Advocates Slam 'Creative' Homeless Solutions

Fox News ^ | Monday, July 14, 2003 | Jennifer D'Angelo

[the_devils_advocate_666]

U.S. cities and businesses have been coming up with a variety of ways to deal with homelessness

[the_devils_advocate_666]

It just isn't dignified to earn a living...

[Support Free Republic]

SHOW JIM THE MONEY!!!!

[PLMerite]

They need to admit that homelessness is a mental-health and substance-abuse problem, not employable people who can't find work.

[Sabatier]

I'm not so sure I'd want an "advocate" helping me if I were down and out. Hmmm, doesn't "advocate" share the same root word as lawyer?

[Hugin]

According to Whitehead, there is only one real solution. "The only thing that needs to happen is the political will to build affordable housing in this country," he said.

The vast majority of "homeless" are druggies, alchies, crazies, criminals or just plain lazy bums. No housing will ever be affordable for them unless the government pays for it.

[Hugin]

According to Whitehead, there is only one real solution. "The only thing that needs to happen is the political will to build affordable housing in this country," he said.

The vast majority of "homeless" are druggies, alcies, crazies, criminals or just plain lazy bums. No housing will ever be affordable for them unless the government pays the rent for them.

[Hugin]

According to Whitehead, there is only one real solution. "The only thing that needs to happen is the political will to build affordable housing in this country," he said.

The vast majority of "homeless" are druggies, alcies, crazies, criminals or just plain lazy bums. No housing will ever be affordable for them unless the government pays the rent for them.

[Hugin]

According to Whitehead, there is only one real solution. "The only thing that needs to happen is the political will to build affordable housing in this country," he said.

The vast majority of "homeless" are druggies, alcies, crazies, criminals or just plain lazy bums. No housing will ever be affordable for them unless the government pays the rent for them.

[the_devils_advocate_666]

"Any person who works any job in America should get at least minimum wage ... or better, a living wage."

I want to know how someone can argue this... it just seems like fantasy to me!

[the_devils_advocate_666]

Kind of like the Dept. of Redundancy Department, ehh?

[Captainpaintball]

The majority of homeless are...Oh, wait. Someone already said what I was going to say--456 times!!!... :)

They think bums who earn a meal is degrading, but see no problem in giving them a shopping cart. They are the ones who believe the "Dining in Dumpsters" video is compassionate!!! Only in the mind of a liberal...

[Frank_2001]

WORK? for FOOD??? Oh what a wretched horrible distressing disgusting idea!! Now if the Government would set up a nice "free" soup kitchen, well that's another story!/extreme sarcasm off

[Blue Collar Christian]

"No housing will ever be affordable for them unless the government pays the rent for them."

And then the facility the government rents for them will be below their expectations. Let the bums lay in the gutter in their own vomit and urine. Only experiencing the bottom will they ever really look up.

These "advocates" for the homeless in this article are purely-T-commies that want this country torn down.

[Nick Danger]

"The only thing that needs to happen is the political will to build affordable housing in this country," he said.

Gong! Into the crap pile with that guy. Here comes a homeless fellow now. Let's ask him whether Affordable Housing is his dream...

You, sir! Are you by any chance homeless?
 Why, yes I am. Who wants to know?

What do you do for money?
 I get $1250 a month SSI.

Why be on the street? Couldn't you get a room for that?
 Some months I do. Not in the Summer, though.

When's the last time you had a room of your own?
 Two weeks ago. I had to leave. A CIA sniper moved in next door. I don't know how they do it; they always find me.

Why don't you get a job, man?
 I had one at the car dealer, but the voices told me the owner was one of the CIA people. I never stay when the CIA shows up. It's not safe. They know I know.

I don't think I want to know. See ya.

[PLMerite]

It's a trap. The minimum wage is fixed by federal law. The "Living Wage" tarpit is a liberal concoction to inflate wages for people who aren't worth it.

[ThinkFreedom]

"Work for food, panhandler registration, homes at sea. ... Officials and business reps say these solutions help the homeless – and get them out of the public's way. But advocates for the homeless say these so-called "creative" solutions miss the point about homelessness: that it is an economic and political problem. "

This paragraph really says it all. On one hand, we have businessmen and concerned, conservative minded citizens finding ways to make a real difference. On the other hand we have these "advocates" who are advocating some sort of economic and political "solution" to the problem. Obviously they have vested interests in their solution - a cure all economic and political solution. Apparently these people have infiltrated various charity groups and are attempting to use the homeless as a socio-political base for their "solution", and are upset that conservative-minded businesspeople and non-believers are doing something.

It doesn't take a genius to work out what's going on here.

No doubt these "activists" have read all about their "economic and political" solution in a little red book written by Marx and Engels. What we have here is a textbook case of Trotskyte (sp?) entrism here.

One little problem: MARXISM DOESN'T WORK! And it's disgusting that these left wing ideologues would shoot their mouths off at people who are actually doing things to help the homeless help themselves rather than using them as pawns to further a *FAILED* socio-political ideology.

We've tried state welfare and bureaucracy before. IT DOESN'T WORK! First off, you have several layers of bureaucrats living off money ear-marked for the poor. Then, what little money actually gets through all the committees of corrupt thieves leaves these bums with no incentive to clean themselves up, go back to school, and get jobs; to help them help themselves. You create a class of welfare dependant citizens with no incentive to work and nothing to do except get wasted and support those who give them a free ride.

This is a huge waste of your tax dollars, and mine. And given the problems of crime, homeless people not contributing to the economy, and lost trade for nearby businesses, this is a problem the community needs to get involved in cleaning up. Work for legitimate charity, not a government bureaucracy.

Give a man a fish and feed him for a day, teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.

The solution to the homeless problem is to make the way out available to those who want it. This means help with morality and detox, help getting back into school or with practical job training, and help getting work.

Inner city churches often have outreach programs that help these people find Jesus, as well as faith based healing, and often run things like AA programs. It's great to see the rest of the local community - in this example - chipping in to give these people a job, and show them a legitimate way to make a living. In this case, they advertise a pizza shop (and thus the pizza shop benefits), and they benefit with food or money; everyone benefits.

No wonder the leftists are complaining...

[DannyTN]

"The vast majority of "homeless" are druggies, alchies, crazies, criminals or just plain lazy bums. No housing will ever be affordable for them unless the government pays for it. "

Aren't most of the homeless, the people turned out of mental institutions in the 80's? Should we be reconsidering that move?

[truth_seeker]

"As for President Bush's plan for to provide permanent housing and services to the "chronically homeless," Whitehead complained that it directs the majority of the funding to the 10 percent of homeless who suffer from substance abuse and ill mental health."

I've read elsewhere that 2/3 of homeless are substance abusers (addicts/alcoholics) and not the 10 percent he claims.

My own experience goes with the 2/3 number. They are in and out of twelve step meetings and recovery facilities. Usually just long enough to get a full belly, clean clothes, etc.

The help IS there, but the homeless usually won't take the medicine. They are often "dual diagnosis" which means mintal illness and addictions.

The help IS there. But their advocates think society owes them free housing, so they can continue their addictions.

[ThinkFreedom]

I guess that's the other side of the coin, some of these bums really don't want help and are content to live on the streets. Like I said above, church run outreach programs that homeless folks can go to when they want to get off the streets is a better solution than bureaucracy and taxpayer run soup kitchens ever will be.