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Politics: Congresswoman sleeps in a homeless shelter
San Francisco Chronicle / SFGate.com ^ | Posted on February 6, 2014 | By kfagan@sfchronicle.com (Kevin Fagan)

Posted on 02/06/2014 6:01:49 PM PST by thecodont

Democratic Rep. Jackie Speier is gearing up for what she hopes is the next big fight in Congress — balancing out the growing economic inequality that has ravaged the middle class for years — so she reckoned she’d do a bit of ground-level research first.

And since you can’t get much more ground level than a homeless shelter, that’s where she went last Friday — to spend the night.

The Maple Street Shelter in Redwood City was the destination. Speier had actually been there a week before to chat with the residents, and the fact that a well-off Hillsborough member of the Washington power structure was hanging out with the penniless was lost on nobody, least of all the member herself. That was the point, she said.

“I’m still kind of reeling from the experience. Every member of Congress should be required to do what I did,” Speier said this week. “It would help us appreciate who we are talking about. We rattle off numbers, but it doesn’t speak about the people themselves.”

(Excerpt) Read more at blog.sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: economicequality; homelessness; sanfrancisco
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1 posted on 02/06/2014 6:01:49 PM PST by thecodont
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To: thecodont
So she took up a spot that a real homeless person might have gotten?

How compassionate!

2 posted on 02/06/2014 6:03:02 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum (The only way women can "have it all" is if men aren't allowed to have anything.)
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To: thecodont
Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

~Matthew 6, verses 2 and 3

3 posted on 02/06/2014 6:05:17 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet (Jealousy is when you count someone else's blessings instead of your own.)
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To: thecodont

How about trying running a business instead?

You can see how all the BS rules and regs keep you from hiring more people top keep them from being homeless.


4 posted on 02/06/2014 6:07:33 PM PST by icwhatudo (Low taxes and less spending in Sodom and Gomorrah is not my idea of a conservative victory)
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To: thecodont

Regular people? When Speier and her fellow leaches give up the house gym, the house bank, the special 0bamacare hotline, the hair salon, the special airport parking, the ability to bypass the TSA, the ability to ignore discrimination laws...

Yeah Speier is regular people.


5 posted on 02/06/2014 6:08:08 PM PST by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: thecodont

Too bad she couldn’t abort herself too.


6 posted on 02/06/2014 6:08:59 PM PST by ZULU (Magua is sitting in the Oval Office. Ted Cruz/Phil Robertson in 2016.)
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To: thecodont

I’m actually quite surprised.

MSM articles mentioning the “homeless” have pretty much disappeared since Jan 2009.


7 posted on 02/06/2014 6:11:27 PM PST by nascarnation (I'm hiring Jack Palladino to investigate Baraq's golf scores.)
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To: thecodont

Yeah sure, and she probably was sleeping in a $100 sleeping bag, kept warm with an electric blanket, and had her personal armed bodyguard standing a few feet away from her.

And all this after she had a 6-course meal at the taxpayer’s expense.

She is really roughing it.


8 posted on 02/06/2014 6:15:33 PM PST by 353FMG
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To: nascarnation
I’m actually quite surprised.

MSM articles mentioning the “homeless” have pretty much disappeared since Jan 2009.

They're trying to loop it into the "economic inequality" meme. See, it's not that the economy stinks and manufacturing jobs have been shipped overseas and illegal aliens are hired in place of American workers and our borders leak like a colander draining macaroni. No, sir. The problem is the result, and the fix is to make everyone poor.

The next time you hear some prog whine about "economic inequality" (likely he has more money than you), ask him to empty his pockets and share some wealth with someone nearby. Like you..

9 posted on 02/06/2014 6:20:49 PM PST by thecodont
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To: thecodont

Any stories of fat cat liberals giving up any of their money, comforts, stuff in order to equalize with the lowly?

The word hypocrite comes from the Greek word hupocrites, the mask-wearing actors of Greek theater.


10 posted on 02/06/2014 6:21:38 PM PST by lurk
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To: thecodont

She saw utopia in Jonestown, you think she would have learned.


11 posted on 02/06/2014 6:26:32 PM PST by Sybeck1
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To: thecodont

Piker. There are people living under bridges in Michigan.


12 posted on 02/06/2014 6:26:59 PM PST by cripplecreek (REMEMBER THE RIVER RAISIN!)
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To: thecodont
iam sure that in S.F she find plenty of other homely dykes to keep her warm. Sorry if I offended anyone, but I have always found this woman highly offensive!
13 posted on 02/06/2014 6:32:28 PM PST by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: thecodont

Since it was a San Francisco article, I was hoping Piglosi.


14 posted on 02/06/2014 6:33:44 PM PST by Viennacon
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To: thecodont

How many “homeless people “ has she taken into her spacious. Upscale house? I normally wouldn’t ask except that she’s making such a publicity stunt out of this.


15 posted on 02/06/2014 6:35:47 PM PST by faithhopecharity (C?d)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Pharisee Nancy!

I have to wonder how much video there exists of her visit.

NOT that I want to see it mind you.


16 posted on 02/06/2014 6:37:47 PM PST by MeshugeMikey ("When you meet the unbelievers, strike at their necks..." -- Qur'an 47:4)
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To: thecodont
Does this dipstick seriously think that "middle class" means sleeping in a homeless shelter?!

Talk about out of touch!

17 posted on 02/06/2014 6:37:52 PM PST by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: thecodont; All

While I commend Rep. Speier for rolling up her sleeves and getting involved, it remains that the states have never delegated to Congress, via the Constitution, the specific power to regulate, tax and spend for the homeless.

Note that Founding States had made the 10th Amendment to clarify in general that the Constitution’s silence about things like the homeless means the following. “Government” power to regulate, tax and spend on behalf of the homeless, in this example, is automatically reserved uniquely to the states.

So some state rep. should have been inspired to do this project.


18 posted on 02/06/2014 6:42:01 PM PST by Amendment10
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To: lurk
I remember when Martin Sheen spent ONE night sleeping on a heated grate outside in a sleeping bag.

Ergo, he's an "expert" on homelessness.

To make this realistic, take a chronic alcoholic and drug using congressperson and let them see how few resources there are for people who want to use drugs and drink into oblivion.

For those true needy, there are beds available.

Problem is, shelters have RULES.

Like NO drugs, NO booze.

And raping female homeless gets a severe frowning upon.

Once a congress-slug is TRULY living the life, then I'll listen.

Until then, enjoy your 179K per year with no expenses.

19 posted on 02/06/2014 6:58:44 PM PST by boop (I just wanted a President. But I got a rock.)
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To: thecodont

Every member of congress SHOULD be required to follow the constitution.

Now that she’s spent the night in a homeless shelter she can get a job in Hollywood playing a homeless person.


20 posted on 02/06/2014 7:33:20 PM PST by VerySadAmerican (".....Barrack, and the horse Mohammed rode in on.")
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