I thought we already had the constitution?

[GotSmart]

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2015/04/16/3647729/colorado-homeless-bill-of-rights/

Apparently there needs to be more laws that tell the public servants who is a member of the public.  As vandwellers, we are not harassed by the police as much because they are busy with those that do not have the funds to have a rolling home. This is a good read.

It is not my purpose to attack any political entity, but try to open minds to the humanity of others.  This is posted to show what people are thinking.

 

[mockturtle]

Why do so many of the homeless smoke? How can they afford it?

 

[GotSmart]

It is a cheap high for those who are depressed.

 

[wagm]

Why do so many of the homeless smoke?  How can they afford it?

Perhaps they grow their own stuff :dodgy:

Warren n Spook the wander dog

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Why do so many of the homeless smoke?  How can they afford it?

that is how you end up homeless, by making bad choices.

 

[compassrose]

In Cleveland TN (Bradley County), everyone who was using the same mailing service got dumped off the voter rolls (including me) because we didn't have a "legal" address (despite the state of TN saying it was legal) YET the homeless could call a park bench "home" and it was accepted as "legal". Needless to say some of the people who got dumped off the voter rolls contacted a lawyer who filed a class action suit against Bradley County. Downside is I had a hassle every time I needed to renew my tags or driver's license. So it's not that they target the homeless. They just have to pick on someone.

 

[akrvbob]

A fairly large number of the homeless suffer from mental illness and have no choice in the matter--it's an accident of birth. Cigarettes are a surprisingly effective form of self-medication for many of them. Certainly far better than drugs or alcohol.

I fully support the bill and just wish it could be made a federal law.
Bob

 

[RobBob]

Yes, Bob, many of the mentally ill, particularly schizophrenics, do find smoking to be therapeutic for their mental health problems.

It is tragic that there would need to be special legislation to protect the rights of the homeless when this is already covered in the Constitution.  If social problems were handled at the local level and paid for by tax monies that were retained by towns and counties rather than being siphoned off by the many levels of federal bureaucracy, inexpensive, creative, and compassionate solutions could be found to help those who find themselves in dire straits.

RobBob

 

[LeeRevell]

If you buck the norm, norm bucks back. Basically the PTB see van dwellers as trying to get out from under their thumb. Those who crave power hate that...... nuff said.

 

[ccbreder]

The answer is not permission to sleep on the sidewalk. Needed are more and better housing, shelter, medical and counseling services.

 

[GotSmart]

This is the last paragraph of the article.

"Some of the bills have been predicated on the idea that it’s not just a more humane approach, but a more cost-effective one. And cities and states have found that housing the homeless, rather than leaving them outside to have interactions with the police and rely on emergency medical care, saves tens of thousands to even millions."

I have a brother who has epilepsy. (He fell out of a tree on his head at 15.) He is in his own little apartment in Eugene. He lives in a downtown building run by The Salvation Army, with 24 hour care givers.

When he lived on his own, he was constantly falling and needing emergency care. Now that there is someone that can remind him to use his walker or assist him to the public transportation he has not needed emergency services for several years. He is also helping by volunteering as he can, and when he can.

 

[mockturtle]

The need for effective mental health treatment in this country is critical. And not just treatment but housing, as well. People with mental illness who live on the street are extremely vulnerable. IMHO, this is where the focus should be.

BTW, I don't spend as much on food per day as a pack of cigarettes costs.

 

[GotSmart]

The need for effective mental health treatment in this country is critical.  And not just treatment but housing, as well.  People with mental illness who live on the street are extremely vulnerable.  IMHO, this is where the focus should be.

BTW, I don't spend as much on food per day as a pack of cigarettes costs.

Most of the street people I have seen roll their own smoke, as opposed to packs.  For less than the cost of one pack (20 smokes) they can get enough to roll about 50 smokes. 

http://www.cockeyed.com/inside/tobacco/tobacco.html

If the politicians agreed with you, we would be in much better shape.  The reality is that one gaudy building (new or old) makes much better press than 100 people removed from the streets.

The label FORGOTTEN PEOPLE is still accurate today.  

People do not want to think about someone that is not as well off as they are. Or they are too busy surviving to think about helping. 

We have had some excellent threads on pan handlers, but they were locked after most of the best posts were removed. Something needs to be done, and it starts with each one of us.  

 

[LeeRevell]

One of the core problems is when society perceives all who live in RVs, vans and cars as 'homeless' and in need of 'shelter', even if it must be forced upon them. It is a very narrow mindset, and does far more harm than good.

 

[GotSmart]

I think I mentioned this before.

I had a friend "Acid Ted" who, due to a mistake when he was 15, lost his cognition at random times. He had an IQ of around 140 before he dropped acid through his eyes.

Anyway, Ted was released into the general public when Ronald Regan emptied the California mental wards in 1972.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanterman–Petris–Short_Act

I found Ted one day in the mid 1980's, took him home and sent him in to shower. I burned his cloths (infested!) and gave him new stuff as we were the same size. I set him up with a pack with clean clothing and food.

He lost it within two hours. His mind slipped a cog, and he set it down and left it somewhere. He needed care but due to the law all he had to do was say "NO" and he would be let go.

What to do?

Are we crazy for wanting to sit in a desert where it is warm in the winter?

 

[mockturtle]

I wouldn't blame Reagan. The late 1960's ushered in a series of legal [largely influenced by the ACLU], professional and political decisions that, under the guise of civil rights for the mentally ill, resulted in failure to properly treat and protect them. Everyone realizes the mistakes now but the funding is supposedly inadequate to reverse them. I say that's BS considering the crap we waste our tax dollars on.

 

[vanman2300]

I find the thinking behind this article the most disturbing. If our country operates under the premise we are all equal then the law should not be needed. However, I believe in the saying that all are equal except some are more equal than others... So unfortunately the law becomes necessary to maintain the rights that already technically exist for the homeless.

 

[GotSmart]

I find the thinking behind this article the most disturbing. If our country operates under the premise we are all equal then the law should not be needed. However, I believe in the saying that all are equal except some are more equal than others... So unfortunately the law becomes necessary to maintain the rights that already technically exist for the homeless.

More laws to clarify the ones we already have.  

 

[GotSmart]

Here is another angle on the solution. (Do not focus on the problem)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...lved-chronic-homelessness-and-saved-millions/

 

[mockturtle]

'Giving homes to the homeless' isn't always the solution. In a Seattle survey when I lived there, nearly half of the homeless interviewed stated they do not want a house or even an apartment. Some who were given apartments left them and went back to the street. If someone offered me a house right now, I wouldn't take it. I have my home on wheels. A lot of people are homeless by choice. This does not include the mentally ill!