I find it interesting that one of the most liberal cities in the U.S., San Francisco, passed a law to fine people who sit or lie on the sidewalk. It's a law aimed against the homeless and indigent who beg for money from all the holier that thou liberal San Franciscans who pass them on the street.

They probably don't want to be hassled by these low lifes as they go to their "Code Pink" meetings or a "Free Mumia meeting" or some such activity.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/201...ng-sitlie-law/

Originally Posted by RichieLion

I find it interesting that one of the most liberal cities in the U.S., San Francisco, passed a law to fine people who sit or lie on the sidewalk. It's a law aimed against the homeless and indigent who beg for money from all the holier that thou liberal San Franciscans who pass them on the street.

They probably don't want to be hassled by these low lifes as they go to their "Code Pink" meetings or a "Free Mumia meeting" or some such activity.

http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/201...ng-sitlie-law/

Richie. I don't get the point of this post. I had to look up Code Pink and Free Mumia.

I know that you don't like liberal philosophy but how do you feel about the sidewalk sitting/sleeping laws?

Even if people agreed with you which many do, this sounds like a let's fight about it post. I personally do not think that a post like this will bring many to your side.

I wonder how BKCunningham would write about this issue?

Richie, have you ever been to San Francisco?

To digress a little from Richie's post -I actually do not understand the sitting on sidewalks as a youth culture thing. I really hate to preface by saying, "Back when I was a kid" but when I was waiting for a schoolbus or city bus, I was told to stand up by the bus stop - not to sit on the sidewalk. Fast forward to when my daughter was going to high school in the late 1990's, the kids sprawl across the sidewalks near the bus stops like it is too much effort to stand.

I know of several major cities (including Washington DC) that have laws against aggresive panhandling. In Washington DC, it is aimed at the tourist areas and the night club areas for the most part.

This is not hypocricy on anyone's part. This is an effort to keep the city looking good. There are still plenty of shelters to provide sleeping accomodations and food for homeless people so aggressive panhandling or sleeping on the sidewalks is not necessary. The Washington DC subway system (Metro) has a problem, though, with homeless people setting up camps near the entrances where warm air keeps them warm.

on this poster to find something in the news that he can twist to make liberals look bad. With all there is to keep one busy in The Villages, you'd think he'd have better things to do.

Richie, I gotta agree with actor - this is really scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for anything to get angry with liberals about. As my son would say "Dude, chill out!". Time to take my liberal a#$ in the golf cart (another beautiful day, don't you think?) to Fresh Market so we can barbeque rib eyes tonight...

Originally Posted by nitakk

: (another beautiful day, don't you think?) to Fresh Market so we can barbeque rib eyes tonight...

Originally Posted by nitakk

Richie, I gotta agree with actor - this is really scraping the bottom of the barrel looking for anything to get angry with liberals about. As my son would say "Dude, chill out!". Time to take my liberal a#$ in the golf cart (another beautiful day, don't you think?) to Fresh Market so we can barbeque rib eyes tonight...

I just find it funny and interesting when people show their true colors. The uber-liberals who populate the great city of San Francisco have passed environmental laws which restricted building, which increased property values which drove out the lower income people, mainly minorities, and now the almost lily-white city of liberals, the champions of the underclass, has decided that the indigent better keep moving so that they don't have to see and, God forbid, have to interact with these poor dirty people.

I love pointing out the hypocrisy. If nobody sees the irony and humor of this, I doubt I can help you.

I have been to SF twice. There is a serious problem with mentally ill people and pan handlers sitting and lying on the streets especially in or near the BART (subway). There are so many it will be unenforceable.
JJ

Perhaps the problem here is that it is hard to get your mind around the fact that this local Administration that finds it so pressing a matter as to decide what colors of food should be on your plate should ignore a solution on how assists these disadvantaged individuals and would rather just find a way to have them disappear. So as not to sound partisan I believe the country as a whole has failed along these lines. I attended an outside function in Minneapolis some years back. There were tables upon tables of food from ribs to mexican food. I had just gotten a plate of ribs, beans, etc when I heard one of the servers say" get out of hear." I looked and saw a homeless man darting through the crowd. I managed to reach him and handed him my plate. All I could think of was that could have been anyone's father brother son. Most homeless people do not want to be homeless. Man suffer neuro-brain disorders and as such untreated and hence suffer from dis-associated thinking. There is no clear solution here but let's be honest our government certainly isn't doing much here except to pass laws to have them all move on.

Originally Posted by rubicon

Perhaps the problem here is that it is hard to get your mind around the fact that this local Administration that finds it so pressing a matter as to decide what colors of food should be on your plate should ignore a solution on how assists these disadvantaged individuals and would rather just find a way to have them disappear. So as not to sound partisan I believe the country as a whole has failed along these lines. I attended an outside function in Minneapolis some years back. There were tables upon tables of food from ribs to mexican food. I had just gotten a plate of ribs, beans, etc when I heard one of the servers say" get out of hear." I looked and saw a homeless man darting through the crowd. I managed to reach him and handed him my plate. All I could think of was that could have been anyone's father brother son. Most homeless people do not want to be homeless. Man suffer neuro-brain disorders and as such untreated and hence suffer from dis-associated thinking. There is no clear solution here but let's be honest our government certainly isn't doing much here except to pass laws to have them all move on.

You have a good heart rubicon. I'm not sure I would have taken the initiative that you did and I applaud you for it.

When I worked in Boston, there was (and still is) a significant homeless problem. At the time, the "advocates" screamed that it was due to Reagan budget cuts that these people were on the streets instead of getting help. Unfortunately, some facts got in the way.

1) It was liberal Governor Michael Dukakis who closed the State Hospitals that used to house these people. This was while CARTER was President. The justification back then was that "mainstreaming" these people would help them better integrate into society. Try telling that to a college-age "advocate" who was 10 when the hospitals closed.

2) Program after program showed some "true colors". One example was when businesses got together to print these orange "meal coupons". They could be redeemed for a hot meal at various informal restaurants around the city. The theory was that you could buy these coupons and give THEM out instead of cash to the homeless so that you'd know it wasn't going to booze and cigarettes. This program lasted less than a year because most of the homeless simply refused to take the coupons.

djpong, I don't doubt Boston's inititative failed because they like so many of us don't truly understand the problem. Those folks forced into homeless shelters because of a loss of job, etc face a different situation then those folks who find themselves homeless because of neuro-brain disorders, addiction, etc. In fact it is difficult to separate what is an addiction or what is a result of a neuro-brain disorder. So the folks you explain whom were release from institutions to roam free did not have the support and structure they required to deal with this release. People with neuro-brain disorders attempt to self-medicate and so to say we will give you coupons rather than money is a decision or an action they cannot fathom. A good heart is not enough here. The government would have done better by restructuring and update these institutions so they made a good faith effort to attempt humane and effective treatment for these folks. To sum up a point. Ask yourself, "Is Charlies Sheen in need of medication to bring his mania under control or should he be admitted to Doctor Drew Pinsky's clinic to dry out? Can you tell the difference? I can't? And should the news media really allow this guy the publicity to carry on? Or should they place humanity first and resist getting the insude scope unnderstnading that by doing so they are only enabling Charlie Sheen and demeaning an important message by a segment of our society that is in great need of attention. We are after all as men morally obligated to help the weaker of our species which is why no one likes a bully.