The factory production side of the place I work for, is advertising for Summer help (hoping to attract college students) to a hot, fast paced environment, making $17.00 an hour plus weekend overtime. This is the best way to determine if you can handle it, and are willing to work into a full time position making $20 an hour. They are down 30 people per shift, and can't find anyone who can pass a drug test, or handle the conditions I endured for 15 years with failing health...(cancer/heart failure).

This problem very well could be a mental health issue, but more likely a lack of desire for any resposability in life. I have a farmer's work ethic, and find that not many others do.

In my younger years I thought I was going to change the world, one homeless or under privileged person at a time.
After getting burned and seeing my friends and others get burned too, and after getting threatened with a knife while trying to deliver food to the mission, I filed empathy away between sheet and syphilis in the dictionary.

Its still a popular topic at parties tho

This is a key point in this discussion. In the small city where I live (pop. ≈65K), the homeless have become a growth industry. A recent "Resource Fair" for connecting people in need with available services attracted over forty non-profits that focus on the homeless. These organizations are funneling a nice chunk of federal, state and county money into the area and city leaders don't want to see that revenue stream diminished by efforts aimed at reducing the number of homeless. In fact, the city council even recruited a new liberal police chief who rescinded the city's camping ban and allowed a homeless encampment to spring up in the city's main downtown park.
The vast majority of transients come here from less-tolerant, or less-hospitable, places to take advantage of the mild weather, the plethora of free services and the 'laissez-faire' policy of local law enforcement. This 'more-the-merrier' attitude keeps the homeless coming, their numbers keep money flowing to the non-profits, who, in turn, employ people who then pay taxes and support local businesses.
So, the bottom line is, no one wants to kill the goose that's laying golden eggs.

Well, one upside of hot summers, cold winters, sometimes harsh weather, and conservative social politics is that the homeless situation in most midwestern cities is nothing compared to what the west coast folks endure.

As the exception that proves the rule, Anchorage Alaska is going through a **** storm of homelessness and petty crime. A couple years ago they elected a democrat mayor and began a catch and release policy for minor offenses.

It could not have been more predictable.

I run past some encampments on my bike commute. They are sleeping when I pass in the morning and they are not back "home" by evening. How hard is it to run past 100 yards of encampment? It would not bother me, unless there was a health risk ...

I would start calling the city and get them to clear it up. They usually move them around until they end up in an area that is not disturbing anyone.

G

There is a health risk
The ones with signs like that are looking for handouts, not work.

Heard same in Akron.

More like $9.00 per hour but that's $72 per day. $1,440 per month which gets you a little stink ass apartment. Which ain't bad if you got nuttin. Wife/hoe can walk to work to Little John's pizza to get you Internet and Netflix.

No booze or drugs, though.

This is the problem. A bag of smokes per day. $10 for cheap beer. $16 total times thirty. $480. Whatever crack costs. Double the smokes if on crack.

At least you are skinny.

Liberal West Coast city governments would never go for that approach.

Thinking that any reasonable number of homeless will just get up off their asses and find a job if the freebees dry up is being a bit too optimistic. In addition to drug/alcohol problems and mental illness, many of these folks have little education, no real job skills, and no work ethic. This is why they're homeless to begin with. Most will never, ever become self-sufficient, despite the number of taxpayer-funded programs designed to help make them so.

Social workers say that many of today's homeless came out of the foster care system. Instead of just throwing money at this problem after the fact, It would be good to see some energy directed at keeping people from becoming homeless in the first place. Let's face it, the marketing/advertising industry in this country could probably sell snow shovels in Miami if they wanted to. How about a partnership with both federal and local governments that would use conventional and social media to sell the general public on the concept of responsible parenthood?

The puddles. It’s the puddles. I’m not sure it’s water.

^crazy talk right there!

I know that there’s no chance of a rational dialogue around this, but I always find it ironic that society required licenses for driving and firearm ownership in most places, because its considered a responsibility and a “privilege” rather than a “right” while no such licensing is required for bringing a child into the world which is arguably the greatest responsibility a human being can take.

It’s a slippery slope conversation, but I agree it’s a damn shame that anyone can pop out kids.

This hits at my point about seeing generations of folks on public assistance. I also worked at a home for kids in the foster care system. The long term issue is dealing somehow with folks who keep reproducing who can't take care of themselves let alone kids. Idiocracy coming true. How is that addressed? Incentives to go on long term birth control? My daughter recently adopted a rescue dog through a "boutique" rescue in Seattle that brings dogs in from high kill areas like Texas. The hoops they jumped through to get approved as dog parents boggle the mind yet having a human baby is a right no one can intervene in.....

Two key points in reviewing this discussion is the lack of motivation as a generational curse. IE: growing up and depending on Federal / State assistance. Also missing is the work ethic instilled by growing up on a farm, or other hard means of survival. Its something for me that I completely identify with - its a generational...blessing.

I understand that in modern times, successful people come from all types of backgrounds. At an early age kids will learn one way or the wrong way from their environment. From my experiences, like SammyG - lots of things very difficult to overcome in helping someone who won't help themselves.

One problem with those involved in the system is that they have no concept of productive pursuits. To them scoring another benefit from the system is perceived as a productive achievement.

I was finishing up a nice dinner at a local downtown restaurant. Standing in the parking lot talking to the others in the group we met a "homeless" man approached us and asked for a handout. One of the guys had his leftovers and offered it to the guy. He refused the food, he just needed some cash to get some gas. Yea right.

One of the other guys in our group pointed down a street and told him the Catholic Charities are just 6 blocks that way and they will put him up for the night and feed him. I pointed down another street and said the Jesus house is 4 blocks that way. Another member told him he just walked past another charity back down the road he had just come down. The (bum) homeless guy just started cussing as us but he pushed his bike down the road and left.

For adoption of a child it is fairly rigorous, not the case for squirting out a child.

What sort of kids are now growing up on the South side of Chicago, where, not only rampant federal assistance exists, lazy baby mamas, absent/stoned parents, gun weilding gangs looking to recruit, and no-go zones for the cops.....what an utter liberal minded failure, that no one will own, or be able to fix without massive intervention.

Farm work ethic is a relic of the past, that fortunately, I have instilled in my son, but even amounst his local freinds, he is a rare breed. No one is willing to actually do manual labor, and soil their hands anymore.

Chris King makes great hubs.

Here's a story from when I worked with the welfare crowd. There was a lady who was about my age at the time. She had a fourth grade education level and cursed like a truck driver (I really have nothing against truck drivers). She had had TEN KIDS. For years she had received cash benefits for the kids (about $350/month at the time) and herself along with complete medical coverage, clothing allowances, and all the other accompanying benefits. She had never held a job, completed school, or any vocational training. One day she was lamenting to me that her last kid would turn 18 shortly, & she wouldn't be getting any more money for him. She didn't get the irony when I commented to her, "Don't worry, I'm sure one of your kids will take you in and take care of you."