Posted on 12/05/2012 6:36:35 AM PST by Slings and Arrows
The homeless man who was given a pair of boots by a kindhearted New York City police officer apparently isn't homeless. According to the New York Daily News, Jeffrey Hillman, 54, has an apartment in the Bronx that is paid for via a combination of rent vouchers, Social Security, and military veteran benefits.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
I don’t like the ones that seem to come out every winter, all dressed in red, laughing, calling everybody a ho and asking for money. Some even have the nerve to ring bells at people!
I don’t remember the chapter and verse but Jesus said something to the effect of “I send you out as lambs among the wolves.” He also ran the money hangers, who were con men, out of the Temple. I think that it’s suspicious that somebody just happens to record this whole scene. There is a term known as “Opportunity Costs”. Basically, it asks you to see if you are getting the best use of your resources. Could this policeman have better used that $100? I encourage people to be compassionate and generous...just not to con men.
I give to the Church, or, the Salvation Army...THAT’s IT. Otherwise - in today’s world - I assume it’s a scam.
Besides, I already “give” to the “poor” via proxy...the obama administration’s ideology of redistribution.
You...you...anti-elfist!
I don’t see where your reply has anything to do with this situation as Hillman clearly has mental problems, so he’s not a wolf. As far as the officer’s act being “Opportunity Costs”, show me the evidence that would prove your claim? And if you are basing your claim on just your ‘suspicions’ are you not reinforcing the point of my post? And when did we become a nation wherein one person’s ‘suspicions’ where enough to condemn a man’s act? Isn’t condemning people without proof a tactic of the ‘Leftist’?
Sherlock Holmes, Man with the Twisted Lip.
Guy wasn’t crazy though, just successful.
,,, says you .....
How do you know he has mental problems? Have you examined and diagnosed him? You want me to prove Opportunity Costs to you? That’s like asking someone to prove the sun is shining. It makes no sense. Would the policeman have done more good by giving his $100 to the Salvation Army? Yes. The stories say this fellow lives in an apartment, so he’s not homeless. It’s hard for people when they realize they have been victims of a Con Game. The Grifters count on that guilt. Many Con Games are never reported because people are ashamed of being taken.
I’ll have to read that one.
1. San Francisco 9th street off ramp from the Central freeway. A fellow would stand by the traffic light with a cardboard sign “Hungry will work for food. Please help. Bless you.” etc. The message varied but basically the same. One day I saw him getting ready for work. He had the trunk of a Pinto open and was changing into “work” clothes ie: Goodwill instant beggar outfit,ruffling his hair and applying some sort of lotion( Coppertone?) to give him that ruddy outdoor look. I did see him make money from drivers.
2. Anecdotal from ex co-worker, I will call him “Lars”, when he was in the Merchant Marine prior to working with the IT firm I was working at. Lars was on shore leave in San Pedro and walking around with his shipmate when they were aggressively panhandled for money by a street person ostensibly for food.
Lars and his shipmate refused and got the “bum” to admit he just wanted money to drink. They then had the bum wait as they went to a liquor store and bought 4 gallons of the cheapest strongest wine they could find. The “homeless guy” was ecstatic and walked off to a park with his new treasure.
Later that day they were stopped by San Pedro PD and questioned about buying wine for a “homeless” guy. The cop went ballistic and threatened Lars and his shipmate with arrest for the duration of their shore leave if they ever did that again.
It turns out the beggar had several friends show up to help him enjoy his new bounty. End result a small crowd of very intoxicated “homeless” had mini riot in the park fighting and arguing. The local PD had to use several dozen officers to break it up using night sticks, mace and cuffs plus haul them all off for booking.
So last weekend, with a personal vow not to discuss the results of the recent election during a family reunion, I was driving several relatives who had supported the expansion of the welfare state to a regional shopping mall, when I hear one of my more liberal democrat sisters scream, “Stop....roll down your window!”
With amazement, I saw she was pointing to a group of four people standing at the intersection (listening to their I-pods of course) who had their hands out waiting for foolish drivers to hand over their hard-earned money.
I had not said anything political all weekend until that moment, when I blurted out, “You have to be kidding...your guy won vowing to give these scammers more and more free crap, so why would you even think about giving them money?”
I never got a reply and needless to say, the next words she spoke to me was at the end of the weekend when she said “goodbye” at my departure.
I’m afraid there are just too many like my relative who really just don’t have a clue.
BTW - Just in case there was any doubt, I had refused to lower my window!
You’re right. He lives in Sniffen Court. Sorry, I’ve known him (at a distance!) for almost 20 years and he’s always been nuts.
You ignore my points and questions and say that I’m doing things that I’m not doing. Arguing with you is pointless. Have a Merry Christmas.
I’ll give a beggar food, but not money.
When I was young and naive, I decided to buy handkerchiefs for the homeless on the streets of downtown New Orleans where I worked. I thought they would appreciate that someone thought of them at Christmas. Boy was a dummy I was. They most probably said nasty things when I walked off. You can’t spend or drink a handkerchief:-). I have learned.
It’s been said many times that there are homeless people who prefer it that way.
If you think about it, they have no mortgage and insurance premiums to pay, no home to upkeep, car to upkeep no nothing - no responsibility. They eat at soup kitchens and sleep at Salvation Army when it gets cold. Sometimes, it sounds tempting.
Unfortunately, some are mentally ill. When I was young, we used to hospitalize these people now they let them just wander the streets.
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