bums camping under freeways???

[yel911]

In the town I live in, people standing at intersections with signs reading "3 kids no job..." etc are more and more. One intersection actually has 3 people sharing traffic. Funny thing is, some have a nice backpack hiding behind the street pole. One person had a large ice coffee by his feet. Whatever their issue is, I tell my kids that if they can stand there all day, they can work.

[ckelly78z]

Originally Posted by yel911

I, I tell my kids that if they can stand there all day, they can work.

BINGO, I guess with all the things that I have been through in my life and survived, cancer, heart failure, car accidents, and blood clots, I still get up every morning and go to work, and keep the farm going when i'm not at work. I don't have a lot of empathy for those that refuse to try. If these people can stand out in freezing temps begging for help, they can volunteer at a soup kitchen for meals, or help the elderly with yard work for a few bucks. The ones that are living under overpasses are the ones who won't try, sorry, my money is staying in my pocket for a good cause.

[gacook]

Originally Posted by yel911

In the town I live in, people standing at intersections with signs reading "3 kids no job..." etc are more and more. One intersection actually has 3 people sharing traffic. Funny thing is, some have a nice backpack hiding behind the street pole. One person had a large ice coffee by his feet. Whatever their issue is, I tell my kids that if they can stand there all day, they can work.

My sympathy for these people died when I was very young. Though I know some truly are hard on their luck, have problems, etc...too many are lazy scammers.

My father owned a roofing company. During the summers, I often worked for him (cleaning up after the crews doing the actual roofing work, as insurance wouldn't allow me on the roof of a jobsite until I was 18). Anyway...one day, we were heading home from work, and we stopped at a traffic light where a guy was standing with a "Will work for food" sign. My dad's company was swamped with business at the time (right after monsoon season), so he needed people. He rolled down the window and offered the guy a job right there on the spot. The guy's response to my father's generosity? "No thanks, I make too much money doing this."

Because of that, I have never given a dime to any of them. If I see somebody selling newspapers who looks like a bum, I'll buy a paper off them and give them a few extra bucks as a "tip" because at least they're DOING something; not just standing there with their hand out.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by yel911

In the town I live in, people standing at intersections with signs reading "3 kids no job..." etc are more and more. One intersection actually has 3 people sharing traffic. Funny thing is, some have a nice backpack hiding behind the street pole. One person had a large ice coffee by his feet. Whatever their issue is, I tell my kids that if they can stand there all day, they can work.

Most of those folks seem to have a cigarette hanging out of their mouth. They have money for a smoke and some Starbucks coffee and but none left for the family.

[Geary]

Other way around for me. In the past, it was easier for me to lump them all into one category. But with the numbers skyrocketing (now seeing local families where it used to be only transient males), it's pretty obvious that we need to look deeper at the problem, and make a difference where we can. Sure, discernment should be used. Most of us can identify con artist panhandlers.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

One of my friends grew up in a family with 6 brothers and two sisters. Her dad was an FBI agent. They had the typical loving home every kid deserves. All of her siblings were good students and had went to college and have good jobs except one of her brothers. He was the second youngest of the boys. At age 18 he left home and disappeared. They did not hear anything from him for over 20 years.

Even though the dad was an FBI agent it was illegal for him to look for his son with FBI channels so he would could not look. The dad had met a few good private detectives and hired one of them to see if they could find the missing son. He had moved to Seattle, changed his name and was a day laborer or street person. He had no interest in contacting the family and they left him alone. They have no idea what is going on with him.

just from reading this, I have to agree with those ROTC instructors. People are messed up because they want it that way.

This was way back in high school, my Dad and I were having lunch at one of the local fast food joints downtown. A pan handler came up to us and ask for money so he can get some food. We gave him our meal because it was still in wrapped. He turned and throw it out in the trash and start yelling at us and demanded money. from that day on, they are't getting any of my money. I work way too hard for it.

[bmcuscgr94]

Latest on homeless where I work.

Milpas On The Move: Homeless Count Results Revealed


Interesting quote:

For the veterans, the news is pretty dire. They have spent the longest time on the streets, and 66.4% have some sort of mental health diagnosis, with 51.8% reporting PTSD. They were found more often in the street than in shelters. The Veteran’s Administration has been under quite a bit of fire in the national media for poor treatment of veterans, though our experience of them in the Milpas Outreach Project is strong responsiveness to serving homeless veterans we’re working with.

[afterburn 549]

Walk a mile in their shoes-
I do not know what the latest Scams are doing to the current Vets returning.
But like i said, this is what they did to the Viet Vet vets!

Injustice Exposed: The Secret Code on Veteran's DD214

Video - Veteran's DD214 SPNumber ~ A secret Code that Harms Vets

You can look up hundreds of accts and information on this.

It was No coincidence that this code existed and was only know to BIG employers.(till recently )
Who told these companies to look for the code?
The Vets had to wonder why they did not get hired.
What kind of inside govt job was this and why?
It was not a mistake to derail them into the trash !
Imagine a Honorable Discharge Paper with a secret code in it that said incriminating things for NO reason!
I can only think it was to shut them up and kill them slowly.
What is the Govt doing today to shut them up besides out right killing them at the VA?

[gacook]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

Walk a mile in their shoes-
I do not know what the latest Scams are doing to the current Vets returning.
But like i said, this is what they did to the Viet Vet vets!

Injustice Exposed: The Secret Code on Veteran's DD214

Video - Veteran's DD214 SPNumber ~ A secret Code that Harms Vets

You can look up hundreds of accts and information on this.

It was No coincidence that this code existed and was only know to BIG employers.(till recently )
Who told these companies to look for the code?
The Vets had to wonder why they did not get hired.
What kind of inside govt job was this and why?
It was not a mistake to derail them into the trash !
Imagine a Honorable Discharge Paper with a secret code in it that said incriminating things for NO reason!
I can only think it was to shut them up and kill them slowly.
What is the Govt doing today to shut them up besides out right killing them at the VA?

This is strange, and wrong if true; however, have you ever had an employer ask to see your DD214? Aside from the federal government (whom I currently work for), no other employer has ever asked to see my DD214...

[afterburn 549]

OH its true !
Its part of the resume package if you are a young man.
When i went to work for lear Fan they wanted to see it (DD214)
So, if one is looking for a bigger better job like Govt stuff or related its a very helpful.
It was a esp held valuable in the 60s and 70s
Maybe not so much anymore....
My point-what is the govt doing to them now?
We will know in about 20 years....

[fintstone]

Military listed/lists Mil Sep Code on the DD214 for their own (and federal) purposes...for example to indicate ineligibility to return/reenlist (could be honorable, but homosexual, pregnant, responsible for children, etc). Although the codes were not specifically released to the public, they were/are readily obtainable. The meaning of more current codes are a little better kept private...but still available.

[fintstone]

If you want to decode your DD214 Mil Sep Code:
Military Separation Codes

[afterburn 549]

The problem was / is afaik , lots got a label for no real reason.
No trial, no warning, just guilty.

[fintstone]

Yep. Purely administrative if a good discharge.

[afterburn 549]

I guess we are not on the same thought.
A soldier could have a Hon discharge and still have a code that says he is unworthy.
No one knew about this code till about ten years ago ( I guess)

[fintstone]

Yes. They could have an unflattering code and still get an honorable discharge. It was purely administrative (not necessarily a trial or charges)
Folks knew about the codes that used them (in the military/fed service)...but most other folks did not pre internet.

[afterburn 549]

Its not right to treat people that way..
Pretty sad.

[Tobra]

The economy has been bad an gotten much worse the last few years. I have had a few experiences where I offered one of those guys jobs and they looked at me like I just offered them a case of the clap

I keep food in the car to give them, no money. California has great weather and great bennies for the welfare cases, no wonder at all that things look like they do here.

[dondarnell]

Originally Posted by rcooled

The 'Urban Outdoorsmen' around here benefit from an unusually large number of non-profits started by people who've discovered that running one of these is much better than actually working for a living. The homeless are a growth industry in my community, with agencies practically tripping over each other to provide services for them. Many locals aren't happy with this situation, claiming that it's just attracting druggies, burnouts, petty thieves and other losers to the area. Stats are taken here too, and to no one's surprise, the vast majority of homeless surveyed claim to be born right here in town
Of course, the stats are taken by the very same people who are providing all the services, and they certainly don't want to see their gravy train get derailed by a public outcry about attracting all these outsiders with too many handouts.

As far as the number of homeless vets is concerned, the military simply isn't the same ever since the draft was discontinued. I believe that joining the military has become a last resort for many people who were pretty marginal to begin with. A stint in the service keeps them off the street for a few years, but after that, they're back to being lost in the ozone again.

I'll give you the benefit the doubt that you're not a dick, but that you just don't know ****. I'm a veteran. Enlisted out of high school. People now call me counselor, and many of my veteran friends are more accomplished than I. We would love to introduce you to our marginal ways.