Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

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
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last
To: boop
For those true needy, there are beds available.

No, there aren't.

And a great deal of people who are homeless are not into drugs or alcohol.

It's a serious, profound problem with many legitimate levels of need.

Bumpersticking it with drug addicts and alcoholics doesn't work anymore.

21 posted on 02/06/2014 7:36:55 PM PST by Talisker (One who commands, must obey.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Talisker; boop

I’ve seen homeless in a “nice” section of town, sleeping in their cars in the transit station parking lot, or camping out under a freeway overpass. Not all of them look like addicts. Some look very down on their luck but with a deep desire to remain independent.


22 posted on 02/06/2014 7:41:38 PM PST by thecodont
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: VerySadAmerican
"Every member of congress SHOULD be required to follow the constitution."

Every member of congress SHOULD be required to follow the constitution. Arrested for treason, for ignoring the Constitution.

There fixed!

No thanks needed, it's my job...

23 posted on 02/07/2014 1:58:54 AM PST by SERE_DOC ( “The beauty of the Second Amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it.” TJ.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: thecodont

“balancing out the growing economic inequality that has ravaged the middle class for years”

What she is really saying is that she is fine with the poor being poorer, so long as the rich are less rich. That is what “income inequality” means! It is the tacit admission by those who speak the phrase.


24 posted on 02/07/2014 9:09:18 AM PST by CSM (Keeper of the Dave Ramsey Ping list. FReepmail me if you want your beeber stuned.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: nascarnation

Homeless people are like locusts.

They only come out and are seen when a republican is in the White House.


25 posted on 02/07/2014 12:23:35 PM PST by A'elian' nation ("Political Correctness does not legislate tolerance; it only organizes hatred." Jacques Barzun)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-25 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Bloggers & Personal
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson