Posted on 06/05/2006 10:14:55 AM PDT by FoxInSocks
Would you hire someone who left a phone number answered by the front desk at a shelter? Do you think these people have a lot of successful friends and family that are professional in the way they answer the phone and take messages?
BTW, thanks for your kind words.
Possibly, but if it's not mine, I don't care.
In order to make $30,000/year, a homeless person would have to make about $115/day, assuming that the said homeless person "works" on M-F every week of the year. Are you really going to sit there and tell me that that's possible? Really? Cause that's a big cup of change to lug around every day. Although, I do regularly see homeless dudes with big biceps, so that must explain it! And I thought they were doing pushups every morning on the side of the road.
Damn, if homelessness makes $30,000, why are any of us working? Plus, you get to sleep in the open air every day AND not pay taxes. What could be better than that?
Well, if they are in a social services system and trying to back on their feet, having a way to actually get in contact with them is a good thing.... but will this requirement actually be enforced? That's another issue.
I've had to deal with folks in these programs who have no phone or voice mail etc.. and its a pain to get in touch with them, have to call their case worker or their employer if they have one just to get a message to them.
Actually, I think you might have hit on the problem voice mail tries to solve. A way a homeless person can find a job without announcing to all potential employers that they are homeless. It makes them sound normal, the way trying to get messages through a homeless shelter or social worker ~doesn't~.
Gee, when I do the math I come out with $82.20 per day. That would be presuming the commissions were the same 365 days a year. They're probably higher during the holidays (cold weather, warm hearts) and lower during the tax season. Whatever it is on any given day, they spend it. And "work" again for it on another corner tomorrow.
Your remarks are evidently predicated on the notion that these folks bank like the rest of us. Please go back and read what Xenalyte was trying to explain to you and what citizens everywhere fail to keep in mind:
They are not interested in playing by society's rules. All the do-gooder programs in the world won't change that.
There's a circuit involved, too. They are known to the police and often told not to come back. They leave town awhile and return. One person "lived" at a bus stop near the airport here. S/he left a sign "gone to FL for the winter. Thanks for all the help, see you in the spring!"
I kid you not.
"Hhellooo... This is ah... it's... This is Dave. I'mm either paassed out or away from mmyy bbox right nowww. Ppleaase leave a mmmm-mmm-message."
Good point.
Still, wanna bet they won't have as many takers as they planned? Part of the intrigue of living on the street is not having to answer to anyone.
They can't be forced to avail themselves of the voicemail.
Bump to that. Sometimes the difference between being homeless and having a home is just bad luck.
LOL!
I have a bit of experience with this. I worked in social services doing employment assistance for some time. The hard core long term homeless are not their base client. You're right... those people don't go to the places where it's offered.
The typical client I helped set up with voice mail is the temporary homeless surfing from couch to couch, or sleeping in their car, and even those who are unemployed and not yet homeless, but have nevertheless had their phone bills go unpaid too long and they were cut off. The phone bill is one of the first things to go when money runs short, but when it comes to finding a job, it's a necessity.
They're offering 350 voice mail boxes in Washington DC. I think there's probably that many takers.
A while back, there was a thread about a couple who were "professional panhandlers". They preferred panhandling to holding a "regular job." They had a couple of kids and made at least $30,000/yr.
I guess it'd be a good gig if you can get it, but I've never seen ~ANYONE~ stop and give the street corner sign holder money, and I never have, so I kindof wonder if these mythical well-to-do panhandlers are pretty rare in reality.
One time I gave to a sign holder... A friend and I bought him a loaf of bread, some peanut butter and jelly, some utensils, and a bag of dog food. (I'm a sucker for a guy with a dog :~D)
I worked right next door to you, in Human Services. Many of these people have no dependents, so food stamps run out after three months. Oddly enough, most of them didn't gripe about that. Especially veterans.
The thought of veterans on the street makes me inexplicably sad. Whether it's by choice or not.
I hope you are wrong, that there aren't really 350 recent needs in DC. Logic tells me, though, that you're correct.
Thanks for validating my memory! I've been looking all over for that, thinking it was in the local paper. I even remember teachers saying the kids were well adjusted and it's a lovely family.
It was on a thread on the internet so it must be true!
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.