5 ms·

I think the average tech worker is very pro-housing, pro-solving homelessness, but (correctly, IMO) thinks that the existing homeless programs are wasteful and

I think the average tech worker is very pro-housing, pro-solving homelessness, but (correctly, IMO) thinks that the existing homeless programs are wasteful and don't solve the problem with the money they already have, and (understandably) doesn't want to be constantly harassed and assaulted while they walk to the corner store. Or have their kid stab themselves with a used heroin needle while they're taking a walk outside. Or have gibberish screamed at them by someone with drug-induced psychosis while spending fifteen minutes waiting for the bus, etc. These are very unpleasant experiences and it's normal for people to not want them.

randmeerkat 6y ago
I bought homeless people lunches and didn’t consider it being harassed. I didn’t know anyone who had their kid stab themselves on any needle of any sort. The only people that screamed at me were blue collar workers that hated tech workers. The worst experience in SF was the human excrement in the streets and watching it happen, but as I said, it’s amazing such a wealthy area can’t even provide such a basic service as public toilets. Edit: The tech workers that I knew very much so cared about not allowing high density housing to keep their house prices inflated.
- jchallis 6y ago
  Wife works in pediatric infectious diseases in SF. “Community needle stick” is common enough to get its own acronym. They’re the folks that have to make sure junior doesn’t now have Hep A. Super normal.
  - randmeerkat 6y ago
    Wow...
- pb7 6y ago
  What is the point of paying (a fuck load of) taxes if the people who are hired using those taxes don’t do their jobs? Why don’t you blame them? You understand there’s nearly a billion dollars a year that goes to homelessness, right? It’s become a business at this point and the people running it have no interest in solving it because that means the gravy train ends. Ordinary working people can’t and shouldn’t be responsible for every single social problem out there — that’s why we hire people whose jobs it is to do that. Otherwise, hand back the damn tax money and we’ll start figuring it out like you want us to.
- proc0 6y ago
  > it’s amazing such a wealthy area can’t even provide such a basic service as public toilets. That's not really problem. The people needing toilets aren't particularly worried about using one. The root of the problem is sending a message that it won't be enforced, so people literally have no reason not to do it. Amazingly enough, I think last year or the year before, SF announced they wouldn't enforce "quality of life" crimes, which include outside urination and defecation. Naturally this will be noticed by those doing it, and eventually it allows people outside to gather in large groups because they don't have to worry about how to relieve themselves. Finding a toilet isn't impossible, but it does require holding yourself until you do find one. For people with no home, this is extra work, but we should all agree is extra work they should be forced to do, instead of treating them like animals with no agency of their own, and pretending somehow the problem doesn't include their decisions and the authorities' incentives.
  - saagarjha 6y ago
    Finding a toilet can be difficult if you are homeless…
mbg721 6y ago
At arm's length, you're also describing the average middle-class midwestern conservative, except we rely on religious organizations, there's winter here, and the harassment isn't allowed to get that bad.

randmeerkat 6y ago

I bought homeless people lunches and didn’t consider it being harassed. I didn’t know anyone who had their kid stab themselves on any needle of any sort. The only people that screamed at me were blue collar workers that hated tech workers. The worst experience in SF was the human excrement in the streets and watching it happen, but as I said, it’s amazing such a wealthy area can’t even provide such a basic service as public toilets. Edit: The tech workers that I knew very much so cared about not allowing high density housing to keep their house prices inflated.

jchallis 6y ago
Wife works in pediatric infectious diseases in SF. “Community needle stick” is common enough to get its own acronym. They’re the folks that have to make sure junior doesn’t now have Hep A. Super normal.
- randmeerkat 6y ago
  Wow...
pb7 6y ago
What is the point of paying (a fuck load of) taxes if the people who are hired using those taxes don’t do their jobs? Why don’t you blame them? You understand there’s nearly a billion dollars a year that goes to homelessness, right? It’s become a business at this point and the people running it have no interest in solving it because that means the gravy train ends. Ordinary working people can’t and shouldn’t be responsible for every single social problem out there — that’s why we hire people whose jobs it is to do that. Otherwise, hand back the damn tax money and we’ll start figuring it out like you want us to.
proc0 6y ago
> it’s amazing such a wealthy area can’t even provide such a basic service as public toilets. That's not really problem. The people needing toilets aren't particularly worried about using one. The root of the problem is sending a message that it won't be enforced, so people literally have no reason not to do it. Amazingly enough, I think last year or the year before, SF announced they wouldn't enforce "quality of life" crimes, which include outside urination and defecation. Naturally this will be noticed by those doing it, and eventually it allows people outside to gather in large groups because they don't have to worry about how to relieve themselves. Finding a toilet isn't impossible, but it does require holding yourself until you do find one. For people with no home, this is extra work, but we should all agree is extra work they should be forced to do, instead of treating them like animals with no agency of their own, and pretending somehow the problem doesn't include their decisions and the authorities' incentives.
- saagarjha 6y ago
  Finding a toilet can be difficult if you are homeless…

mbg721 6y ago

At arm's length, you're also describing the average middle-class midwestern conservative, except we rely on religious organizations, there's winter here, and the harassment isn't allowed to get that bad.