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Bye, bye homeless camps

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Primemuscle:
Portland is getting tough on the homeless lately. The other day the police cleared out dozens of homeless folks from their campsite on sidewalks adjacent to Laurelhurst Park. This homeless camp has been there for a long time. The people living near it have been trying to get some action to shut it down for a long time. I'm actually surprised it didn't happen before now because Laurelhurst is a relatively upscale Portland neighborhood.

Police officers, park rangers and at least eight biohazard crews arrived in the Southeast Portland neighborhood around 8 a.m. They were greeted by a crowd of about 40 activists, angry that officials are clearing camps amid a housing crisis and a pandemic. Camp residents were scrambling to get their shit packed up before the City hauled it away. Apparently, these folks ignored the notices the city posted in advance of the sweep.

Several of the homeless the media interviewed had ridiculous sob stories to tell.....like most of us care. I say it is about time the city took action. When I've been in Portland lately, these homeless camps are everywhere. All of the ones I've seen looked like garbage dumps. One can only imagine the stench. I know you all think I am a total liberal, but you're wrong about that as it relates to this situation. As I read one tale of woe after another, I felt no sympathy for these people. They act like everyone else is responsible for them being in this situation when in truth, they did this themselves.

 

IroNat:
I can't believe you are so insensitive.

Where will they go?

To your neighborhood?

Primemuscle:

--- Quote from: IroNat on July 31, 2021, 01:04:49 PM ---I can't believe you are so insensitive.

Where will they go?

To your neighborhood?

--- End quote ---

I'm not insensitive, I'm a realist. My late wife worked at a local college where they have a program for displaced homemakers. When she worked in that program, most of their clients were women. The really sad cases were women in their sixties who had never worked and whose husbands left them either for another woman or because they died. So, for the first time in their lives they were in need of a job only they had no skills, including knowing how to go about getting work that paid. But, those situations were the minority. Many of the women were abused and living in women's shelters. The program helped them get back on their feet. Unfortunately, some of these women were repeat customers because they were caught in an ugly cycle that they just couldn't or wouldn't break. That there was someone to pick up the pieces when things went array, hindered rather than help them to take responsibility for their lives...IMO and eventually in my wife's opinion too. After several years of seeing the same people over and over again come to the program for help, she'd had enough. She transferred to an administrative assistant position with plant services and later with the math/computer sciences department.

Like my mom used to say, what you sow so shall you reap. I don't think the abundance of homeless people today is a result of a poor economy so much as an attitude that others owe them a living as opposed to them actually working for it. Almost everything I have, I have worked for. Yeah, I have white privilege, but I don't have affirmative action or some other leg up. 

Nope.....homeless people aren't allowed in West Linn. Not that they'd want to camp here, there are virtually no services like the ones they depend on for food and other handouts. If they use illegal drugs, they might be able to buy them at the high school, except it is closed for the summer. They probably couldn't afford them at West Linn prices. 

IRON CROSS:


Relocate them to another suburb, West Linn would be great  :D ;D

bhank:
Breaking up one homeless camp will just create 3 more they are still homeless and will just camp somewhere else we could set up camping areas outside cities with basic amneties like showers and transportation to the city to work. Get these people productively employed

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