Houseless is NOT Homeless!!?!
California seems to set the pace for cities in many ways. Throughout the country, many areas are skirting around the abolishment of former vagrancy laws and making homelessness a crime! This is a violation of Civil Rights!!! In 1951 Santa Rosa’s population was 17,000. By 2005 had grown to 170,000 (a 10 times increase in over 50 years). By comparison, in 1994 the homeless population here (after tripling in 2 years) was estimated at about 150. By 2005 a census showed that homeless folks had increased to 1,700 (that they knew of) a 10 times increase in about 10 years). This disproportionate figure was not representative of the influx of new arrivals, but a residual affect of new arrivals that was "growth-being-good-for-the-economy". Two comparisons to make on this note, (as they have really no way of knowing exactly) that the estimated current homeless population (as of-July 2007) - being over 2,200, the availab60sle space in the shelter in 1994 of 280 beds has been replaced by a facility with only 80 beds!? Progress for 13 years!? It seems that there are some areas with concern to facilitate citizens more appropriately, and many do not want to be "warehoused" where conflict often occurs. It does typify the attitude of a locality like the difference in people themselves. The cost of housing has increased over 20 times while during the same period that the wage earnings increased less than 20%! This is typical the economic imbalance nationally which, by the way, the homeless population was last reported at 3 MILLION!! Typically, governing agencies come up with the wrong solution to a given problem. Good examples are inappropriate law changes, "band-aids" for problems instead of an attempt to fix-it. It's the same efficiency of amendments to an amendment of an amendment etc. There wouldn’t be more need for more food at the kitchens and food banks, more shelters (the kitchens and food banks are growing in abundance), if the client population was reduced, instead of growing. The contribution to the problem is that some of the former donators are now clients!!! A more current (attempted) “solution” not only fails to solve problems (IE: complaints regarding the homeless) but creates new problems, and doesn’t even ease the original problem (just moves it to additional areas). The complaints that are not limited to just homeless (including urination, littering, panhandling, drug & alcohol abuse, etc.) are obviously behaviors by all echelons in society. Those with inappropriate behavior, behaved inappropriately before becoming homeless... likewise responsible conduct is not exclusive to having a residence!!? Consider, after being refused the privilege (or should it be a right?) the use of a public restroom then walking maybe 6 blocks or more to another facility only to be refused (even shunned again), and then again.... Sooner or later common sense will dictate that nature will run it's course. Eventually, one will just skip to the last part - (go figure?). Litter violators, trash dumping are especially not exclusive to the homeless, but significant by each and every ill-mannered, uncaring and unthinking social group!!! Alcoholism starts in the home, and the last I heard, proficient drug dealers can afford a residence! Until attention is paid to the Real facts since the 1980's... connect the dots of the Reality of it all... the more will experience the rude awakening of testing survival skills (or the lack of!). If you think that those are problems ... wait until you get aload of WORSE!!?!
posted by a John Doe Homeless | October 10, 2004
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