City shuts homeless camp on bank of Kansas River / LJWorld.com

Archive for Thursday, October 11, 2007

October 11, 2007

City leaders work to remove homeless people along Kansas River

City leaders set a deadline for homeless people staying along the Kansas River in East Lawrence to clear out their camp sites. Enlarge video

Photo by Richard Gwin

Gary Crook sits at his campsite just east of the SpringHill Suites by Marriott on Wednesday afternoon. The city sent a Parks and Recreation supervisor to hang a notice telling Crook and other campers to vacate the area.

Gary Crook sat on the edge of a concrete slab under a blue plastic canopy Wednesday afternoon and watched as a Lawrence city employee nailed a sign to a nearby tree. A police officer stood nearby.

Another camp used by homeless people was being shut down.

"I'm leaving tonight," said Crook, 31.

Crook said he and a friend had been sleeping for a month at the camp - in a wooded area just north of the Amtrak Depot at Seventh and New York streets.

But that area, on a bluff overlooking the Kansas River, also is designated as a city nature preserve. Periodically, city workers and Lawrence police move in and clear out the camps.

"It's a continuous problem," said Mark Hecker, director of Lawrence Parks and Recreation. "It's seasonal."

The sign on the tree stated that the site had no water and no sanitary facilities. It informed campers that they needed to clear out by 2 p.m. today or their belongings would be cleared out for them.

The site where Crook and his friend were staying was marked by two tents. Clothes and a few shoes were scattered around. Some of the clothes hung on tree branches and wires. On the concrete slab were several chairs and a barbecue grill. A trash can was in the center of the slab.

"Every once in a while we find something missing," Crook said.

Homeless for two years, Crook said he lived at a shelter in Kansas City for a while. Now he will stay nights at the Lawrence Open Shelter, he said.

There were plenty of signs that more than two people had been in the river bluff area. A short distance from the camp the ground was littered with beer bottles and cans, as well as cardboard boxes and a few adult magazines.

Police and Parks and Recreation employees monitor the areas where homeless people have been known to congregate for years.

There also are areas along the river at Burcham Park and Riverfront Park where homeless camps develop and have to be shut down, Hecker said. Once a sign is posted, he said, most campers leave.

"There usually isn't a problem," Hecker said.

Discussion

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11 October 2007
at 7:34 a.m.

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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…

“Homeless for two years, Crook said he lived at a shelter in Kansas City for a while.”

Have to admit, I'd choose the coyotes over those urban “animals”…

“A short distance from the camp the ground was littered with beer bottles and cans….”

… but I'd do a better job of picking up after myself.
11 October 2007
at 8:05 a.m.

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number3of5 (Anonymous) says…

Why doesn't the city of Lawrence simply open up an area as a camp for the homeless? What it costs in manpower to close these camps, could be used to put in water and bathroom facilities. The campers do need to clean up after themselves instead of littering, but giving them a hand at having a place to stay would be a very nice gesture.
11 October 2007
at 8:24 a.m.

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toefungus (Anonymous) says…

These camps should be shut down as quickly as they open.
11 October 2007
at 8:42 a.m.

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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…

“Why doesn't the city of Lawrence simply open up an area as a camp for the homeless? ”

I can think of eleventyhundred reasons why not.
11 October 2007
at 8:49 a.m.

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Andini (Anonymous) says…

number3of5 (Anonymous) says:

Why doesn't the city of Lawrence simply open up an area as a camp for the homeless?

…..giving them a hand at having a place to stay would be a very nice gesture.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––-

Why doesn't number3of5 open up his/her home or yard to these campers? That would be a very nice gesture too.
11 October 2007
at 8:50 a.m.

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Ceallach (Anonymous) says…

3of5, the city would also be required to police any area they develop. Good heart, bad idea.
11 October 2007
at 8:52 a.m.

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TheYetiSpeaks (Anonymous) says…

The problem is: we shut down these camps and the residents go to the overnight shelter. The shelter reaches capacity, then you have people sleeping on Mass St. Would you rather have them in the woods or in front of Weavers.

11 October 2007
at 8:58 a.m.

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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…

Hmm… woods … Weavers … woods …. Weavers …?

Washington.
11 October 2007
at 8:59 a.m.

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badger (Anonymous) says…

TOB said:

“I can think of eleventyhundred reasons why not.”

Do they all ultimately come back to, “It's neither fiscally nor socially practical to do so?”

Cause every reason I came up with ultimately boiled down to the reality that it would cost a lot to develop and then maintain (sanitation and security) the site, it would create a liability nightmare and force them to establish an alcohol and drugs policy for the area, it'd ultimately drive the people who don't do well in shelter situations to turn *another* area into a homeless camp to escape the rules, and it would just be enabling the problem unless some form of counseling or guidance were offered.
11 October 2007
at 9:02 a.m.

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Haiku_Cuckoo (Anonymous) says…

Why doesn't the city of Lawrence simply open up an area as a camp for the homeless?
==============
They did. It's called Clinton Lake State Park and it's available for public camping. There are showers available as well. Instead of spending their money on cigs and liquor, they should focus on legally camping at Clinton Lake instead.
11 October 2007
at 9:09 a.m.

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bd (Anonymous) says…

An example of Lawrence attracting out of town homeless!
Sure, lets all go to Lawrence for the free ride!
11 October 2007
at 9:11 a.m.

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conservativepunker (Anonymous) says…

Good Riddance. Get A Job, ya bum.
11 October 2007
at 9:16 a.m.

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Ceallach (Anonymous) says…

Badger said it much better than my post.

As to Weaver's or the woods . . I would rather have them in front of Weavers. The area is “wooded”, not a forest. People live, and children play in very close proximity. If they are downtown, at least we can easily see them.
11 October 2007
at 9:19 a.m.

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JOEHAWK (Anonymous) says…

I lived in Orlando for 7 years. Each year along with the birds come the homeless. They migrate south and then back north. Orlando had the answer, actually Disney did, they made it very uncomfortable for the homeless. They found that when they reached out with a hand, they lost their arm up to the shoulder. There are always going to be these people in our society, In my opinion, If you make it easy on them to be homeless, they will remain homeless. They will also remain.

Other than the mentally ill, they deserve the help. But many of these people are just bums. Give them programs to help themselves and about 5% take you up on it, 95% just remain homeless. You can't help those that won't help themselves, make them move on.
11 October 2007
at 9:27 a.m.

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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…

Badger - Yep. The reasons you gave and it sounds too much like a refuge camp.

I'd rather have them in front of Weaver's if the other choice was by the river.

11 October 2007
at 9:46 a.m.

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pace (Anonymous) says…

Some of the people who live in their cars or under the canopies are employed. One I know is a bit stupid, he spends what might be rent money on storing his inherited belonging in two storage units, He does keep clean and works pretty hard. He has limited skills. Another has fought mental illness for all his life. His VA papers and other personal belongings were destroyed by a bum hating vandal during a time it looked like things were going better for him. He receives erratic and bizarre medical help from the VA, but he has had some improvement through their services. I don't like this individual on a personal level, he is self centered and crabby but he had done nothing to the “rush the bums” vandal except to be vulnerable to his hate attack. I don't give handouts to panhandlers but I often provide the opportunity to work. The homeless isn't a stereotype just as the construction worker, the insurance person is not a stereotype but a person. Different stories. The desire to stereotype is a lazy one. I don't admire laziness in any class or person. I have to say that a city employee should know better than to nail a sign to a tree. I do think that homeless camps in preserved areas are probably environmental risks. While I have no solution or desire to house the homeless that decline shelters and work, I would like to see a program that offers safe showering opportunities with laundry or donated clothes.

I also wish there were showers and some sort of clothes available in airports since delays can extend to days now.
11 October 2007
at 9:47 a.m.

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acquarius (Anonymous) says…

Other than the mentally ill who should be off the streets anyway, the homeless are that way by choice There are alot of alternatives available but they are just lazy and don't want to better themselves. Illegal immigrants that have no education and can't evan speak English seem to work. We need to rid this community of them and NOT give them an opportunity to be comfortable here.
11 October 2007
at 9:49 a.m.

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JJE007 (Anonymous) says…

We should simply open the jail up for the homeless. We'd leave keys to individual cells hanging on a nail by the cell door. It worked in Mayberry!~)
11 October 2007
at 9:49 a.m.

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nettieb (Anonymous) says…

Duh, we gotta keep the riff-raff out. What's next, a Wal-mart in West Lawrence??????
11 October 2007
at 10 a.m.

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RalphReed (Ralph Reed) says…

In a previous life I would have said, “Let's do whatever we can.” But now I agree with the the majority here.
Offer them a job for goods (food, clothing, shelter, etc.), but not money, tobacco or alcohol in any form. Definitely not money. If they keep working, they continue to get “goods”. If they choose not to work, detain them, give them a hot meal and transport them to the city limits. If they return and continue their actions then have the sherriff transport them to the county line.
I'm sorry, but my wife and I work hard to stay afloat. I don't want to support those who can work, but refuse to.
11 October 2007
at 10:01 a.m.

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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…

“Duh, we gotta keep the riff-raff out. What's next, a Wal-mart in West Lawrence?”

Hmm… might solve that unemployed, homeless problem downtown. And for those still unable to earn a “living” wage at the new Wal-Mart in West Lawrence, at least the relocation would be a “move up.”

( not to mention, all the new coyote snacks it would provide )
11 October 2007
at 10:43 a.m.

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sunshine_noise (Anonymous) says…

I don't think it all stems from the indigant just being bums. Most of them have mental problems (alcohol and drug is also a mental issue) and since the almighty Reagon (may he not rest in peace) shut down and cut back on mental health care and closed down mental institutions and sent them all out on the streets the homeless population had increased, which didn't surprise. Still Lawrence doesn't have an adequate mental health program to help these people either. so they roam around the country and find whatever place won't harrass them too much and be just a little kind to them (can't much blame them). But get a job???? Would you hire them? No probably not - so what are they suppose to do. Now I'm not condoning the camps. Opening them up would be a health disaster among other things. I don't know what the soluation is and I don't think most of you have it either - everyone has an opinion but no solution.
11 October 2007
at 10:49 a.m.

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deuce (Anonymous) says…

My 12 year nephew and his friend went fishing not too long ago near where these camps are. They were threated by the men in these camps. They were told to vacate the area immediately before something really bad happened to them. They should be removed and no one should be allowed to camp there. Public camping areas can be found at Clinton Lake - look really hard and you can find primitive camp graonds that charge no fees.

11 October 2007
at 10:59 a.m.

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ranger73 (Anonymous) says…

Wow-
That is pretty hard core to play the Reagan card and blame him for the homeless in Lawrence, 20 + years after he was President.

Camping is not free at Clinton Lake either. Besides, that's a long way to have to walk when you go to the soup kitchens downtown for all your meals.
11 October 2007
at 11:04 a.m.

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Haiku_Cuckoo (Anonymous) says…

and since the almighty Reagon (may he not rest in peace) shut down and cut back on mental health care and closed down mental institutions……….
============
I knew it. Ronald Reagan is the reason for the homeless camp along the Kansas River.
11 October 2007
at 11:06 a.m.

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deuce (Anonymous) says…

Did they shut down the FREE Primative camp ground at Clinton? I was there last year and it was open.
11 October 2007
at 11:13 a.m.

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Haiku_Cuckoo (Anonymous) says…

I think a work farm would be a good idea (see link below). It would teach them how to grow and sell food. They could also learn skills to operate and fix farm machinery. Rather than having them sleeping in the woods and on the sidewalks, a bunkhouse could be provided. Rules would need to be in place: No alcohol and no bum fights. This solution would weed out the lazy from those who truly want help. Those who had no interest in bettering themselves would be given a one-way ticket out of town.

http://fobh.org/what/farm.php
11 October 2007
at 11:28 a.m.

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badger (Anonymous) says…

TOB -

Ugh, you're right, I hadn't even considered the 'sounds too much like a refugee camp' notion. That just makes it even less palatable.
11 October 2007
at 11:49 a.m.

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JOEHAWK (Anonymous) says…

I like the work farm Idea. Some Church or other charitable organization should buy 40 acres, build a bunkhouseand and help these people. They could plant and sell veggies to offset the cost. I have a cousin in Michigan that they take donations of old lawnmowers and fix them up to resell. They could do that on the work farm. The key is that it is out of town, that it is a one shot deal for homeless, and any bums that don't follow the rules need to leave the farm and the city.

Not to be mean spirited but in my opinion, You need to support yourself or at least make an effort or get out of town.
11 October 2007
at 11:56 a.m.

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Kontum1972 (Anonymous) says…

east-bank terrorists….HuWah!

hey buddy ya gota dime?
11 October 2007
at 11:57 a.m.

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Ceallach (Anonymous) says…

posessionannex (Anonymous) says:

>>3of5, the city would also be required to police any area they develop. Good heart, bad idea.

Racist!
*****************
I didn't even know they held races there.

11 October 2007
at noon

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nettieb (Anonymous) says…

Again, my suggestion is that if you don't like something, scrounge up the money to buy the land necessary to do what you think should be done, rather than telling someone who does have the money what to do with it.

Unless any of you have been homeless or have any idea what it's like, you should probably just lay off them. My guess is their priorities are a little different than yours.
11 October 2007
at 12:42 p.m.

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blue73harley (Anonymous) says…

Give 'em all a one way ticket to Seattle. They “embrace” the homeless there.
11 October 2007
at 12:52 p.m.

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blue73harley (Anonymous) says…

Here is a good example with their bunks for drunks program….

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/st…
11 October 2007
at 1:06 p.m.

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commonsense (Anonymous) says…

There is a female in town who has DownSydrome and makes $6.00 per hour. She works hard and is proud of her work ethic. Some people could learn a thing or two from her…
11 October 2007
at 1:32 p.m.

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trinity (Anonymous) says…

hey, otis the drunk was *not* homeless!!!! hmmph, how dare you??
11 October 2007
at 1:52 p.m.

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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…

“
On the turning away
From the pale and downtrodden
And the words they say
Which we wont understand
Don't accept that what's happening
Is just a case of others suffering
Or you'll find that you're joining in
The turning away

Its a sin that somehow
Light is changing to shadow
And casting its shroud
Over all we have known
Unaware how the ranks have grown
Driven on by a heart of stone
We could find that were all alone
In the dream of the proud

On the wings of the night
As the daytime is stirring
Where the speechless unite
In a silent accord
Using words you will find are strange
And mesmerized as they light the flame
Feel the new wind of change
On the wings of the night

No more turning away
From the weak and the weary
No more turning away
From the coldness inside
Just a world that we all must share
Its not enough just to stand and stare
Is it only a dream that there'll be
No more turning away?
”
- not the faux Floyd
11 October 2007
at 2:01 p.m.

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Ceallach (Anonymous) says…

Work farm, work projects, city backed accommodations all have one terrible thing in common . . supervision. If some people could tolerate any form of supervision or adherence to rules they probably wouldn't be homeless.
11 October 2007
at 2:08 p.m.

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nettieb (Anonymous) says…

Well said TRA

11 October 2007
at 2:12 p.m.

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nettieb (Anonymous) says…

First of all, Offtotheright - you don't know they are lazy. My guess is you've never talked to one of them long enough to find out if they are lazy.

And Hawk - how do you know they get that kind of assistance? Is there a homeless post office box they all get their checks in?

None of you know, other than they clutter up the elitists ideal of the Kansas Utopia you call Lawrence Kansas.

Get off your high horses.
11 October 2007
at 2:12 p.m.

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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…

Actually, David said it.
11 October 2007
at 2:15 p.m.

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nettieb (Anonymous) says…

Yes, and while I do believe David is God, I will thank thee for being his disciple for the time being. Because it is fitting for this particular subject.
11 October 2007
at 2:21 p.m.

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Ragingbear (Anonymous) says…

I was homeless in Lawrence for 16 months. I doubt if any of you would be able to withstand even a day of living like a homeless individual. I am against having any city designated area for homeless to camp at. Such tent cities become crime ridden and lead to lots of trouble. I am not against the regular clearing out of the campgrounds mentioned. I know these areas well. They are usually small communal areas that people pool their resources so they can get drugs and/or alcohol. There are other homeless camps that consist of a small tent somewhere that is used to store a few items and be a place to sleep.

I would challenge any of you to actually know what the true homeless situation is. I could show you if you want. But everyone is more content to sit in their air conditioned living room, sipping cappuccino and blogging on their computer about how they are better than everyone else. If anyone else is interested in seeing a true look at homelessness, contact me. Then prepare to spend a 24 hour period living like a homeless individual with me showing you all the in's and outs. This includes the sides that most people never see.
11 October 2007
at 2:25 p.m.

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badger (Anonymous) says…

*looks in cup*

Everyone else got cappucino?

I just got coffee.

Aw, man, my privilege got gypped! I got a substandard entitlement!

Hmph. I'm holding out for a mocha at the next Bilderberger meeting.
11 October 2007
at 2:32 p.m.

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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…

frappuccino, here
11 October 2007
at 3:27 p.m.

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Ceallach (Anonymous) says…

Not fair, bear, most of us are sitting in workplaces, taking a few minutes here and there because somehow there is never enough time to actually take 15 minutes, twice a day, away from the phone, door, patients, etc. (except for the smokers, they get to spend break time standing/leaning next to the dumpster). I, and several of the LJW posters that I know personally, do not fit the “content to sit in their air conditioned living room, sipping cappuccino and blogging on their computer about how they are better than everyone else” generalization you so easily tossed at us. Besides, I prefer a latte, all that extra foam might be what's making me fluffy.
11 October 2007
at 3:50 p.m.

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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…

“I, and several of the LJW posters that I know personally, do not fit the “content to sit in their air conditioned living room, sipping cappuccino and blogging on their computer about how they are better than everyone else” generalization you so easily tossed at us.”

Yes, most of sit in our parent's basement drinking 64 oz Cokes while posting on the message boards.

11 October 2007
at 4:24 p.m.

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lunacydetector (Anonymous) says…

i'm surprised john edwards isn't having a stump speech since they ran the homeless out last time he was in town. are we sure some democratic contender isn't coming to town? could osama bin bama be venturing to our fair city, the island of mediocrity?
11 October 2007
at 4:44 p.m.

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Ceallach (Anonymous) says…

he does seem to be homeless
11 October 2007
at 6:56 p.m.

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Ragingbear (Anonymous) says…

First of all, the city clears out these zones every 3-4 months. When they do so also depends on how often the police, fire department or the ambulances have to go out there, which is quite often at some times.

Cold weather does play a role. That is because of the last 8 homeless individuals in Kansas to die from exposure, 7 were in Lawrence. This camp site is also the same place where Jeannie Newmoon died trying to get her bike off the tracks. The city goes and clears these places out to help prevent such occurrences. It's needed, and even when I was homeless I supported these types of actions.

What I did NOT support was the day the city failed to make any announcements, waited for the homeless to leave their camps and go to Jubilee Cafe, and then bulldoze their stuff. 2 people were almost seriously hurt because they forgot to check the tents before they started bulldozing. That is the type of stuff I am against.
11 October 2007
at 11:45 p.m.

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situveux1 (Anonymous) says…

Why doesn't the city take the millions it was going to spend on a library and build a shelter instead?

Funny…the most liberal city in the state with one of the largest homeless populations as well. I would have thought liberals were more generous but I guess they're only generous when it comes to someone else's money and time.
12 October 2007
at 5:49 a.m.

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Martin_D_15 (Anonymous) says…

they should give the Nobel Peace Prize to the City of Lawrence for their couragous action against the homeless. maybe algore will share his with the commish.
12 October 2007
at 8:59 a.m.

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Ragingbear (Anonymous) says…

It's not the shelters. It's not the kitchens like LINK or these other places. It's the city's disregard of the whole homeless issue.

In fact, I would say that of the 200+ homeless in this town, that only 30-40 of them are non-Lawrence residents. Meaning that they had an address in Lawrence before they ended up on the street.

As for the other 30-40, they are here because all the others are here. It's a cause and effect loop. Solve the problem instead of trying to ignore it, and our homeless population will all but disappear in a year.
12 October 2007
at 11:20 p.m.

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friend73 (Anonymous) says…

In away, I feel sorry for the homeless. I hope it don't ever happen to me or my family! I don't feel sorry for the ones that don't try but the ones that do. Man Knock em when their down and out.. That would suck! I guess before everyone is so judgemental, remember many people that work their butts off daily are a paycheck away from being those people! I have to say Lawrence isn't getting any smaller, So maybe they need to look into opening a few more or a bigger homeless shelter? Keeps them off the streets? keeps them from theft, Shooting ect.? How ever ya look at it no one wins! Everyone has their thoughts about a homeless person. oo they are nasty drunk drug addicts or they'd have a job or roof over their head. That is not alway's so. You could be sitting at work next to a homeless person and never even no it! So there are many stories behind being homeless. So don't just jump up and say get rid of them, how'd you feel if happened to you?
13 October 2007
at 11:29 a.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

Unless any of you have been homeless or have any idea what it's like, you should probably just lay off them. My guess is their priorities are a little different
than yours.

…
beer cans, stogies, “adult magazines” yeah, I guess they have different priorities. money for nothin' and chicks for free?

13 October 2007
at 4:41 p.m.

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jgragg (Anonymous) says…

My brother is a probabtion officer and he and one of his co-workers went to this homeless camp at 10:00 in the morning to check on one of his clients and he said there was a group of homeless men drinking beer. That seems to be where the handouts are going.
13 October 2007
at 5:02 p.m.

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tangential_reasoners_anonymous (Anonymous) says…

I'm sure that it was “medical” beer.
13 October 2007
at 5:13 p.m.

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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…

giving these people handouts and making them comfortable in their self-distructive homeless lifestyle choice does nothing to help them, and only keeps them dependant, vulnerable and self-distructive!

start now requiring *all houndouts* be tied to positive life choices. the article also shows how the handout system in lawrence *has* attracted out-of-towner bums to our community. not a good thing.
13 October 2007
at 7:15 p.m.

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Uhlrick_Hetfield_III (Anonymous) says…

Late to the show, but the reason many of these folks are homeless is that the ACLU and several other legal advocacy groups worked to expand the rights of the mentally ill, and that also included the say into what kind of treatment, if any, they received. There have been stories in the JW regarding attempts by family members to intercede on behalf of some of these folks to get them into treatment and they have no legal standing to do so.
13 October 2007
at 9:05 p.m.

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none2 (Anonymous) says…

Some of these comments are rather crass & disgusting. Sure there may be some who need to be put in mental institutions. Likewise, there are some good-for-nothing characters that need some tough love. Nevertheless, you have to deal with people on a case by case basis.

I was homeless for about a month back around 1966. My grandpa was a trucker and had collapsed after a haul to Virginia. My grandmother flew out to be with him. A few weeks later my mother & I got in the car and drove from Kansas to Virginia because it was determined that the cancer that they found in my grandpa was inoperable.

When we first got there we stayed with my aunt and uncle for a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, he was a mean violent drunk, so my mother and grandmother decided that we couldn't stay there. The three of us lived in the car for almost a month. My mother parked at Walter Reid where my grandpa was during the day. At night, we parked in the parking lot of Mount Vernon. After about a couple or so weeks, my mother got lucky and someone who spotted us at Mt Vernon let my mother work at Mt Vernon. Within a couple more weeks some man helped us find an affordable apartment in the slums of Alexandria. I remember that there were several nice people along the way that helped us out — such as giving my mother and grandma some pots & pans to cook with. (I was about 6.5 years old, so some of the details aren't as clear as would have been the case if I had been older.) My mother took the civil service exam and ended up with a better paying job as a clerk at some army base, so eventually we were a bit better off.

This wasn't some case of lazy people wanting handouts. Johnson was the president, so the anti-poverty welfare programs were in their infancy. There was no food stamps, no welfare — just the kindness of strangers. This was a simply a situation of a medical emergency where a family was forced to pick up and move. I would hate to think that if similar circumstances happened now-a-days, that such a family (or individual) would be type-casted as lazy, mentally ill, ex-con, or some other undesirable label applied to them.

Please make sure you learn about an individual person's homeless circumstances before writing them off as all being lazy, defective, drug-using, opportunists.
13 October 2007
at 9:31 p.m.

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janeb (Anonymous) says…

hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says:

200plus homeless in Lawrence? REally now and where did those numbers come from. Raging bear is now a statistician.

The practioners panel meets monthly at City Hall. From data supplied by the representatives of said agencies a count is kept. There are actually more homeless in Lawrence than 200, but the 200 are the longterm homeless( those being homeless for more than one year) You may contact City Hall to be provided with the stats on the homeless population.
14 October 2007
at 1:31 a.m.

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Uhlrick_Hetfield_III (Anonymous) says…

None2, I was responding to a comment above that Reagan threw people out of mental institutions and was not suggesting that all homeless people are mentally disturbed. The real opening of the mental institutions came about not through budget cuts but through what were widely considered reform movements within the mental health community. As in all cases of reform one must be able to address the unintended consequences of the reform, and in this case, they have yet to adequately balance patients' rights with the need for treatment.

As for Reagan, I believe one of the myths of his time in office is that he reduced federal spending. I think a quick check would discover that it increased dramatically.
14 October 2007
at 2:26 a.m.

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lounger (Anonymous) says…

I worked in shelters for awile and I can promise you that these camps by the river are cleaner than the shelters ever will be. Sleeping areas in the shelters are not cleaned properly and so on. Some of the homeless people deserve a break. Some are just like you with the exception that they have lost everything. Its a hard balance as what to do but just consider sleeping in a prison. Its akin to some of these shelters. No one is really “safe” no matter what is said. For sure I would chance the river instead of the desease infested shelters.