I drove by this morning... it appears it is almost complete. Appears to be a small base, but does it realy need to be real big, with a prison across the street? A friend just told me about a guy at the local bar answering someones question about it, telling them it's so 'they' can round us up... of course, everyone looked at him like he was the 'crazy guy.' This is mostly what i saw on the sign... less the correct project #... and without the correct name of the brigade... it possibly was prefixed with Nat. Grd... opted not to verify.

Proj. #548-37 (Nat. Grd.?) Bunghole Brigade Combat Team

www.globalsecurity.org...

That's all I'm sayin'...





[edit on 3/18/2008 by RabbitChaser]

[edit on 3/18/2008 by RabbitChaser]

Originally posted by bg_socalif
reply to post by flashback

 

Here's an update on the "tent city" in Ontario Ca, outside of LA. Naturally they started having some criminal incidents and drug dealers and gang bangers started showing up.

Now they're basically making it for locals who have an Ontario "connection" only.

www.pe.com...

This is so sad, I see the next depression already starting and like cancer will spread all over Canada as well! Since US owns majority of major businesses here will have to fire people, etc.. and that will effect our economy, as more people move here to get away from US the food, gas, etc.. will have to go up as the recourses become more limited. People that are just getting by in Canada will have harder time to get by because of the new high expenses. US and Canada both will be in depression in matter of year or two. And so the NAU will happen as a proposal to save the economy and we all allowed the NWO to take over... what a shame... people need to stick together help one another and fight this corrupted system before it's too late!

Originally posted by anxietydisorder

Originally posted by TrueBrit

every body , no matter what , has the right to appropriate accommodation . I find it pathetic , that in this day and age , mankind is still so petty as to link the right to shelter , with earnings.

You speak of rights, the right to appropriate accommodation, the right to shelter.
Show me the law, show me any document that requires a government, landlord, or financial institution to provide free housing to people that can't or won't pay.

If rents or mortgages are not paid the landlord or bank takes the hit and goes out of business.

The courts already make it very difficult for me to evict someone, and it can take months sometimes. Those are months and court costs that already add to the arrears I can probably never recoup. At any time in the process the tenant has the opportunity to pay back rent and remain in the apartment, then they go delinquent the next month and I have to start the process all over again.:shk:

Some people play this game repeatedly from landlord to landlord as they scam the system over and over again.

Rights........

EDIT: I only replied on the first page of this thread, but I see I've been quoted, replied to, or commented on in almost every page in this thread.
My work is done here, those that know me are aware of my kind heart and generous nature.

I certainly sparked debate, and isn't that the purpose of this site ???


[edit on 17/3/2008 by anxietydisorder]

reply to post by anxietydisorder


So what you are saying that people who have no money , are not worth looking after ? You are saying that theres no way to be penniless legitimately ? Having done no wrong ? Are you that indoctrinated ? Give me a break .

I find it most interesting that of 400 people in that tent city,only 170 were from area,people from all over the US were living there,and the majority have been homeless for some time,this is playing out as another public interest story

Click here for more information.

reply to post by dk3000


I was going to really respond to it, but the hell with that.


Having a little temper tantrum, are we?

Originally posted by TrueBrit

So what you are saying that people who have no money , are not worth looking after ?

No, that's not what I said. You can review all the posts I've made and I didn't say that once.

In Canada we have a social safety net that assist people with low or no income to find housing that's affordable to their income. I've even helped people get into housing when I could.

What I did say was that people can't live in houses they can't afford.

reply to post by flashback


People need to wake the #$*! up and realise that this is now worse than the what John Steinbeck wrote about (Grapes of Wrath). Retorical: where is the MSM on this????

Will someone give McCain some Metamusil?

reply to post by bg_socalif


God forbid someone might feel enclined to hit a joint some evening as the kids and wife are in the tent in bed and the father figure is out still kicking coals around in the dieing fire. Who the freak cares if he wants some pot...If I was there and living in Bushville tent hell and trying my damndest to find something, anything to help after the republican crooks took it all away from me, guess what...I'd puff on the joint too!

I'm sorry if I sounded a bit harsh but I don't have much compassion in situations like this. Part of my job is to appear in court to evict tenants and recover the property for the landlord.

I see people on a regular basis that would rather spend their money on booze and drugs before they pay their rent, so where I come from these people deserve to be out on their ass.

My interests lie on the side of the rightful owner.

That was quite harsh. I have been one of these people who were evicted at one time with absolutely no where to go, but not because I didn't pay my rent, but because the property management decided they wanted to kick everyone out and build condo's. Not everyone is wreckless or makes the choice to lose their home, and it's rather tactless for you to assume so. And these innocent children living in these tent cities, certainly do not deserve their plight.

Good Day.

In response to the news clip:

A long time ago my grandfather told me stories about a place called "Shanty town", a district of tent and cardboard houses in the depression era. He stayed there for awhile until his father earned enough money to rent a real home.

This clip reminded me of that exact story. It has become a reality in my lifetime, and I find it very disturbing.

reply to post by Asherah


Oh what's happening these days is bad, no doubt, but at least it's organized in contrast to those ramshackle and illegal shantytowns.

It´s a sad, sad reality!! I believe this is just the beginning of the most serious financial crash the world ha ever seen because the global economy is totally iterconnected, if the US crashes, the World will crash!

reply to post by Alien Abduct


alien,
My wife and I jointly make less than 75k a year USD. We live in a 350K home, drive two late model vehicles both paid for. Our mortgage is less than 85k. We owe no creditors other than the mortgage. We are raising three children 6-12 years old. While we may be strapped for loose funds we are in no way desperate. What did you do with your 125k a year that you are about to go broke. Short of unexpected medical expenses you should have had enough saved up to cover 6mo to a year without any income whatsoever. We have managed to do this and in a short amount of time. However we are frugal with our money and investments. We do not buy name brand anything unless it is truly more durable. We shop at discount stores. Overall we live a very stable peaceful life and give generously to our church and community. Where are we different?

respectfully

reluctantpawn

reply to post by Johnmike


No, not a temper tantrum- just sick and tired of mean people. They really ruin it for everyone. Truth be told I still stand with my remarks- but I will keep my bile filled responses to myself. But that person really needed to know what time it is!

There are a lot of people who should be thrown out of their homes- but there are equally enough people who do not have that coming. To lump them all into the same category is as stupid as it is lame.



[edit on 19-3-2008 by dk3000]