Homeless emergency declared in Hawaii

CNN ^ | Oct. 17, 2015 | Greg Botelho

[PROCON]

(CNN)—Hawaii is a place many go to kick back, relax and enjoy the good life.

But for others, it's a land of struggle.

That's why its governor on Friday signed an emergency proclamation to tackle homelessness in the state, saying the measure will help turn around the lives of young and old.

"Homelessness remains a serious issue in every county throughout the state," Gov. David Ige said in a press release.

Hawaii has an estimated 7,620 homeless people, said the governor's spokeswoman Cindy McMillan, citing a 2015 statewide count. This may not seem like much compared with other places -- to this point California has about 114,000 homeless, New York has more than 80,000 and Texas about 28,500, according to the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness -- but it's all relative to the state's total population.

[ProtectOurFreedom]

About 40 years ago, I shared a ski lift ride with a guy who just made enough at odd jobs in the fall to buy new skis and a season lift pass. In the spring, he made just enough to buy a new surf board and trunks. During ski and surf seasons, he lived on welfare. I was working brutal 60-70 hour weeks starting power plants and paying for this crum bum. It was a miracle that he arrived safely and in one piece at the end of the lift.

[Lorianne]

Most of those are on Oahu, a very small island. LA is huge land wise by comparison.

[DemforBush]

I’m wondering, somewhat cynically, if tourism is part of the equation here. Tourism brings in billions to Hawaii each year, and a large upward trend of homeless people is probably seen as a threat to that industry.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Is Reagan the Governor?

[Kickass Conservative]

They obviously need a bigger Greyhound Bus.

[Fungi]

True, I see many homeless and their problem is mental, either they don't want to be helped or cannot be helped. I saw one older guy who just wandered around an area begging for food. I bought him ten certificates for a sandwich at a local restaurant and offered them to him. He screamed at me, refused to take it and said give it to someone else. On another occasion a guy sitting on the floor outside a Seven/Eleven asked me to buy him some coffee. I did, in addition to a blueberry muffin, which he politely accepted and placed them on the ground. I returned to my car and watched as the guy walked away, leaving the items untouched. On other occasions individuals accept my help, other timesw they shun it, wanting money more than anything. It is a difficult problem, one we will always contend with. Liberal fantasies of exterminating homelessness are a joke. How mush have we spent on the "war" on poverty? Try over three trillion dollars and counting, and still they throw more money at it. And the ranks of those in poverty remain static or increases depending on what statistics are used. Matt: 26:11: For you will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me! (NET) That is true and government can only do so much. Charity is for the church and is freely given, not stolen from Peter to pay Paul who remains in dire straits and wants more never ending freebies.

[tcrlaf]

Hawaii has a HUGE meth/heroin problem.

Combine that with great weather, and an overly-generous welfare program, and untreated mental health issues, and it creates a big “homelessness” problem.

Of course, the Politically-correct Democrat answer is NEVER to actually go aftre the drug problem, or address how generous Democrat Fee Schit Programs contribute HEAVILY to it.

The Democrat answer is ALWAYS “Affordable housing! Affordale Housing! Outreach Programs!!”, which really means giving your tax money to Democrat Cronies to funnel back into Democrat Campaigns.

[Gen.Blather]

“On another occasion a guy sitting on the floor outside a Seven/Eleven asked me to buy him some coffee.”

It was about to rain as I sat in my car eating lunch in a McDonald’s parking lot and watched a “homeless” man with a sign that read, “Hungry. Please help. God Bless.”

A woman brought him a lunch bag from McDonald’s with a drink. He took it and she briefly prayed with him. When she left, he threw the lunch and drink into the bushes with a look of distain. As the rain started, he picked up a liquor bottle from the bushes and got into a car and drove off.

[Menehune56]

Panhandlers and vagrants are kind of ruining the whole Aloha State attraction now, total buzzkill.

[kaila]

Hawaii has for years let the homeless population grow out of control. They allowed them to set up tents in public parks. I am sure that word spread to the mainland that Oahu was an easy place to live as a homeless person.
Some of the homeless have mental health issues, some are hooked on meth, and some are uneducated Hawaiians and Micronesians. When they started infiltrating Waikiki, sleeping on the beach with their shopping carts and suitcases- the problem started appearing in the daily newspaper.
What Hawaii needs to do is institute a tough policy on homelessness. If they refuse to live in a shelter, then arrest them for vagrancy.
They are really decreasing the quality of life in Hawaii, and the Democrat politicians are afraid to do anything about it. They have some new sit lie law, I don't think that is doing much.

[aquila48]

“Specifically, the emergency proclamation allows the spending of over $1.3 million to fund homeless services and help set up permanent homes for families and the chronically homeless.”

If you pay them, house them, feed them, they will come. Watch the “homeless” population balloon.

[Fungi]

I could write a book on experiences I have had like yours.

[Gen.Blather]

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=how+to+write+a+book

http://www.amazon.com/Bern-Pearson/e/B00LPUXKGA

[kaila]

1.3 million will buy you about 2 condos in Hawaii. That is a drop in the bucket for the problem.

[HartleyMBaldwin]

Where the humuhumunukunukuapuaa goes swimming by.

[ExNewsExSpook]

I’ve been told that Hawaii pays at least $700 a month in welfare benefits (cash) to any homeless person who applies at a state social services office. So, thousands have flooded the island to collect a check and become squatters on the beach,

Was also informed that welfare departments in other states used to offer the homeless a one-way airline ticket to Hawaii, with instructions on how to apply for benefits once they arrive (not sure of the accuracy of that claim).

[Wayne07]

You can get a one way ticket to Hawaii for $200 from LA or San Francisco. An aggressive panhandler can make that in a day. Or just grab someone’s laptop at starbucks and pawn it.

[Michael.SF.]

I can remember years ago, struggling when I was in Hawaii. Sleeping I a van, living day to day on what little I had in my pockets, spending long hours, hanging around waiting for a good wave.

We called it "college vacation".

[Rodamala]

This looks like a job for Higgy Baby and The Lads.

"Zeus! Apollo! Attack!"

[cloudmountain]

I'm stuned at the amount of coverage the mainstream media is giving the homelessness issue with the Won as president.
A question:
Where do these homeless come from?
Are they the victims of Hawaii's high taxes and high cost of living?
And if not longtime residents, where do the homeless come from?
Certainly swimming there is out of the question. Did they all arrive in the wheel wells of incoming jetliners?
What gives?

The homeless KNOW that they WILL eventually be housed and fed. They want to be out and about because these facilities for the homeless do NOT allow drink or drugs. And, these folks, mostly men, NEED drugs to feel alive, to feel, to exist. They have neither the desire nor backbone to change. Why should they?

If the government nipple ceased to flow....they would leave that paradise in a New York minute,