Liberal PORTLAND encourages homelessness.

[reason10]

2 hours ago, Americana Antifa said:

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.

Not much that can be done for homeless bums without shredding the Constitution. They are clearly damaged humans, mostly through their own choices.

(Yes, I recognize there's a small population of homeless created by Democrat policies, but mostly people are living on the street through their own choices.)

 

[Americana Antifa]

1 minute ago, reason10 said:

Not much that can be done for homeless bums without shredding the Constitution. They are clearly damaged humans, mostly through their own choices.

(Yes, I recognize there's a small population of homeless created by Democrat policies, but mostly people are living on the street through their own choices.)

 

Would universal basic income involve needing to shred the Constitution?

How about free housing?

[reason10]

Would universal basic income involve needing to shred the Constitution?

Find someone who actually took an Economics class to explain to you the causes of Inflation. Also, find a Constitutional scholar to explain the Constitution to you, (since you obviously never read it.)

 

How about free housing?

There is no such thing. If I come and kick you and your family out of your house, or if I drain your bank account and force you to buy a house, it does not become a free house. There IS such a thing as left wing politicians pandering to useless moochers by promising free stuff.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by reason10

[impartialobserver]

16 hours ago, reason10 said:

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.)

Reno and NV as a whole's increased access to alcohol goes back to 1945. That is when the statute was put in place that made it to where there was no time limit on alcohol purchases. Second, most states have limits on the number of liquor licenses. In Idaho, it is based on the zip code. Only so many can be given out in a zip code. In MT. it is tied to population. Only so many per 5,000 or so in population. In NV.. all you have to do is to have a business license ($65 fee) and then be able to purchase the liquor license. This is between $2500 and $5000. After that is settled, It is fairly simple to start selling it. Lastly, the sales tax in NV is 4.6% and not nearly as onerous on the paperwork as that of CA, OR, or especially UT. 

Next, casinos.... this makes for a steady, dependable supply chain of liquor. So if said distributor adds another account.. fairly simple task. So, there you have it. We have 24 - hour access to it, ease of supply, relatively low cost, and a steady demand. 

As for marijuana, yes it is legal (relatively) here. However, the homeless problem predates this by 20 years. 

Last item... what do people do in Casinos? Hmmm... Most rational people know that the odds are fixed and that it is a colossal waste of money. However, your average low income or homeless person thinks that they can get lucky. And what happens when they are not lucky? Their meager resources go up in smoke.

About the weekly motels, they represent the only way besides a homeless shelter for the low income and homeless to get housing. No credit check, no rental history needed, no deposits, and somewhat close to where they want to be. Even if someone is mentally ill, they are still capable of holding a job and affording these at the 2010 prices. Keep in mind that the jobs that they will take are in restaurant and retail which are historically low wage industries especially in NV. Average weekly wage in Naics 72 in 2022q3 in Washoe county pre tax was $636. 

 

https://gizmodo.com/how-much-a-bottle-of-whiskey-costs-in-every-state-1650381482

[reason10]

Reno and NV as a whole's increased access to alcohol goes back to 1945. That is when the statute was put in place that made it to where there was no time limit on alcohol purchases. Second, most states have limits on the number of liquor licenses. In Idaho, it is based on the zip code. Only so many can be given out in a zip code. In MT. it is tied to population. Only so many per 5,000 or so in population. In NV.. all you have to do is to have a business license ($65 fee) and then be able to purchase the liquor license. This is between $2500 and $5000. After that is settled, It is fairly simple to start selling it. Lastly, the sales tax in NV is 4.6% and not nearly as onerous on the paperwork as that of CA, OR, or especially UT. 

So alcohol has been relatively easy for Reno and Nevadans to access or over 75 years. And I freely admit poverty and homelessness is, most of the time, a choice. Certainly alcoholism can put someone on the streets.

As for marijuana, yes it is legal (relatively) here. However, the homeless problem predates this by 20 years. 

Like I said, this was linking to homelessness in Colorado. I was unable to find any link in Nevada.

Last item... what do people do in Casinos? Hmmm... Most rational people know that the odds are fixed and that it is a colossal waste of money. However, your average low income or homeless person thinks that they can get lucky. And what happens when they are not lucky? Their meager resources go up in smoke.

Gambling is supposed to be, (at least according to the state administrators who try to tell us this with a straight face) entertainment, not necessarily a means of generating income. The Libertarian in me has no problem with a victimless crime like gambling, but I don't engage. (Won't even waste my money on a lottery ticket.) And yes, the dumber ones who don't want to earn their money will CHOOSE gambling as the gateway to the streets. Like I said, homelessness like poverty is a choice.

About the weekly motels, they represent the only way besides a homeless shelter for the low income and homeless to get housing. No credit check, no rental history needed, no deposits, and somewhat close to where they want to be. Even if someone is mentally ill, they are still capable of holding a job and affording these at the 2010 prices. Keep in mind that the jobs that they will take are in restaurant and retail which are historically low wage industries especially in NV. Average weekly wage in Naics 72 in 2022q3 in Washoe county pre tax was $636

This concept I find fascinating. We have weekly motels all over Florida. They are eyesores, mostly. And they are usually not in heavy tourist areas. Mostly, they're in seedy sections of towns. And they are not the safest places to bed down for the night.

In the article I found, apparently Reno voted to get rid of those weekly motels. The majority of the residents considered them eyesores as well.

As far as me shedding any crocodile tears for incompetents who do not qualify for anything other than low wage jobs, that's also a CHOICE. A kid wants to drop out of high school will find his/her options very limited. A person's wage is perhaps the most accurate representation of that that person's skills are worth. For those who want better, there are always options, but they involve a lot of hard work.

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by reason10

[impartialobserver]

3 minutes ago, reason10 said:

Reno and NV as a whole's increased access to alcohol goes back to 1945. That is when the statute was put in place that made it to where there was no time limit on alcohol purchases. Second, most states have limits on the number of liquor licenses. In Idaho, it is based on the zip code. Only so many can be given out in a zip code. In MT. it is tied to population. Only so many per 5,000 or so in population. In NV.. all you have to do is to have a business license ($65 fee) and then be able to purchase the liquor license. This is between $2500 and $5000. After that is settled, It is fairly simple to start selling it. Lastly, the sales tax in NV is 4.6% and not nearly as onerous on the paperwork as that of CA, OR, or especially UT. 

So alcohol has been relatively easy for Reno and Nevadans to access or over 75 years. And I freely admit poverty and homelessness is, most of the time, a choice. Certainly alcoholism can put someone on the streets.

As for marijuana, yes it is legal (relatively) here. However, the homeless problem predates this by 20 years. 

Like I said, this was linking to homelessness in Colorado. I was unable to find any link in Nevada.

Last item... what do people do in Casinos? Hmmm... Most rational people know that the odds are fixed and that it is a colossal waste of money. However, your average low income or homeless person thinks that they can get lucky. And what happens when they are not lucky? Their meager resources go up in smoke.

Gambling is supposed to be, (at least according to the state administrators who try to tell us this with a straight face) entertainment, not necessarily a means of generating income. The Libertarian in me has no problem with a victimless crime like gambling, but I don't engage. (Won't even waste my money on a lottery ticket.) And yes, the dumber ones who don't want to earn their money will CHOOSE gambling as the gateway to the streets. Like I said, homelessness like poverty is a choice.

About the weekly motels, they represent the only way besides a homeless shelter for the low income and homeless to get housing. No credit check, no rental history needed, no deposits, and somewhat close to where they want to be. Even if someone is mentally ill, they are still capable of holding a job and affording these at the 2010 prices. Keep in mind that the jobs that they will take are in restaurant and retail which are historically low wage industries especially in NV. Average weekly wage in Naics 72 in 2022q3 in Washoe county pre tax was $636

This concept I find fascinating. We have weekly motels all over Florida. They are eyesores, mostly. And they are usually not in heavy tourist areas. Mostly, they're in seedy sections of towns. And they are not the safest places to bed down for the night.

In the article I found, apparently Reno voted to get rid of those weekly motels. The majority of the residents considered them eyesores as well.

As far as me shedding any crocodile tears for incompetents who do not qualify for anything other than low wage jobs, that's also a CHOICE. A kid wants to drop out of high school will find his/her options very limited. A person's wage is perhaps the most accurate representation of that that person's skills are worth. For those who want better, there are always options, but they involve a lot of hard work.

 

 

 

Yes, City of reno voted to do something about them but only those that were not up to snuff basically. So if they were operating and within certain areas.. they were allowed to continue. 

Look, we are in agreement about it mostly being a matter of choice. However, that is not the point. The point is that politics is not to blame for our relatively high homeless population. Ask anyone that goes downtown regularly and ask them what their primary issues are and they will say.. 1. too many homeless and 2. not enough parking. The second one is common to all major cities. As for the homeless, I have laid out why we have relatively more per capita than other cities. There are only so many police and they can't be everywhere at every time. 

It is not about having a bleeding heart for them. It is about understanding why there are so many and what to do about them given current laws and amount of resources. 

If you must know.. I was homeless once. It was Salt Lake City from august 1999 to late november 1999. I will not give the whole story now. Just now that I have zero patience for panhandlers. If I detect (which I have quite the nose for) that someone is young, able-bodied, etc.... my blood pressure goes way up and I want to knock them out. 

[Deluge]

On 3/12/2023 at 7:23 AM, 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.

 

That toilet of a city has gone completely batsh!t. San Francisco, too. 

[Deluge]

On 3/12/2023 at 11:41 AM, reason10 said:

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.

Detroit is the perfect example of that - it's a complete wasteland now. 

[impartialobserver]

Why do we see homelessness in cities and not small towns (population of 5,000 or less). First, folks go out of their way to go to cities.. if you do not believe it then explain why the urban population in the US is growing faster than the rural. To be homeless in Reno offers you more opportunities for panhandling, food, resource, or even a job than would Bottineau, ND.  Second, more folks live in Reno, Oakland, Seattle than do Bottineau and so if a normal person was to hit some hard times.. it is more likely to happen in a city than Bottineau. Simple math. 1 in 25,000 (just a random number) is susceptible to being homeless... well there is only 2.000 in Bottineau so you may never encounter one. 

[reason10]

16 hours ago, impartialobserver said:

Why do we see homelessness in cities and not small towns (population of 5,000 or less). First, folks go out of their way to go to cities.. if you do not believe it then explain why the urban population in the US is growing faster than the rural. To be homeless in Reno offers you more opportunities for panhandling, food, resource, or even a job than would Bottineau, ND.  Second, more folks live in Reno, Oakland, Seattle than do Bottineau and so if a normal person was to hit some hard times.. it is more likely to happen in a city than Bottineau. Simple math. 1 in 25,000 (just a random number) is susceptible to being homeless... well there is only 2.000 in Bottineau so you may never encounter one. 

That is pretty much the case. There are several homeless shelters in Orlando, and those bums manage to sack out in all the city parks, preying on people with jobs. You don't hear of homelessness in small towns like Lakeland, Winter Haven, or other Polk County towns. It's a big city issue. Small towns have more powerful gossip mills and a bum is more likely to be humiliated and shamed into taking a McDonalds job. Much easier to be a bum than have to actually earn a living.

You have NAILED the exact reason.

[impartialobserver]

2 hours ago, reason10 said:

That is pretty much the case. There are several homeless shelters in Orlando, and those bums manage to sack out in all the city parks, preying on people with jobs. You don't hear of homelessness in small towns like Lakeland, Winter Haven, or other Polk County towns. It's a big city issue. Small towns have more powerful gossip mills and a bum is more likely to be humiliated and shamed into taking a McDonalds job. Much easier to be a bum than have to actually earn a living.

You have NAILED the exact reason.

I was once homeless. It was Salt Lake city from August 1999 to November 1999. The homeless population that i encountered could be grouped into 4 categories.

First, mentally ill and therefore self-medicating with drugs and alcohol. 

Second, deliberately homeless. Mostly able-bodied but makes a living from panhandling, government assistance in rare cases, and charitable help (the church). 

Third, had jobs but their drug/alcohol/sex addictions ate up all of their cash and so they chose to live on the street rather than pay rent. 

Fourth (and the smallest group) was the hard luck type where the house of cards simply fell apart. That was myself. Moved there thinking that a 21 year old with a solid work history would have no problem getting a job. Well, that did not happen. Had a job lined up prior to getting there and upon arriving, the employer told me, "We do not need you, have a good one" while hiring my friend. We arrived on Saturday and he was out of town on monday and my car broke down on monday night. 

When I would ask why they came from Oakland, St. George, Flagstaff, etc to SLC.. the answer was this place had jobs, money, customers, etc. Yes, there is drug use in small towns but you have to very discreet and usually the drugs come in from the city so why not be at the source.