I'm tired of bums with cardboard signs

Shalimar said:
Apologies for profiling Georgia. What I should have said is that I have met many Québécois who share some physical characteristics with Denise. Mea culpa, please do not throw biscuits at the mermaid.
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Biscuits? Never! Rocks maybe but never biscuits!
 

Maybe you posted on this Shalimar, but I was wondering if there is a lot of homelessness in Canada? I haven't been to Victoria, or any of BC for about 15 years. It was lovely there. I grew up hearing about the Butchart Gardens, the Palace, etc.
 
I would think that homelessness is no less a problem here Denise. There is a little city in BC called Abbotsford and a couple years ago, there were quite a number of homeless people camped out in a public park there. I guess there was such an outcry from the public that the town council tried to 'encourage' them to move on by dumping manure in the area that they were camped in (was the justification fertilizing the grass?). But I think they were forced to clean it up after the court weighed in and said they couldn't do that. So yeah, we have homeless people too.
 

While living in the Sacramento, California area in 2003, I was appalled to see hundreds of homeless and/or panhandlers all over the city. I gave pocket change when I had it. The ones I gave more generously to were those who offered a little something in exchange, often that was a clean windshield, sometimes just a song or a poem. I thought what would help best was going to the city counsel to ask questions and find solutions. What a frustrating and exhausting experience that was!!! And after 4-5 months of meeting with various city officials and their representatives, nothing changed and no change was even initiated. Police will move the homeless and panhandlers when pressed to do so, but by and large, the police know what these people are up against, and that there is no expedient help for them, and therefore will let it be until there are multiple complaints.

I urge anyone who wants to do something about it to contact their city counsel or mayor. Maybe your city officials will be more receptive and concerned than those in Sacramento.
 
Making light of homelessness/begging is neither my idea of fun or entertainment as it appears in some sections of this thread.
How can any modern, advanced country with 1000's of super rich have millions of homeless, begging in the street?
Where's the compassion, where's the sharing?
Why is there no structure in place for these poor. needy human beings?
 
Susie said:
Why is there no structure in place for these poor. needy human beings?
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The help is available, but one must be on time for a minimum of 3 appointments (with social services or SSA), fill out a stack of applications, and have a mailing address. Then there's a wait of up to 3 months for applications to be processed and a final appointment scheduled. About 70% of the time, more information is requested at that time and assistance is put on hold. If it's housing you need, the wait is a minimum of one year, and the applicant must re-apply every year and must provide a mailing address. Homeless people with children (or dependents) get priority consideration, and even they can expect a year long wait period. If you have a felony criminal record, even an old one, you are not eligible for general housing. If you owe back taxes, you might not receive assistance.

All of this varies from state to state, but bottom line is, a ton of red-tape, a number of hoops, and a lack of housing keeps many homeless people homeless.
 
Every comment seems to have some valid points (including Denise's!!) There are bums/homeless because they can't help it and no one is helping THEM .... and then... you have some 'professionals' ... I was sitting in a Burger King one morning and overheard these two homeless guys (sitting right in back of me) and was shocked at their conversation.

They were both very intelligent and their conversation bore this out. One had 'escaped' from having to work to support a family because he couldn't deal with it anymore... The other just figured he would try out this life style... They both had places to sleep every nite and Denver has MANY places that serve free meals every day of the week. One said that, if he wanted to, he could go back to work, but 'hell no I don't want to go back to that day to day run of the mill shit' ...were his words... The other agreed...he didn't want to 'go back to that either.'

They did a lot of 'canning'....collecting cans to turn in for cash... and they also had signs they carried. Yes, maybe these guys ARE the exception, but they DO exist...
The most pitiful homeless are the discarded vets... we employed them to serve 'god and country' and go kill people in foreign lands...and then they come back and FEW actually get medical or mental health...some of their minds are so destroyed from war that they are totally unable to function in a 'regular setting.'

Our government COULD HELP THESE PEOPLE....with extensive medical and mental attention and care and training...not just 'provide a cot to sleep on and feed them'... but our priorities are totally screwed up with nearly HALF OF ALL OUR TAXES going to the military....wars that we WANT (gov and corporations especially) because PROFIT is to be had.
Its all very controversial and has MANY sides to it....
 
Here, the wait for housing is so long they aren't even taking applications anymore, and haven't for over two years. And getting other help is an enormous hassle and you have to have all kinds of documentation, show up places for appointments, etc., have a mailing address and so on. Most truly homeless people don't have the means to get around to appointments, nor do they have mailing addresses and documentation. I came up against all this when I was trying to help out my niece when she got sick. It's a huge project even if you have transportation, an address to receive mail, and know what you are doing. There's no compassion in ANY of the so-called helping agencies. None at all.
 

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