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I’m not a heavy political person, but I’m quite concerned about the homeless and how it can lower property values. Want to go over this article and see if there is something we can glean from it.
Thoughts/Questions
1. What is the thought process that allows homeless on the streets and on corners? This isn’t something that was widely accepted when I was growing up but seems to be everywhere now.
a. How is it ok for anyone to be living and begging on the streets? It’s not safe for anyone.
b. How is not doing anything about the problem not causing additional ones?
c. What should be done about this issue?
2. Lately, I’ve seen new “coordinator” positions for the homeless. These people get paid many thousands of dollars to dole out funds for the homeless. Does this actually help the homeless? A liaison? What is the motivation to solve this issue when it becomes an entrenched part of government to support employment positions….it appears to be a way to get more $$ into the pockets of the politically well connected?
3. What are we to expect of our local government? Is the safety of the citizenry the top of this list? It can’t possibly be with homeless camps.
3. What are these “common sense” approaches the spokesperson was talking about? In my thoughts, I see a homeless person being asked to leave, and if they do not do so, ticketed. Now, are they every going to be able to pay the ticket? No, they don’t even have an address. But you are trying to apply logic to an illogical situation and it doesn’t work. It’s not common sense to know what to do with the homeless. If it were, it would already be done.
4. From my time in Detroit, I sort of realized that we live in a pretty lawless society…that your real quality of life is very much affected by the people in your community. Laws appear to be a terribly ineffective deterrent to crime. It would appear that people either choose to commit crimes or not, but it has nothing to do with the law. That’s why I don’t see a reason to strengthen laws already on the books…it would seem the political class doesn’t have the fortitude to enforce the laws we have.
5. Does the government have a responsibility to protect property values? It would seem so. The government seems to happily dole out huge sums of cash for infrastructure, roads, bridges, etc. All of these things could help property values. It would also seem that higher property values would raise the taxable base…more money for politicians to dole out to their favored status groups. So why is this particular homeless situation been allowed to occur? Is there more money earmarked for homeless higher than what politicians could receive if they just took care of the infrastructure and property values rose naturally?
6. The discourse in the chat is enlightening. It runs the gamut.
a. Offense: Someone has been to Afghanistan and it isn’t as bad as Salt Lake City
b. Finger Wagging: What would Jesus do?
c. Blame the democrats
d. Spend more money/Spend less money
None of it solves the problem. What is the problem even? It goes from “there are too many homeless allowed to camp in front of business and that causes lifestyle issues” to “we should spend more to help the homeless” Is it possible that we just fix the public vagrancy first and then move to the homeless issue? Or, if you want to fix the homeless issue first and then fix the camping out of the homeless, totally fine. Could we do both at the same time? I don’t see why this has to be as big of an issue politically as it is. Especially, if you actually care about the homeless. These people need help.
7. “We will not let criminal activity go unchecked in our city. To those who say there is lawlessness in Salt Lake City, you are wrong,” …. This statement is a matter of opinion. If there are people sleeping in tents, using drugs and making the park their own toilet, I’m pretty sure that is against the law, and I’m pretty sure it’s absolutely lawlessness.
8. “but their frustration right now would be better directed at solutions to the statewide homelessness issue, including advocacy to our state government for the funding needed to make progress.” … Not really. The issue the citizens are having is with the people using the bathroom and drugs on the sidewalks within the city. It’s not a statewide or even a national problem. As a local citizen, your concerns are local. Leave the state out of it and fix your section of real estate.
9. “Solutions and actions to achieve them are the leadership Mayor Mendenhall has brought to public safety and homelessness in Salt Lake City,” Nikola said. “From convening the U.S. Attorney, Utah Public Safety Commissioner, and U.S. Marshall to help our city get high-impact criminals off the street, to expanding the work of Downtown Ambassadors, increasing pay to top-of-market for all first responders in the capital city, and coordinating with our police department on public safety focus areas within our city, Mayor Mendenhall is a leader who has consistently prioritized the safety of our city’s residents, visitors and business owners.”
None of this has to do with the homeless person camping on the street. Seriously, convening a meeting doesn’t do anything. Classifying homeless as low impact criminals so you don’t have to discuss in the statement doesn’t do anything, increasing the pay of first responders who are already not doing anything about the problem of homelessness isn’t doing anything, and coordinating with the police department on public safety when not getting rid of the homeless campers in front of residences is also not doing anything for the actual homeless person on the street. They are being used as political prisoners…and that is really sick.
10. “Individuals experiencing homelessness need access to resources in order to make long-term and effective change, which is why this administration organized the Community Commitment Program nearly one year ago, convening more than a dozen service providers to meet people where they are at, on the street.”
Does anyone really think that the chronic homeless are going to all of a sudden stop being homeless because you called a meeting of service providers? And, maybe, just maybe, those citizens being affected by the homeless don’t particularly need “long term effective change” from the homeless as much as they need to be able to feel safe walking the streets of their city without fear of stepping in human excrement.
Bottom line: Yes, homelessness is a problem. I believe municipalities have a responsibility to protect their citizens and their property values first, and then they also have a responsibility to try and help those less fortunate…but it should NEVER be to the detriment of those citizens currently living in their community responsibly.
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