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Well, you're part of the city. What would you vote for to improve the situation for homeless and non-homeless people?

lotsofpulp 6y ago
There’s nothing a city (or state) can do that will not result in higher and higher expenses from other cities (or states) sending you their homeless. It’s the same problem as providing healthcare (or even just mental healthcare). In the absence of federal action, the solution thus far has been to use police to harass homeless and keep them moving along or sequestered in certain areas, or to live in suburbs that you need cars to survive in.
- cletus 6y ago
  Not sure why you’re being downvoted because you raise a valid point: cities often “solve” their homeless problem by shipping their homeless to other cities. After all, a bus ticket is cheaper than providing shelter. Cities that are extremely homeless friendly find themselves with an influx both organically (some choose to relocate themselves) and from other cities. This is an issue in Portland and SF, to name just two. Note: I’m not advocating ignoring or not helping the homeless. It’s just a difficult problem.
- brailsafe 6y ago
  This was my thought when reading the parent's comment, though I was curious if they had a particular idea in mind at the city level. It seems like everyone shits on the city, and sometimes rightfully so, but cities ideally function as high-bandwidth/low-latency diverse economic regions where space is consequently at a premium. It seems like there's not a lot of margin within that system if a bunch of people fall outside of that (or are literally shipped in) the nature of the city would have to evolve to solve an intractable problem on its own. Maybe they even make some headway for a while, now the streets are empty and some other cities decide they can start shipping their homeless again.
alexashka 6y ago
Legalize drugs, prostitution and all other vices that prop up organized crime. People who can't contribute within a city, need to be sorted and moved to places where they can contribute in some basic capacity, as simple as working in a grocery store part time in a small town. It doesn't cost hardly anything to have a small apartment in a small town and have food, a community and a good simple life. Everyone needs to either contribute, or receive a subsidy from someone who is currently contributing. Society works when people work to make society work. People seem to have lost sight of that.

There’s nothing a city (or state) can do that will not result in higher and higher expenses from other cities (or states) sending you their homeless. It’s the same problem as providing healthcare (or even just mental healthcare). In the absence of federal action, the solution thus far has been to use police to harass homeless and keep them moving along or sequestered in certain areas, or to live in suburbs that you need cars to survive in.

cletus 6y ago
Not sure why you’re being downvoted because you raise a valid point: cities often “solve” their homeless problem by shipping their homeless to other cities. After all, a bus ticket is cheaper than providing shelter. Cities that are extremely homeless friendly find themselves with an influx both organically (some choose to relocate themselves) and from other cities. This is an issue in Portland and SF, to name just two. Note: I’m not advocating ignoring or not helping the homeless. It’s just a difficult problem.
brailsafe 6y ago
This was my thought when reading the parent's comment, though I was curious if they had a particular idea in mind at the city level. It seems like everyone shits on the city, and sometimes rightfully so, but cities ideally function as high-bandwidth/low-latency diverse economic regions where space is consequently at a premium. It seems like there's not a lot of margin within that system if a bunch of people fall outside of that (or are literally shipped in) the nature of the city would have to evolve to solve an intractable problem on its own. Maybe they even make some headway for a while, now the streets are empty and some other cities decide they can start shipping their homeless again.

alexashka 6y ago

Legalize drugs, prostitution and all other vices that prop up organized crime. People who can't contribute within a city, need to be sorted and moved to places where they can contribute in some basic capacity, as simple as working in a grocery store part time in a small town. It doesn't cost hardly anything to have a small apartment in a small town and have food, a community and a good simple life. Everyone needs to either contribute, or receive a subsidy from someone who is currently contributing. Society works when people work to make society work. People seem to have lost sight of that.