“Housing First” is a the solution that has been embraced by countries around the world. Time to repudiate the failed Reaganomics experiment and take it seriously again here in America.
Few Americans realize that homeless people sleeping on the street or in tents is something found in third world countries like India but not in Canada or Costa Rica (which have no army) or in Europe or Scandinavian countries. People in these advanced countries are paid a living wage and have free medical care and free assistance for food and housing and a free education and have access to excellent public transporation. Homelessness is the result of unbridled capitalism that benefits a few at the expense of everyone else. But a country that continues to use slavery and torture with its "justice" system is not going to care about homeless people unless it affects tourism. We cannot even be honest about our history of displacing people from their homes for white farms or factories or luxury homes or even for a sports stadium.
We had homeless in the 30’s caused by the Great Depression. Not CD so in the 40’s through about 2000. Now it is out of control. Are we in a Great Depression for the poor while the wealthy are wealthier than ever? Just saw a report on MSNBC about how little Jeff Bezo pays in income tax, less than 0.5%. Same with other Billionaires. What is the concern by the Government?? Finding out how the tax info was released. Not fixing the problem
It depends. Are our elected (and appointed) officials supposed to promote the general welfare of our fellow citizens or is their purpose to get re-elected by serving their oligarchic masters and lying to their constituents? As Thom has noted, greed seems to be their 7 Deadly Sin of choice, but I imagine that the other six are regularly being practiced by the big factions' co-conspirators across the country (for e.g., their lobbyists, propagandists, biostitutes and ALEC).
I left for basic training in '84, went to Germany, and came back to my home town in '86. I had NEVER seen a homeless person till then. This was thanks to Reagan turning the mentally ill out of where they were; he did so without providing alternative housing. Nancy was too busy with her "just say no" BS to work for treatment instead of incarceration. Once you bust them, there's no job and no housing.
The two most expensive necessities, health care and housing, have gone unregulated and are totally out of control. So we need to outlaw price gouging along with homelessness. Just as Thom's article indicates, so many other governments have figured this out. We just need to pretend America figured it all out, so the Republicans and Libertarians can live with it.
Few Americans realize that homeless people sleeping on the street or in tents is something found in third world countries like India but not in Canada or Costa Rica (which have no army) or in Europe or Scandinavian countries. People in these advanced countries are paid a living wage and have free medical care and free assistance for food and housing and a free education and have access to excellent public transporation. Homelessness is the result of unbridled capitalism that benefits a few at the expense of everyone else. But a country that continues to use slavery and torture with its "justice" system is not going to care about homeless people unless it affects tourism. We cannot even be honest about our history of displacing people from their homes for white farms or factories or luxury homes or even for a sports stadium.
We had homeless in the 30’s caused by the Great Depression. Not CD so in the 40’s through about 2000. Now it is out of control. Are we in a Great Depression for the poor while the wealthy are wealthier than ever? Just saw a report on MSNBC about how little Jeff Bezo pays in income tax, less than 0.5%. Same with other Billionaires. What is the concern by the Government?? Finding out how the tax info was released. Not fixing the problem
Good article on so called Democrat Senator Manchin (D-WV): https://truthout.org/articles/the-dark-money-influencing-senator-manchins-right-wing-agenda/
It depends. Are our elected (and appointed) officials supposed to promote the general welfare of our fellow citizens or is their purpose to get re-elected by serving their oligarchic masters and lying to their constituents? As Thom has noted, greed seems to be their 7 Deadly Sin of choice, but I imagine that the other six are regularly being practiced by the big factions' co-conspirators across the country (for e.g., their lobbyists, propagandists, biostitutes and ALEC).
I left for basic training in '84, went to Germany, and came back to my home town in '86. I had NEVER seen a homeless person till then. This was thanks to Reagan turning the mentally ill out of where they were; he did so without providing alternative housing. Nancy was too busy with her "just say no" BS to work for treatment instead of incarceration. Once you bust them, there's no job and no housing.
The two most expensive necessities, health care and housing, have gone unregulated and are totally out of control. So we need to outlaw price gouging along with homelessness. Just as Thom's article indicates, so many other governments have figured this out. We just need to pretend America figured it all out, so the Republicans and Libertarians can live with it.