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Who's spending their weekends in Monterey? I never said there wasn't any reason for conflict. I can see how feces and needles in the street might engender momen

Who's spending their weekends in Monterey? I never said there wasn't any reason for conflict. I can see how feces and needles in the street might engender momentary disgust. But a brief comparative examination of one's lot in life should be enough to turn that disgust toward pity and gratitude rather than contempt. But the persistent pattern has been to use prisons and jails for the homeless until there is an outcry. Then there is a cessation of incarceration and a turning into the streets. This is followed by conflict from homeless and homes cohabitating. Once frustration builds to a fever we return to authoritarian treatment of the homeless. All the while it remains unacceptable to try any other remedy because they might engender moral hazard or encourage immoral behavior. Our society is like the man who repeatedly trips over his shoe laces because he cannot learn to tie his shoes but who refuses velcro on the principle that he ought to be able to learn to tie them.

Aunche 6y ago
Weekends in Monterey was hyperbole. My point is that younger professionals (which I assume is most of the audience of HN) have more options for leisure than most. They can relax in their luxury apartment, work out at Equinox, socialize in the office break rooms, take a day trip, etc. It's not a big deal if you need to watch the ground for poop occasionally. If you're a cook who wants to take a break from your 6 flatmates by taking a walk outside, a clean sidewalk is a much bigger deal. When you hear liberals are spending more money every year on the homeless and you see more needles on ground. Of course, you're going to harbor some resentment towards the homeless, even if you rationally know it's not their fault. It's not that they're simply ignorant or lack empathy. You raise a good point about the cycle of homelessness policy though.

Aunche 6y ago

Weekends in Monterey was hyperbole. My point is that younger professionals (which I assume is most of the audience of HN) have more options for leisure than most. They can relax in their luxury apartment, work out at Equinox, socialize in the office break rooms, take a day trip, etc. It's not a big deal if you need to watch the ground for poop occasionally. If you're a cook who wants to take a break from your 6 flatmates by taking a walk outside, a clean sidewalk is a much bigger deal. When you hear liberals are spending more money every year on the homeless and you see more needles on ground. Of course, you're going to harbor some resentment towards the homeless, even if you rationally know it's not their fault. It's not that they're simply ignorant or lack empathy. You raise a good point about the cycle of homelessness policy though.