Liberal PORTLAND encourages homelessness.

[reason10]

https://www.foxnews.com/us/activists-plant-empty-tents-encourage-homelessness-portland-drug-counselor-says

Activists plant empty tents to encourage homelessness in Portland, drug counselor says

 

PORTLAND, Ore. – On a sidewalk littered with tarps, bicycles and discarded food containers, one tent sat farther away from the rest. It was clean, with the rain fly removed, showcasing the vacant interior.

"This is an empty tent erected by activists to encourage people to live in tents," Kevin Dahlgren said.

Dahlgren's day job is reducing homelessness in the City of Gresham, but he spends most of his free time talking to those who live on the streets of Portland. He often posts videos of his conversations on Twitter, hoping to shed light on the West Coast's "dysfunctional system" for addressing homelessness.

During his 27 years in social services, Dahlgren said he's seen a shift from permanent solutions to Band-Aid approaches.

Blue states are such !DIOTS.

 

[reason10]

2 minutes ago, Contrarian said:

I don't think homelessness is a partisan issue, although Portland is famous for many things, especially the riots between far left vs the police, far left vs far right, and far-left vs trash bins. 

The list that I have though: 

Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress by the Department of Housing and Urban Development:

1. California
2. New York 
3. Florida 
4. Texas 
5. Washington
6. Oregon
7. Massachusetts
8. Pennsylvania 
9. Georgia
10. Colorado

As you can see, this list includes both Democratic and Republican-leaning states, indicating again that homelessness is not a partisan issue in my view based on the data. 

What does that have to do with the subject of the thread? We aren't talking about any other state or any other city.

We're talking about ONE CITY that ENCOURAGES homelessness.

[Deluge]

2 hours ago, reason10 said:

https://www.foxnews.com/us/activists-plant-empty-tents-encourage-homelessness-portland-drug-counselor-says

Activists plant empty tents to encourage homelessness in Portland, drug counselor says

 

PORTLAND, Ore. – On a sidewalk littered with tarps, bicycles and discarded food containers, one tent sat farther away from the rest. It was clean, with the rain fly removed, showcasing the vacant interior.

"This is an empty tent erected by activists to encourage people to live in tents," Kevin Dahlgren said.

Dahlgren's day job is reducing homelessness in the City of Gresham, but he spends most of his free time talking to those who live on the streets of Portland. He often posts videos of his conversations on Twitter, hoping to shed light on the West Coast's "dysfunctional system" for addressing homelessness.

During his 27 years in social services, Dahlgren said he's seen a shift from permanent solutions to Band-Aid approaches.

Blue states are such !DIOTS.

 

Portland is showing self destructive behavior at its finest. 

[Deluge]

2 hours ago, Contrarian said:

I don't think homelessness is a partisan issue, although Portland is famous for many things, especially the riots between far left vs the police, far left vs far right, and far-left vs trash bins. There is a famous video online with an activist fighting a trash bin, not one irony intended. 

The list that I have though: 

Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress by the Department of Housing and Urban Development:

1. California
2. New York 
3. Florida 
4. Texas 
5. Washington
6. Oregon
7. Massachusetts
8. Pennsylvania 
9. Georgia
10. Colorado

As you can see, this list includes both Democratic and Republican-leaning states, indicating again that homelessness is not a partisan issue in my view based on the data. 

Yup, Pandemic effects has and is still beating the shit out of a lot of people. The question is, how will communities respond to the homelessness? Portland seems to facilitate it, and so does San Francisco. THAT is the problem, and both cities are deep blue. 

Edited March 12, 2023 by Deluge

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Deluge said:

THAT is the problem, and both cities are deep blue. 

I don't think it has to do anything with them being democratic, or cities like Vancouver being liberal. It has something to do with extreme policies, being applied to their problems which focus on emotions vs actually looking at data, and seeing what works at addressing a problem.

In Vancouver, you're seeing a spike in crime and homelessness, but in San-Fransisco and Portland, you're seeing the unintended consequence of softening on crime, and enabling addiction and homelessness.

All three together, you're essentially starting to see criminals be far more brazen, knowing the consequences won't be there, and addicted people literally knowing they could steal, vs the inconvenience of pan handling.

[reason10]

1 hour ago, Perspektiv said:

I don't think it has to do anything with them being democratic, or cities like Vancouver being liberal. It has something to do with extreme policies, being applied to their problems which focus on emotions vs actually looking at data, and seeing what works at addressing a problem.

In Vancouver, you're seeing a spike in crime and homelessness, but in San-Fransisco and Portland, you're seeing the unintended consequence of softening on crime, and enabling addiction and homelessness.

All three together, you're essentially starting to see criminals be far more brazen, knowing the consequences won't be there, and addicted people literally knowing they could steal, vs the inconvenience of pan handling.

It's always a mistake to compare Democrat to Democratic. The two are total opposites.

We've been seeing Democrat cities going down the shitter for a couple of generations.

[herbie]

4 hours ago, reason10 said:

What does that have to do with the subject of the thread?

Duhhh!
Liberal PORTLAND

You titled your own thread with partisan BS and don't know?

[reason10]

3 hours ago, herbie said:

Duhhh!
Liberal PORTLAND

You titled your own thread with partisan BS and don't know?

I titled the thread with the FACTS, which the source presents. And you !ditots tried to change the subject.

There are Florida third grade SPECIAL EDUCATION kids sharper than you.

[impartialobserver]

This is not encouraging. This is thinking that the problem is inevitable and so why not do something to alleviate it. We do the same thing in Reno. Do nothing or do something.. the homeless population has stayed steady between 1300 and 1425 for the 13.5 years. Police are limited and can only do so much. There are only so many of them and tying them all day with policing the homelessness is both wasteful but very unpopular. 

[reason10]

3 hours ago, impartialobserver said:

This is not encouraging. This is thinking that the problem is inevitable and so why not do something to alleviate it. We do the same thing in Reno. Do nothing or do something.. the homeless population has stayed steady between 1300 and 1425 for the 13.5 years. Police are limited and can only do so much. There are only so many of them and tying them all day with policing the homelessness is both wasteful but very unpopular. 

There may be a cheaper and more human solution.

It would require government to invest in enough land to create a giant homeless work farm, where those animals would be given tents and cots and jobs to do during the day. In the process, they could learn responsibility and marketable skills. There would also have to be  plenty of drug screening.

Yesterday I saw a bum in a parking lot with a sign, begging for help for his family. Because I'm a nice guy, I didn't open my car window and say "HEY A$$HOLE! MCDONALD'S JUST IN WALKING DISTANCE FROM YOUR LAZY A$$ IS HIRING. CIRCLE K IS STARTING NEW EMPLOYEES OUT AT $14 AN HOUR. GET OFF YOUR FAT A$$ AND GET A JOB."

Homelessness is mostly self inflicted. Blue state governments only make things worse.

[impartialobserver]

3 minutes ago, reason10 said:

There may be a cheaper and more human solution.

It would require government to invest in enough land to create a giant homeless work farm, where those animals would be given tents and cots and jobs to do during the day. In the process, they could learn responsibility and marketable skills. There would also have to be  plenty of drug screening.

Yesterday I saw a bum in a parking lot with a sign, begging for help for his family. Because I'm a nice guy, I didn't open my car window and say "HEY A$$HOLE! MCDONALD'S JUST IN WALKING DISTANCE FROM YOUR LAZY A$$ IS HIRING. CIRCLE K IS STARTING NEW EMPLOYEES OUT AT $14 AN HOUR. GET OFF YOUR FAT A$$ AND GET A JOB."

Homelessness is mostly self inflicted. Blue state governments only make things worse.

What is your solution for those that are either mentally ill or voluntarily homeless due to undiagnosed issues such as depression, bipolar, and such? 

Having been homeless, I agree that it is mostly self inflicted. 

Reno (until 2 years ago) had a republican mayor and yet the homeless population stayed the same mostly. What is your explanation for that? There has to be something at play other than the R or D next to the name of the mayor. 

[reason10]

45 minutes ago, impartialobserver said:

What is your solution for those that are either mentally ill or voluntarily homeless due to undiagnosed issues such as depression, bipolar, and such? 

Having been homeless, I agree that it is mostly self inflicted. 

Reno (until 2 years ago) had a republican mayor and yet the homeless population stayed the same mostly. What is your explanation for that? There has to be something at play other than the R or D next to the name of the mayor. 

As a matter of fact, it was President Kennedy who signed the bill deinstitutionalizing the mentally ill, causing the asylums to kick them to the street. The loonies do not belong on the street. They belong in an institution. Thank Democrats for that.

I don't think EITHER party gives a shit about the homeless, as far as improving their situation. It would take tough love like the idea I suggested. And Democrats would pounce on it as supporting abuse and slavery. it was around the mid-90s when I drove for a non-emergency transportation service. (Wheelchair vans, mostly.) I transported many homeless from doctors to the huge homeless shelter in downtown Orlando. I found out the United Way was picking up the tab for that.

Today I work in public schools in two Florida counties, so I know that there is a certain number of students who live in the woods. The schools (even during the summer) have a free meal program and for some of these homeless kids, it's the only food they'll get.

It'll take tough action, and it would have to be bipartisan, with both sides agreeing on what has to be done. And it would have to be without the politics.

That's how I know it'll never happen

Try THIS idea on for size: Suppose in a medium sized city there is a sizable homeless population. And businesses who are affected the most all get together and decide to pool their money and create a massive homeless farm like I mentioned, on some land not too far away They pay for it and the homeless are removed from their store fronts. Homeless then have a roof over their heads and plenty of food, but they have to work for it. And they aren't given a choice. The farm opens up, and they are loaded into the trucks and taken to the farm. That wouldn't cost the taxpayers a penny.

And probably both political parties would find a way to get that farm shut down and maybe fine the businesses for the gesture.

The homeless get votes for politicians.

[impartialobserver]

On 3/17/2023 at 3:25 PM, reason10 said:

As a matter of fact, it was President Kennedy who signed the bill deinstitutionalizing the mentally ill, causing the asylums to kick them to the street. The loonies do not belong on the street. They belong in an institution. Thank Democrats for that.

I don't think EITHER party gives a shit about the homeless, as far as improving their situation. It would take tough love like the idea I suggested. And Democrats would pounce on it as supporting abuse and slavery. it was around the mid-90s when I drove for a non-emergency transportation service. (Wheelchair vans, mostly.) I transported many homeless from doctors to the huge homeless shelter in downtown Orlando. I found out the United Way was picking up the tab for that.

Today I work in public schools in two Florida counties, so I know that there is a certain number of students who live in the woods. The schools (even during the summer) have a free meal program and for some of these homeless kids, it's the only food they'll get.

It'll take tough action, and it would have to be bipartisan, with both sides agreeing on what has to be done. And it would have to be without the politics.

That's how I know it'll never happen

Try THIS idea on for size: Suppose in a medium sized city there is a sizable homeless population. And businesses who are affected the most all get together and decide to pool their money and create a massive homeless farm like I mentioned, on some land not too far away They pay for it and the homeless are removed from their store fronts. Homeless then have a roof over their heads and plenty of food, but they have to work for it. And they aren't given a choice. The farm opens up, and they are loaded into the trucks and taken to the farm. That wouldn't cost the taxpayers a penny.

And probably both political parties would find a way to get that farm shut down and maybe fine the businesses for the gesture.

The homeless get votes for politicians.

Would working on this farm be a matter of choice or not? If not, you are going down a legal route that is exceedingly hard to justify. If it is voluntary, do you expect high turnout? My guess is not. 

[reason10]

On 3/20/2023 at 11:17 AM, impartialobserver said:

Would working on this farm be a matter of choice or not? If not, you are going down a legal route that is exceedingly hard to justify. If it is voluntary, do you expect high turnout? My guess is not. 

Choice? Uh, NO. If those animals were not offered food and a roof over their heads as compensation for work, it would be considered slavery. Involuntary work requirements exist in law all over the place. Some prison sentences come with the phrase "at hard labor." It was left wing Bill KKKlinton who signed into law work requirements for lazy welfare bums.

If you are suggesting the homeless wouldn't volunteer to live in a home versus the streets, (and this is not totally false, since you pointed out that not all homeless are playing with a full deck) then it's easy for the law to take its course. A facility exists, so the loiterers are KICKED OUT of the store fronts by the local cops. They can live out in the wilderness or they can choose to live on the farm.

I know this is useless speculation, because NO state would allow local businesses this fair solution. So far, we know of ONE state that SUPPORTS homelessness.

[impartialobserver]

On 3/25/2023 at 9:35 AM, reason10 said:

Choice? Uh, NO. If those animals were not offered food and a roof over their heads as compensation for work, it would be considered slavery. Involuntary work requirements exist in law all over the place. Some prison sentences come with the phrase "at hard labor." It was left wing Bill KKKlinton who signed into law work requirements for lazy welfare bums.

If you are suggesting the homeless wouldn't volunteer to live in a home versus the streets, (and this is not totally false, since you pointed out that not all homeless are playing with a full deck) then it's easy for the law to take its course. A facility exists, so the loiterers are KICKED OUT of the store fronts by the local cops. They can live out in the wilderness or they can choose to live on the farm.

I know this is useless speculation, because NO state would allow local businesses this fair solution. So far, we know of ONE state that SUPPORTS homelessness.

You apparently do not have the intellect to understand the full LEGAL ramifications of what you lay out. If someone one is homeless but not explicitly breaking a law... yes, this happens often, then the city, county, state has no authority to force them to work at a camp. 

[reason10]

On 3/27/2023 at 11:29 AM, impartialobserver said:

You apparently do not have the intellect to understand the full LEGAL ramifications of what you lay out. If someone one is homeless but not explicitly breaking a law... yes, this happens often, then the city, county, state has no authority to force them to work at a camp. 

Once again, you try to pretend to be a lawyer.

Democrat Politicians routinely roust homeless bums whenever there is an event that will attract news cameras. They don't take the bums to farms or to hotels or to any kinds of homes. They just take the bums to another part of town. There is no arrest, no MIranda rights, no charges being filed. They order the bums into trucks and move them elsewhere.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/18/california-homelessness-crisis-mojave-desert

If the bum is loitering in front of a store, taking a shit on the street, using needles on the street, the bum IS BREAKING THE LAW.

But again, you miss the point. Both parties do not give a shit about homelessness. And we now have discovered a town that FOSTERS homelessness.

[impartialobserver]

On 4/4/2023 at 5:56 AM, reason10 said:

Once again, you try to pretend to be a lawyer.

Democrat Politicians routinely roust homeless bums whenever there is an event that will attract news cameras. They don't take the bums to farms or to hotels or to any kinds of homes. They just take the bums to another part of town. There is no arrest, no MIranda rights, no charges being filed. They order the bums into trucks and move them elsewhere.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jul/18/california-homelessness-crisis-mojave-desert

If the bum is loitering in front of a store, taking a shit on the street, using needles on the street, the bum IS BREAKING THE LAW.

But again, you miss the point. Both parties do not give a shit about homelessness. And we now have discovered a town that FOSTERS homelessness.

Explain to me this then... Reno's homeless population grew while we had a Republican mayor for 20+ years.. and a mostly Conservative city/county government. No opinions now. Give us some solid logic that explains this.

 

[reason10]

2 minutes ago, impartialobserver said:

Explain to me this then... Reno's homeless population grew while we had a Republican mayor for 20+ years.. and a mostly Conservative city/county government. No opinions now. Give us some solid logic that explains this.

 

Bob Cashell, Reno Mayor from 2002 to 2014 was considered a moderate Republican.

HIllary Schieve, Reno Mayor from 2014 to now (which is her third term) is not affiliated with any political party.

https://ballotpedia.org/Mayoral_election_in_Reno,_Nevada_(2022)

Where are you getting "conservative city/government" from? What alleged "conservative" actions has this city government taken? The current Mayor Hillary Schieve reduced the city's debt by $200 million and gave Reno an A+ bond rating. The business friendly environment she fostered led to the LOWEST unemployment in the entire state of Nevada, and she had helped move the city from casinos to tech businesses.

The homeless population allegedly increased because of the increase in the cost of housing. To bring you up to speed with Macroeconomics, DEMAND GOES UP, SUPPLY STAYS ROUGHLY THE SAME, PRICE GOES UP.

How did a Republican cause that, especially when a Republican hasn't been in charge since 2014?

 

[impartialobserver]

Just now, reason10 said:

Bob Cashell, Reno Mayor from 2002 to 2014 was considered a moderate Republican.

HIllary Schieve, Reno Mayor from 2014 to now (which is her third term) is not affiliated with any political party.

https://ballotpedia.org/Mayoral_election_in_Reno,_Nevada_(2022)

Where are you getting "conservative city/government" from? What alleged "conservative" actions has this city government taken? The current Mayor Hillary Schieve reduced the city's debt by $200 million and gave Reno an A+ bond rating. The business friendly environment she fostered led to the LOWEST unemployment in the entire state of Nevada, and she had helped move the city from casinos to tech businesses.

The homeless population allegedly increased because of the increase in the cost of housing. To bring you up to speed with Macroeconomics, DEMAND GOES UP, SUPPLY STAYS ROUGHLY THE SAME, PRICE GOES UP.

How did a Republican cause that, especially when a Republican hasn't been in charge since 2014?

 

Or how about the more rational answer... The R or D next to the name does not explain the whole story? 

The homeless population went up every year from 1998 to 2018. Most of the time, there was a Republican mayor and mostly republican city council. So by your logic, they fostered homelessness. Good thing that you are not an economist or analyst of any kind. You are the same type that claims that claims that the only reason that sparsely populated counties stay that way is some grand conspiracy against them. Esmeralda County, NV for example. A whole lot of nothing and nobody. But.. but.. liberals are railing against them. Yet ask a liberal about this place and they say, "Huh, what?"

 

[reason10]

20 minutes ago, impartialobserver said:

Or how about the more rational answer... The R or D next to the name does not explain the whole story? 

The homeless population went up every year from 1998 to 2018. Most of the time, there was a Republican mayor and mostly republican city council. So by your logic, they fostered homelessness. Good thing that you are not an economist or analyst of any kind. You are the same type that claims that claims that the only reason that sparsely populated counties stay that way is some grand conspiracy against them. Esmeralda County, NV for example. A whole lot of nothing and nobody. But.. but.. liberals are railing against them. Yet ask a liberal about this place and they say, "Huh, what?"

 

Excuse me, but you're going from last twenty years to a mostly republican city council? You're going to have to start producing some links. I looked long and hard to research what i gave you.

And you STILL haven't named the "conservative" policies you claim caused homelessness.

[impartialobserver]

2 minutes ago, reason10 said:

Excuse me, but you're going from last twenty years to a mostly republican city council? You're going to have to start producing some links. I looked long and hard to research what i gave you.

And you STILL haven't named the "conservative" policies you claim caused homelessness.

I am not claiming that conservative policies caused it.. Au contraire, I am claiming that there is little if any correlation between the two. The R or D next to the name of the mayor has little to do with how many homeless are here. If you want an honest explanation,... i can give it. However, you will not like it. Why? Because it does not pin the blame on Democrats and politicians. 

[reason10]

7 hours ago, impartialobserver said:

I am not claiming that conservative policies caused it.. Au contraire, I am claiming that there is little if any correlation between the two. The R or D next to the name of the mayor has little to do with how many homeless are here. If you want an honest explanation,... i can give it. However, you will not like it. Why? Because it does not pin the blame on Democrats and politicians. 

Homeless people are NOT formerly productive types who were always one paycheck away from eviction. That's an ignorant  90s liberal screed that is not based in any kind of truth or fact. Most homeless people are druggies, drunks, and insane people who somehow missed the "institutionalized" bus. They mostly hang around urban areas because there are more productive people they can bum spare change off of, or in some instances just physically attack and rob them. Most of the major government financed homeless shelters are in large cities. (The one in Orlando is HUGE, and it is funded by government funds through the United Way.) You don't see huge homeless populations in small towns.

The only politician who could be tagged with responsibility for the massive homeless population would be Democrat John F. Kennedy, ironically the LAST decent president that goose stepping party ever produced. He signed the bill deinstitutionalizing the mentally ill, flooding the streets with the crazies. But it wasn't until the late Reagan era that the goose steppers started referring to these street people as homeless. There have been homeless people ever since there has been civilization. People have falled through the cracks of civilization for centuries.

Some of my sources claimed the homeless population in Reno increased exponentially because demand for housing shot  prices up to where there was nothing that a poor person could afford. That creates the myth that the homeless are just regular productive citizens who fell through the cracks. I'm not buying that because the homeless mind set is unique. An average working Joe will rarely wind up without a home.

 

By the way, YOU'RE the one who brought party politics into the Reno model.

Reno's homeless population grew while we had a Republican mayor for 20+ years.. and a mostly Conservative city/county government

Most of the time, there was a Republican mayor and mostly republican city council. So by your logic, they fostered homelessness.

And you were likely surprised to find out that there WASN'T a Republican mayor for the ENTIRE last 20 years. And this thread isn't about RENO. It is about Portland Oregon, and what the LEFT WING DEMOCRAT LEADERSHIP is doing to DELIBERATELY foster homelessness.

By the way, Colorado created a HUGE homeless MAGNET by legalizing recreational marijuana. Stoners moved from hundreds to thousands of miles away just to live in the streets so they could smoke week. Their conversion to homelessness was DELIBERATE.

https://www.clearbrookinc.com/news/marijuana-causing-higher-homelessness/

Major news networks around the country have been featuring a story that is slowly becoming the reality for many parts of Colorado. A surge in homelessness has occurred over the last several years, especially after the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.  This is especially the case in a small Colorado town called Durango. So why exactly has pot legalization transformed certain towns into magnets for panhandling and homelessness, and where do we go from here?

Once A Vibrant Town, Turns To A Vagrant City

A town that was once known for its resorts and luxury hotels, is now littered with the homeless and loiterers. And, while this transformation could be blamed on many things, many store owners and citizens believe the uptick happened after marijuana was legalized. Some panhandlers cut straight to the point, by flat out asking for marijuana, or holding up a cardboard sign with a pot leaf on it. What’s more, many of these individuals who find themselves begging for change are kids from out of state, such as Arizona, New Mexico, and even New York. While the argument is that marijuana will increase state revenue, most of these kids never find employment, and rather flood the streets begging for a few extra dollars.

 

Edited April 8, 2023 by reason10

[impartialobserver]

On 4/7/2023 at 7:19 PM, reason10 said:

Homeless people are NOT formerly productive types who were always one paycheck away from eviction. That's an ignorant  90s liberal screed that is not based in any kind of truth or fact. Most homeless people are druggies, drunks, and insane people who somehow missed the "institutionalized" bus. They mostly hang around urban areas because there are more productive people they can bum spare change off of, or in some instances just physically attack and rob them. Most of the major government financed homeless shelters are in large cities. (The one in Orlando is HUGE, and it is funded by government funds through the United Way.) You don't see huge homeless populations in small towns.

The only politician who could be tagged with responsibility for the massive homeless population would be Democrat John F. Kennedy, ironically the LAST decent president that goose stepping party ever produced. He signed the bill deinstitutionalizing the mentally ill, flooding the streets with the crazies. But it wasn't until the late Reagan era that the goose steppers started referring to these street people as homeless. There have been homeless people ever since there has been civilization. People have falled through the cracks of civilization for centuries.

Some of my sources claimed the homeless population in Reno increased exponentially because demand for housing shot  prices up to where there was nothing that a poor person could afford. That creates the myth that the homeless are just regular productive citizens who fell through the cracks. I'm not buying that because the homeless mind set is unique. An average working Joe will rarely wind up without a home.

 

By the way, YOU'RE the one who brought party politics into the Reno model.

Reno's homeless population grew while we had a Republican mayor for 20+ years.. and a mostly Conservative city/county government

Most of the time, there was a Republican mayor and mostly republican city council. So by your logic, they fostered homelessness.

And you were likely surprised to find out that there WASN'T a Republican mayor for the ENTIRE last 20 years. And this thread isn't about RENO. It is about Portland Oregon, and what the LEFT WING DEMOCRAT LEADERSHIP is doing to DELIBERATELY foster homelessness.

By the way, Colorado created a HUGE homeless MAGNET by legalizing recreational marijuana. Stoners moved from hundreds to thousands of miles away just to live in the streets so they could smoke week. Their conversion to homelessness was DELIBERATE.

https://www.clearbrookinc.com/news/marijuana-causing-higher-homelessness/

Major news networks around the country have been featuring a story that is slowly becoming the reality for many parts of Colorado. A surge in homelessness has occurred over the last several years, especially after the legalization of marijuana for recreational use.  This is especially the case in a small Colorado town called Durango. So why exactly has pot legalization transformed certain towns into magnets for panhandling and homelessness, and where do we go from here?

Once A Vibrant Town, Turns To A Vagrant City

A town that was once known for its resorts and luxury hotels, is now littered with the homeless and loiterers. And, while this transformation could be blamed on many things, many store owners and citizens believe the uptick happened after marijuana was legalized. Some panhandlers cut straight to the point, by flat out asking for marijuana, or holding up a cardboard sign with a pot leaf on it. What’s more, many of these individuals who find themselves begging for change are kids from out of state, such as Arizona, New Mexico, and even New York. While the argument is that marijuana will increase state revenue, most of these kids never find employment, and rather flood the streets begging for a few extra dollars.

 

Ok, so here is the truth.. I know that you will not like it. 

Reno's homeless problem is tied to two things... major increase in cost of housing and access to drugs/alcohol. So about housing.. stop thinking about single family homes that are mostly in the suburbs. Nope. its the run down weekly motels.  The existence of which are not in any way tied to politics or the R or D next to the name of the mayor. Their run down condition is due to the age of the buildings and the population moving away from downtown. The weekly motels in 2010 were renting for an average of $110 per week. And then sometime in 2017.. the prices started to rise. Now they rent for roughly $265 per week. Wages in the industries that hire these types (restaurants and retail) have not risen at that rate.  Middle class Joe Blow is not going to rent rooms in these weekly motels.. if hit with dire straits, they simply would rather live in their cars or move back to wherever they came from. 

 

Second, NV state law and city regulations allow for relative ease of access. All of these laws predate the modern liberal by about 50 years. In most states, a liquor license is not simply a function of ability to pay. In NV, you can have seemingly unlimited retailers in a given area.. as long as they pay the necessary fees. In ID, OR, UT, and MT.. this is not the case. 

[reason10]

6 hours ago, impartialobserver said:

Ok, so here is the truth.. I know that you will not like it. 

Reno's homeless problem is tied to two things... major increase in cost of housing and access to drugs/alcohol. So about housing.. stop thinking about single family homes that are mostly in the suburbs. Nope. its the run down weekly motels.  The existence of which are not in any way tied to politics or the R or D next to the name of the mayor. Their run down condition is due to the age of the buildings and the population moving away from downtown. The weekly motels in 2010 were renting for an average of $110 per week. And then sometime in 2017.. the prices started to rise. Now they rent for roughly $265 per week. Wages in the industries that hire these types (restaurants and retail) have not risen at that rate.  Middle class Joe Blow is not going to rent rooms in these weekly motels.. if hit with dire straits, they simply would rather live in their cars or move back to wherever they came from. 

 

Second, NV state law and city regulations allow for relative ease of access. All of these laws predate the modern liberal by about 50 years. In most states, a liquor license is not simply a function of ability to pay. In NV, you can have seemingly unlimited retailers in a given area.. as long as they pay the necessary fees. In ID, OR, UT, and MT.. this is not the case. 

Excuse me, but I do not have a problem with the truth. I just know that liberals are physically allergic to the truth.

I have seen articles where the high demand of housing and the shutting down of weekly motels added to the homeless problem. This assumes that homeless are normal people. They are not. Normal people move away from the problem. Homeless people do not have the work ethic or even the self image to do anything to improve themselves.

Tell us again specially how Reno somehow increased access to drugs and alcohol? Has the government been giving out free pot and free vodka? How does that work? I know that states like Colorado have documented an increase in the number of homeless directly related to the legalization of recreational marijuana. Stoners moved from more productive jobs in other states just so they could legally live on the streets and stay stoned. So there is documentation that such a thing can take place. Are you saying the same thing happened in Nevada? I looked and looked for anything with a similar line like Colorado and came up empty.

If you recall YOU ARE THE ONE who put the R and D into the discussion by claiming (falsely, I might add) that Reno had a Republican mayor for the past 20 years and that was the cause for the homelessness. I looked it up and it wasn't the case.

Are you trying to make the case that the alleged ease of access to liquor licenses somehow managed to move MORE alcohol into the public, I've got an open mind if you've got a link. In the real business world, an entrepreneur who gets a cheap liquor license kinda wants to make a good profit and would not likely pass the savings on to the consumer. Your side of the aisle rails at the EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL profiteers who make so much money after paying for materials and labor. So if you have some links to figures showing that Reno liquor store prices and beer/wine/liquor costs in bars and restaurants are somehow lower than other states, I'll wait patiently for the documentation.

(I know this is possible because In 83 I was in Oklahoma City, and notice booze prices in liquor stores were the lowest I had ever seen. I was told the reason for that was the lower liquor taxes in that state. So I recognize it is possible.)

[Americana Antifa]

On 3/12/2023 at 9:46 AM, Contrarian said:

I don't think homelessness is a partisan issue, although Portland is famous for many things, especially the riots between far left vs the police, far left vs far right, and far-left vs trash bins. There is a famous video online with an activist fighting a trash bin, not one irony intended. 

The list that I have though: 

Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress by the Department of Housing and Urban Development:

1. California
2. New York 
3. Florida 
4. Texas 
5. Washington
6. Oregon
7. Massachusetts
8. Pennsylvania 
9. Georgia
10. Colorado

As you can see, this list includes both Democratic and Republican-leaning states, indicating again that homelessness is not a partisan issue in my view based on the data. 

Interesting how the top four states are also the four most populated states. I'm guessing this is just a population problem and both parties have failed to handle homelessness.