I simply shared a story, at no point did I provide any suggestions as to how to handle such people in general.
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It's more than just being approached by them--it's their attitude of entitlement--everyone owes them. Disrespect of people & property. A polititian has never thrown broken glass, or took a dump, in my backyard.[[unprovoked) You really should let some of them live in your house & see how much they respect you. You're proof that bleeding hearts wearing blinders are in every region.
In a previous post I wrote that I differentiate between bums & homeless. All homeless are not bums, & vice versa. I referred to "professional bums" who have made this their lifestyle & don't avail themselves of help. I never said Grandma should carry a begging sign :p Please read posts more carefully before responding. SSI [[Supplemental Security Income) is different from Social Security & does not come out of the social security tax. But it comes from the government, so also out of our pockets. Many of the professional bums get SSI checks. I read in the paper that, like last year, Social Security recipients will not get a cost of living increase. Better than the program running out of money. But the bums are still getting their SSI. That's what I meant by taking money from the drunks & addicts--stop their SSI checks. But with 2 different government programs involved, that would be a problem. I realize this is off on a tangent from Detroit issues, but it does involve Detroit as well as everywhere else.
if they showcase a skill/craft/trick...not a scam, i may feel inspired to give. no handouts for just asking, bish have to earn it
I often wonder wether the people who give money to beggars actually think they're helping them or they give money so they can temporally feel better of themselves. A lot of these people look suspiciously like drug addicts. You ever see the beggars who hang out at the I-75 and 8 Mile traffic lights? I figure I'm doing these guys a favor by not giving them money and delaying their purchase of drugs/booze.
It really doesn't make any sense to give money to beggars when there are so many charities that could make better use of the money.
"I've always heard that Governor Engler was responsible for closing many of the mental health facilities that the state operated? Can anyone back this up?"
One of the first things Engler did was close Lafayette Clinic and ELIMINATE General Assistance, two foundations of support for all the mental problem people you see in Cass Corridor these days. Local mental health facility, gone; General Assistance, gone. His rationale was eliminating General Assistance for "able bodied" people was fair. He defined able bodied as having all four limbs. That's it. They could be crazy batshit and it didn't matter to fat boy from an outstate farm. Those able bodied men were lazy and had to be taken off the dole, by gum. There was much newspaper coverage of those two moves by Engler because they were so heartless and swift and quick once he took office. He went right for the most vulnerable in Detroit right out of the gate in early 1991. Look in the Freep archives - great coverage of the poor, "able bodied" people Engler threw on the streets of Cass Corridor. And most of them were black, too, by the way. Easier to kick around, right John?
Those street people acting, as you put it - unprovoked, are just closer to you than those big shots and corporations who rip you off everyday, giving you a much closer target to take your anger out on. And much easier targets - no lawyers, 800 numbers, marketing campaigns, layers of bureaucracy, and foreign headquarters. Particularly obvious by your reaction in this post. [[And yes, I'm a bleeding heart).
Unprovoked = meaning I did nothing to provoke his actions. I did not know he was there until the harassment began. I did not mention he also cursed at me for letting my dogs out in my own backyard in the morning.
You sure are angry at "The Establishment". Sounds like you're stuck in the 60's :D
I can understand your frustrations with this discussion, but some of us probably deal with more homeless in a day than you probably do in a week. This isn't a personal attack, I'm just putting it into perspective. As I said, we had a 'resident' homeless person outside my apartment building I had to put up with for a month. How would you like to walk out your front door every morning and be hassled for change? While after you had repeatedly said you would not...after you had given him a couple bucks the first time [[big mistake). Finally this guy was banned from the area.
Daily, I'll encounter about 12-25 panhandlers depending on the weather. Most just stand there repeating themselves for change without staring at you directly. These people I don't mind...and it basically supports your point, 1KielsonDrive. Just keep moving on....
But I've had some run-ins with homeless that have vented their frustration on me because I had my headphones on and paid no mind. They'd stand in my way, yell and curse. I've seen it happen to plenty other people. It's a surprise because it's not like I'm coming off as an asshole. I'm merely walking past with my head low. Sometimes it's a big problem because they can follow you for a block even after you say "No I'm sorry, I have no change."
1KielsonDrive, sorry you get so much spam. You can hang up a phone. I really think there may be more to this issue than people see. And fyi, I don't dislike the homeless, but they can be a nuisance like loud noise can be a nuisance. I believe it's a problem that can be fixed, and I believe my city is working to do just so. What's interesting is at night, streets are clear, doorways are clear, alleys are clear. Where did they all go?
I'm not sure why you disagree with my points. My premise is solve the homeless problem by providing basic shelter, food, and medical assistance, then continue to ban panhandling.
"My premise is solve the homeless problem by providing basic shelter, food, and medical assistance, then continue to ban panhandling."
Terrific!! Who's gonna pay for it?
Walk us through this dynamite plan.
So, one declares oneself to be homeless, and that person is inducted into a system wherein their 3 basic needs-- food, shelter, medical assistance-- are covered? And I will be paying for that?
Will be? You already do. Plenty of these facilities be it clinics or housing receive state funding...some of it federal, some of it local. It's your tax money. I'm really not into debating whether that's right or wrong. I'm just surprised you act like this has never been done. I mean literally tens of thousands of units have been constructed across the midwest. Have you heard about the 100,000 homes program?
You're explaining that which I already know, while missing my indirectly-stated assertion: It ain't that simple to solve the homelessness problem. For instance, the fact that there are soup kitchens & shelters already up & running does not keep people off of the streets, and using our tax money to fund ambiguously-defined programs won't do it, either.
The hypothetical approach you mentioned would draw a line stretching from Jefferson to Hall Road.