San Trancisco gives free tents to homeless. Each tent costs $61,000!!!!

[Legion]

Simple fact Brietfart left out, “average per night cost of $190 is $82 dollars less than what the city pays to shelter someone in the homeless hotel program”

Simple fact Anchovies left out: But unlike the hotel program, the tent sites are not eligible for federal reimbursement.

Poor Anchovies.

[Nomad]

I'm not really buying your argument for several reasons. Now I know you're a Florida guy but even you must be aware SF is one of the most liberal cities in the country. This isn't a hot bed of right-wing Christianity.

An argument can be made that if people want to live on the streets with mental illness and drug problems that should be their right. It's a very Libertarian argument but its an argument people have definitely put forth.

But I don't buy that to be a good Christian you have to support higher taxes and have the gov't distribute the money as they feel appropriate to get themselves re-elected. To each his own of course but I'm not familiar with too many people who walk around the City saying 'this is really compassionate and they've done a great job with all the money they are spending on the homeless'.

And again, this isn't your fault since you're not here, my guess is people who don't live here and see this on a daily basis don't truly comprehend how bad it is. Those who live here internalize it. It's the tourists who it really shocks.

I've been pretty good friends with a guy on another forum who moved to SF from New Jersey back in the early 80's and lived there for 20 years in the Haight Ashbury section, before moving to Sacramento in the early 00's.

He was a part time doorman at a well known 80's comedy club and knew people like Robin Williams and Paula Poundstone.

He is also a far right conservative and partially attributes living in SF for his becoming that way.

But he's told me countless stories about the things he saw and experienced while living out there.

I still don't buy most of his politics, even though I'm not a far left, progressive type myself.

As for being a good Christian and not supporting higher taxes to pay for helping the homeless.... there comes a poin where one has to take a practical approach to it.

If the government does not address the problem and use tax dollars to do so, relying on people's consciences and charity to do it, will result in next to nothing.

From a purely practical standpoint, the only way the problem will ever be addressed and an attempt made to improve the situation, is for the government to mandate it, collect taxes and use the money for that purpose.

Good Christians may not have to agree that it is the best way if they have a better solution, but neither may they gripe, complain and hate or resent the government for attempting to address the issue.

If one hates the government for helping the homeless based solely on their taxes being used, then they are putting money ahead of human compassion and that is as unChristian as one can get.

[Nomad]

The issue here isn't really weed. It's the hard stuff. We had more people die of OD'ing in the City than COVID. We have a huge problem.

Yes.

I agree 100%.

Decriminalize weed an other hard drugs but make mandatory counselling and treatment part of the deal.

[Legion]

I've been pretty good friends with a guy on another forum who moved to SF from New Jersey back in the early 80's and lived there for 20 years in the Haight Ashbury section, before moving to Sacramento in the early 00's. He was a part time doorman at a well known 80's comedy club and knew people like Robin Williams and Paula Poundstone. He is also a far right conservative and partially attributes living in SF for his becoming that way. But he's told me countless stories about the things he saw and experienced while living out there.

[Legion]

Decriminalize weed an other hard drugs but make mandatory counselling and treatment part of the deal.

You also can't force people to "improve" their lives by forcing them to conform to what society's standard of "normal" is.

[cawacko]

Imagine if some of these posters here had to spend time in the Tenderloin

Two things would happen I imagine.

1) They would be shocked to see it and that the City allows this to occur

and

2) They would be shocked you have to pay $2,500/mnth for one bedroom apt with all this occurring outside your front door

[Doc Dutch]

Just your standard democrat corruption. Every democrat who voted for this will get a huge kickback from the company that supplies these tents.

The problem was driven by Trump's fucking up the COVID response as the source article clearly states: https://www.sfchronicle.com/local/ar...d15c7b08162233

[cawacko]

I've been pretty good friends with a guy on another forum who moved to SF from New Jersey back in the early 80's and lived there for 20 years in the Haight Ashbury section, before moving to Sacramento in the early 00's.

He was a part time doorman at a well known 80's comedy club and knew people like Robin Williams and Paula Poundstone.

He is also a far right conservative and partially attributes living in SF for his becoming that way.

But he's told me countless stories about the things he saw and experienced while living out there.

I still don't buy most of his politics, even though I'm not a far left, progressive type myself.

As for being a good Christian and not supporting higher taxes to pay for helping the homeless.... there comes a poin where one has to take a practical approach to it.

If the government does not address the problem and use tax dollars to do so, relying on people's consciences and charity to do it, will result in next to nothing.

From a purely practical standpoint, the only way the problem will ever be addressed and an attempt made to improve the situation, is for the government to mandate it, collect taxes and use the money for that purpose.

Good Christians may not have to agree that it is the best way if they have a better solution, but neither may they gripe, complain and hate or resent the government for attempting to address the issue.

If one hates the government for helping the homeless based solely on their taxes being used, then they are putting money ahead of human compassion and that is as unChristian as one can get.

Interesting story about your friend and I don't think it's totally uncommon. Neither my folks and sister are right-wingers. None of them voted for Trump. But listen to them talk about San Francisco politics and you'd think they were on the right. (I'm sure there are similar stories for some one growing up in an uber conservative town).

If I can offer a perspective from someone who has lived here a long time. We have raised taxes and voted for bond measures multiple times over the years to address the homeless issue and it has not improved at all. At a certain when they come back to you and say 'we are going to raise taxes again to address homeless' it's understandable (to me at least) that people show skepticism.

We've tried the same thing over and over. We need a different approach.

[cawacko]

Yes.

I agree 100%.

Decriminalize weed an other hard drugs but make mandatory counselling and treatment part of the deal.

I agree but I still struggle with the street drug dealers who stand in the open on a daily basis selling their stuff. They get arrested but nothing happens and they're back on the block. It goes back to the conundrum referenced earlier.

[reagansghost]

a SF bash, no mention of Portland or Seattle?

[Blackwater Lunchbreak]

Just your standard democrat corruption. Every democrat who voted for this will get a huge kickback from the company that supplies these tents.

why do you hate capitalism?

[reagansghost]

I agree but I still struggle with the street drug dealers who stand in the open on a daily basis selling their stuff. They get arrested but nothing happens and they're back on the block. It goes back to the conundrum referenced earlier.

move to a better neighborhood stupid

[Doc Dutch]

Interesting story about your friend and I don't think it's totally uncommon. Neither my folks and sister are right-wingers. None of them voted for Trump. But listen to them talk about San Francisco politics and you'd think they were on the right. (I'm sure there are similar stories for some one growing up in an uber conservative town).

If I can offer a perspective from someone who has lived here a long time. We have raised taxes and voted for bond measures multiple times over the years to address the homeless issue and it has not improved at all. At a certain when they come back to you and say 'we are going to raise taxes again to address homeless' it's understandable (to me at least) that people show skepticism.

We've tried the same thing over and over. We need a different approach.

First, make it nice for the homeless and more homeless will show up.

Second, most, if not all, chronically homeless are mentally ill. Some are drug addicts too. Mental healthcare and supporting legislation are very lacking in the US.

Lastly, while this is a State's Rights issue, I understand why cities seek to address it. Perhaps they'd put a requirement on homeless "residents" to attend an hour or two of group therapy classes every day to evaluate and help people.

https://mentalillnesspolicy.org/cons...tally-ill.html
SUMMARY: In January 2015, the most extensive survey ever undertaken found 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the United States. Depending on the age group in question, and how homelessness is defined, the consensus estimate as of 2014 was that, at minimum, 25 percent of the American homeless—140,000 individuals—were seriously mentally ill at any given point in time. Forty-five percent of the homeless—250,000 individuals—had any mental illness. More would be labeled homeless if these were annual counts rather than point-in-time counts. Where do they live? Sixty-nine percent of the homeless (389,000) were sheltered (living in emergency shelters or transitional housing), but 31 percent (175,000) were unsheltered living on the streets or in abandoned buildings, vehicles, or parks. These estimates do not include homeless “couch-surfers,” who camp out on the sofas of friends and families, move every few days, and have no permanent address. Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, Office of Community Planning and Development, Abt Associates, November 2015, https://www.hudexchange.info/resourc...HAR-Part-1.pdf (accessed July 9, 2016).

Read more at: https://mentalillnesspolicy.org/cons...tally-ill.html

[cawacko]

First, make it nice for the homeless and more homeless will show up.

Second, most, if not all, chronically homeless are mentally ill. Some are drug addicts too. Mental healthcare and supporting legislation are very lacking in the US.

Lastly, while this is a State's Rights issue, I understand why cities seek to address it. Perhaps they'd put a requirement on homeless "residents" to attend an hour or two of group therapy classes every day to evaluate and help people.

https://mentalillnesspolicy.org/cons...tally-ill.html
SUMMARY: In January 2015, the most extensive survey ever undertaken found 564,708 people were homeless on a given night in the United States. Depending on the age group in question, and how homelessness is defined, the consensus estimate as of 2014 was that, at minimum, 25 percent of the American homeless—140,000 individuals—were seriously mentally ill at any given point in time. Forty-five percent of the homeless—250,000 individuals—had any mental illness. More would be labeled homeless if these were annual counts rather than point-in-time counts. Where do they live? Sixty-nine percent of the homeless (389,000) were sheltered (living in emergency shelters or transitional housing), but 31 percent (175,000) were unsheltered living on the streets or in abandoned buildings, vehicles, or parks. These estimates do not include homeless “couch-surfers,” who camp out on the sofas of friends and families, move every few days, and have no permanent address. Source: US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), The 2015 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress, Office of Community Planning and Development, Abt Associates, November 2015, https://www.hudexchange.info/resourc...HAR-Part-1.pdf (accessed July 9, 2016).

Read more at: https://mentalillnesspolicy.org/cons...tally-ill.html

I'm not an expert here so I could be wrong but the big issue is you can't force the mentally ill into treatment or a center. They have to right essentially to live on the street. It's been a major battle for a number of years. The argument is what's more compassionate, allowing them to live freely on the streets or 'forcing' them into some type of 'home'.

[Legion]

Trump

.