I'm a Libertarian living in Humboldt County, CA. I've lived here in Eureka since 1973 and joined the Libertarian Party in 1992. This blog will mostly focus on local political issues, but I may stray into state and national issues as well, when I can't help myself. Please post your comments by clicking on the "comments" link at the bottom of each post. Although I do moderate comments, you need not be a registered user to post them.
Another one of my pet peeves: Graffiti. Good to see an effort being made to clean it up. I just wish they could catch the jerks that paint the stuff in the first place and make them clean it up.
posted by Fred Mangels @ 8:35 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
That would be ideal. But when the jerks aren't caught, organizing work crews of able-bodied homeless people to clean it up would be a great way to use that unused labor pool. Their payment would be the services they now get for free.
"...organizing work crews of able-bodied homeless people to clean it up would be a great way to use that unused labor pool."
Lets see if we have this straight. The urban outdoorsmen who choose to not work but utilize "free" services will volunteer to perform these tasks in exchange for the services they already get for free. Makes perfect (non)sense. See economics 745 above.
Many homeless people in Arcata do in fact volunteer to do all kinds of work, even though they get free services. I don't know about Eureka's MAC, but I would assume there are volunteers there too.
In Arcata they have gone out and cleaned up trash around the Plaza, and even graffiti -- when the work is organized and they are provided with the materials they need for the job.
Surprised? Aren't there any homeless volunteers in Atlanta?
I don't think you know much about homeless people. There are all kinds. Some are worthless, drugged-out parasites. But others are very good people who are only too happy to volunteer for work in return for the services they get.
What Leonidas knows about urban outdoorsmen is of the ones in Arcata (Valley West). Those I offered work in exchange for food/cash always refused. The exceptions were those "stranded" who would accept donations of gas. Those in Atlanta appear to follow the same template but are of another ethnic background. Outside the I-285 beltway there appear to be NO urban outdoorsmen of the Atlanta or Arcata variety. For the most part the "homeless" are in that condition by choice and gravitate to the collectivist controlled magnet areas.
The homeless volunteers I mentioned work with the Arcata Endeavor. Most of them are a very different type from those you mentioned in Valley West. People who have worked at the Endeavor tell me that the majority of the homeless people who come there are not homeless by choice.
There certainly are a lot of highly visible "urban outdoorsmen" (a great term) in the Arcata area, but most of the homeless people here are frightened, desperate, and do everything they can to blend in and hide their homelessness.
does Leonidas know many unhoused Arcatans?
NO ONE is homeless by choice. EVERYONE would rather have the option of storing their stuff somewhere, haveing shelter from the elements when desired, a place to be safe.
Some people are costantly accusing the "homeless by choice" of somehow purposely being visibly poor just to piss people off. What nonsense.
Some people may choose to be unhoused when they have to make difficult decisions about how to budget their resources. That should not be a reason to constantly denigrate them, or call them "worthless parasites," or beat them nearly to death. In fact, by calling them "worthless parasites" you are an accomplice to those who commit the wicked acts of hatred against homeless people like the one recently here in Arcata.
Where's your outrage, all you decent people?
A 48 year old man, living outdoors, forced to go through gabage to meet his basic needs is beaten nearly to death, and all you jerks can do is joke about how he should have been made to work for no pay before being brutilized?
I'm not sure I like you people very much.
The visible ones do not look "frightened". They do however blend in somewhat with the regular plaza "regulars".
Plazoid, you are definitely not doing homeless people any favors with your arrogant immaturity, your genius for making enemies, and your false characterizations and twisting of what people say here. I'm not sure I like you very much either.
You write, deceitfully: "...and all you jerks can do is joke about how he should have been made to work for no pay before being brutilized?"
First of all, I was not joking about homeless people. Any sane and sober person can see that. And I never said anything about "making" homeless people "work for no pay". Clear your foggy, self-righteous head and go back and read the comments.
I said they could volunteer to work in return for the services they get now. That is not "for no pay". It is in return for services. That's the payment. The homeless volunteers understand that. Why can't you?
With "friends" like you, homeless people don't need enemies.
Leonidas said: "The visible ones do not look 'frightened'."
Right, the urban outdoorsmen are tough, and if they are frightened they aren't going to show it. But I guarantee you that homeless parents with children are frightened and desperate. They try to hide their homelessness, along with many other lonely and solitary homeless people.
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