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Post by The Silent Orator on Oct 20, 2007 15:15:32 GMT -5
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Post by Ninmast on Oct 20, 2007 15:23:34 GMT -5
Something tells me Mayor Goodman won't be getting re-elected.
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Post by Kagetsuki on Oct 20, 2007 15:26:46 GMT -5
It's Las Vegas, for one. =P
Seeing as I lived there for a year, I could tell you something...That city has a huge, huge homeless problem. The media/computer teacher at my school did a documentary about it. It's really bad...Child prostitutes, all sorts of terrible stuff.
But this story? It sort of strikes me as ridiculous. I mean sure, homeless people aren't exactly desired, but what's wrong with feeding them? It actually makes me angry...Like that ACLU attorney said, what they're doing is making it sound like only people with money can eat. It's like banning an act of charity! Ugh.
Banning the feeding of homeless people isn't going to lessen the amount of homeless there, nor is it going to solve the problem.
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Post by Giant Brother on Oct 20, 2007 15:53:54 GMT -5
Well now, just when you think you've seen all of the stupid ideas you can handle. Honestly, what sort of mentality was used in that decision?
"Now Timmy, don't give the poor man food, if you do that, he'll just keep coming back every day expecting it."
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Post by Ninmast on Oct 20, 2007 16:04:20 GMT -5
That's exactly the mentality, GB. They think of the homeless as just a bunch of animals.
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Post by LotusBlackfire on Oct 20, 2007 16:27:42 GMT -5
I may sound like a sick bastard but being in the security area of the area i know what its like to deal with the homeless everyday, and really the only way to get them away from your business is to be a bit harsh with them, i know it sounds mean and cruel but not only are homeless people a problem for business but their also very dangerous, ive dealt with alot of violent ones, they suffer from mental probelms and the ones ive dealt with are always hostile or delusional. That being said i used to think that if you tried to help them they would try to help themselves, thats not the case, normally the ones you try and help usually turn into the ones who feel confident and then just keep pushing it until you have to call the cops on them for public disturbances.
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Post by Ninmast on Oct 20, 2007 17:25:02 GMT -5
I'm not saying let them do whatever they want, but the mayer coming out and saying that it's obvious who homeless people are, and refusing them aid? By all means, keep people out of where they don't belong, but not all homeless people are psychopathic nutjobs.
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Post by The Silent Orator on Oct 20, 2007 22:00:20 GMT -5
I think instead of using the money to buy food to feed the poor and homeless, we should be using the money to make jobs for them. That way, they work for their money, things get done.
Much as I hate to say, but FDR did have the right idea there.
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Post by Mirrorless on Oct 21, 2007 13:43:48 GMT -5
The most I can say is that I feel sorry for those homeless people. It's bad enough that they're homeless in the first place. In spite of how many CSI episodes I've seen, I don't know enough about Vegas to know if this is expectable of their reputation. Guessable, I suppose.
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Post by This One on Oct 21, 2007 14:14:22 GMT -5
What kind of sick freak makes it illegal to feed the hungry? I mean, if they had houses and money, there would still be just as many mouths to feed.
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Post by Teh Donut on Oct 22, 2007 16:43:46 GMT -5
Las, my friend. Las.
Fun Fact: The homeless of Las Vegas make more money begging on the streets than they would make going to the homeless assistance shelters, using the plentiful resources that the City and Mayor Goodman provide, and actually getting real jobs. Excuse me for not feeling especially sentimental to their "plight", but I just think we should all think twice before we pity all those "poor homeless folk."
Remember that episode of The Simpsons, where Homer went begging on the streets to afford all sorts of expensive things? Real diamond earrings for Marge, even? That's not an exaggeration.
If I went and politely asked them to, they could easily pay my way through college and have enough for themselves. Then why are they still homeless? Most of them blow it on loto, or in the casinos. (where most of them lost their money and fell to homelessness in the first place) And it's not like programs to help them invest their money don't exist, they're in abundance. the city does better than most at trying to clean up the homeless population. (because, you know, it's bad for tourism if they start leaking onto the strip...)
However, most refuse to use them...remember, they make more money sitting by the side of the street with their signs, begging, than they do breaking their back over an honest day's wage.
None of you have driven down Vegas Drive, evidently. It's fun; there's actually more homeless there than motorists. Visit Las Vegas sometime and actually act like a non-tourist; leave the pretty glitz and glamour of the Strip. You'll see exactly how much of a problem the homeless are for the city. We were stopped at a stoplight one time, and a homeless guy wallked up, knocked on our window, and asked if he could have some food. He got what he wanted, but I'm not all to comfortable with having anyone, much less someone who's more inclined to try something desperate, coming up to my vehicle like that.
The city council tries to provide more than enough resources to get them off the streets. We act like the city's only trying to victimize the homeless, though what they're trying to do is to force the homeless into actually using the resources that are readily available for them to use, albiet in the most idiotic, futile, and shameful way possible.
Anchorage is no different, but that's a story for another time...
I'm all for resolutions that try to get homeless off the streets. Especially ythe ones that actually help. HOWEVER, it's my food, I paid for it, and I'll hand it out to any hungry mouth I damn well wish. Please, Mayor Goodman, pull that bottle of gin out of your mouth and think for once...
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Post by Kagetsuki on Oct 22, 2007 17:01:12 GMT -5
You made some really good points there, Donut. When I actually read the article I was too angry to really think of anything but 'Why would someone ban something like this, grr!' But I do remember someone telling me that homeless people begging on the streets make an awful lot of money...A long time ago...
You know, I must have lived in a good part of the city, or at least in a place that wasn't developed enough to have homeless yet (I lived in Centennial Hills, which was just being built when I lived there)...I never saw very much, and my parents never drove us down near the strip or in areas around it. The only reason I know that it's a big problem is because of my teacher...
I like your last paragraph a lot. *nodnod* Thanks for making all those points.
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Post by Ninmast on Oct 22, 2007 17:25:21 GMT -5
As you said, Donut, problem or not, there are proper and improper ways of dealing with the homeless population. This was a very improper way.
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Post by Teh Donut on Oct 22, 2007 18:54:30 GMT -5
A resolution like this is really a complete waste of time, too. I'm sure cops are more concerned with catching legitimate criminals, like, oh, rapists, murderers...crazy gunmen taking potshots at passing pedestrians and cars with high-powered rifles from their apartment windows. (An interesting story, but, again, one for another time) It's completely unenforcable.
And what happens if I get ticketed? "Oh, I didn't know he was homeless," or, "He's a friend of mine, I'm just bringing him lunch." Yea, definitely a waste of time...
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