Tents On The Beach

VBCity Council -- Tents on the Beach  https://www.13newsnow.com/article/news/local/mycity/virginia-beach/no-tents-on-beach-virginia-beach/291-7751f5e3-115d-4bce-8003-8f0583ac6256

Boise Idaho ordinance struck down by Appellate Court, not reviewed by SCOTUS -- https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/supreme-court-wont-review-homeless-camping-ban-in-idaho/

Lots of veterans in this situation, and there are some mental health issues involved.  That's what happens when you ask someone to go and kill or be killed and then break your promise to take care of them when they come home.  I don't care about the semantics, you all can argue that point.  We broke our promise, and cut these folks loose to fend for themselves.  Nobody wants to hear this, but here is a hard truth: If we still had the draft, and it wasn't able to be gamed by the well to do to keep their kids from serving, I guarantee you we wouldn't be forgetting about the vets.  

We've otherized the homeless.  They're not us, they're something else, and they're something else we'd rather not see.  So, if you could just make sure that we don't have to see them, then we don't have to admit they exist.  Out of sight, out of mind.   That's how you solve the homeless crisis in America!  Forget about it completely!  

There are a lot of things that lead to homelessness, and provided the homeless person is motivated to get off the street a lot of those things are treatable or resolvable.  However, in order to solve the problems that led to a person's homelessness, you must first provide them with shelter and stability.  

"bUt HoW arE we gONNa pAY FoR iT?"  Oh, shut up.  If you have to ask that question you're either not paying attention, or no explanation will suffice.   As of the time I'm writing this, Trump Golf Count says we've spent 114 million so Trump can go play golf 228 times since he took office, and that's the most out front in your face case of wasted taxpayer dollars out there.  I'm absolutely sure that we could pay for affordable transitional housing like the VCP Village in communities all over the country by directing the wasted dollars in the budget towards that project.  Without raising a dime in taxes.  Make it worth the various department's while to line out the waste and reallocate it, and if they come in under budget, reallocate the difference.  You could conceivably provide an incentive for government departments and agencies to do this, if you believe that having a fiduciary duty to the taxpayer is above and beyond a govt agencies job (it's not).  Of course, you can argue about the Trump Tax cut--and we should--because it turns out that GOP tax cuts are even more effective at losing money than actually lighting money on fire.  Basically, I want to compile a list of all the things Wall Street and Bajillionaires say is bad for the economy and do exactly those things, because I have a hunch they're either wrong, or they're lying.  

"ChUrcHes AnD cHARitiES shOUld bE dOING ThiS!"  That's a cop out.  That's saying, "I'm sure someone else donates enough money to take care of this problem."  and every year you turn to your wife and say "Hey, Karen, are there more homeless people panhandling on the medians this year?"  Well, yes there are, and the reason for that is because Churches and Charites aren't the complete answer.  They're part of an answer, and they do good work.  But they can't do it all.  Nor should they.  

https://twitter.com/chadloder/status/1211004325155102720?s=21 Hostile Architecture

Michael Karlik — City Council Chronicles https://councilchronicles.com

VB City Council Meeting 12/10/2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1euRCr4IFQ  Starring Barbara!  (They almost all have Barbara.)