[Little Ray]

Much as I would like see the homeless helped, I wonder how they can be helped?
Most of them are no condition to take care of themselves much less hold down a job. How do you help them?

[GOP Poet]

Yes. Many see more fit for a long term facility of care (which I think the liberals made illegal?--which they often blame on Reagan.). It seems time to reinstitute these persons that need that sort of care and seems more humane than them having to live hand to mouth unattended. Then there is the drug and alcohol group. Then there are the just lost and find it easier to live in this beautiful place instead of moving to a more affordable area and start small with a basic level job and low cost housing.

The liberals have made an honest conversation about all of these people basically full of political speak. It is nearly impossible to look and study this population and discuss them with any true objectivity to find solid, long term solutions. (oh yeah and I forgot about the illegals I CA--another population). But also on our side (I know for me I do this) we have a tendency to just say get a job or see it as a illegal immigration issue or a combo there of. And that is too simplistic as well. But that is just some of us.

I also believe liberals have also tied the hands of churches that used to help as well. By placing restrictions on them.

[monkeyshine]

Echo Park is just the tip of the iceberg. Was a nice park, a refuge in a cement jungle, a nice like, lots of greenery where you could picnic and play with the kids. Not so much anymore. First, it became associated with local gangs. Then drug addicts.

Look up the history and current status of Skid Row - which is not really a “row” at all it is many square miles south of downtown L.A. sprawled across many city blocks. It’s not really that close to Echo Park, but not really that far either. I think about 6,000 people live there in tents and boxes, with thousands more that come in and out for their own reasons. It is probably the largest open air drug and prostitution market in the world.

For decades the policy of the city has been to just push homeless “down there” and cordon it off. But that policy changed now you can camp outside your local starbucks. They’ll even let you use the bathroom.

It goes back to depression era really; when the once swanky hotels lost all their swanky customers and had to turn into ‘transient’ hotels for people who came to L.A. for temporary work. Over time the transient population became somewhat permanent, and then couldn’t actually pay for shelter so eventually just moved into the streets. It’s now so large and out of control there is little they can do about it.