June 28, 2014

Excuse me Ma'am...

Humor me for a few minutes and follow along with this satirical example of a woman who is on her way to work one morning and has this exchange with a homeless person who has been living on the street....


Excuse me ma’am. As you know I've been living out in front of your house on your sidewalk these past few years. You've probably figured out by now that I am addicted. I know that there is treatment for my addiction but I’m just not ready yet and frankly as everyone else here on the block knows, you can’t make me help myself. I know I've been costing you a lot of grief and money to deal with all my problems like when you have to call the police or the paramedics. Or how about that time I got really drunk and scared your kids to death…I am really sorry about that!


But the advocates and bureaucrats have figured out this great new way for you to deal with me. You and the other neighbors will save a lot of your taxpayer money and you’ll get me off your sidewalk forever! Here is how it works. Instead of me costing $30,000 to $50,000 a year in police and paramedic intervention expense this new way, so say the advocates, will only cost you $10,000 to $15,000 per year. All you have to do is pay 100% of my rent, pay all my utilities and buy me the food I need and do that for as long as I need it! But here is the really great thing…I don’t want you to expect anything from me in return, like getting a job or addressing my addiction because if you did, I wouldn’t do it and then I’d still be in front of your house causing you all that grief! And here is the really great thing, I’m going to be your neighbor! It will cost you far less to just pay all my living expenses then it would be for me to stay homeless in front of your house. 

So what do you think? It is a great idea right? But even if you don’t think it’s a great idea, the government thinks it is and they are going to do it whether you like it or not. Howdy neighbor!

Get ready San Diego. This new government program to give the homeless free no-strings-attached taxpayer subsidized housing is coming to your neighborhood soon.
 
It is happening right beneath your noses, cloaked in the designer clothing of helping our homeless veterans, then our chronic homeless, then… As one of my formerly homeless friends who rebuilt his life the old fashioned way (hard work) said this week; "if America were to go to a free socialized housing model, where do you think our government would start so that it could get everyone used to the idea?" Good question.

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