Las Vegas Vs. Homeless People
December 19, 2006 | 5:37
pm
I am so embarrassed for Las Vegas. There seems no limit on how outrageous the city is willing to be in what is becoming an out of control campaign to persecute the least fortunate people in all of Las Vegas. Let's review. This year Las Vegas made it illegal to give food to homeless people in parks. Then Las Vegas made it illegal for people to sleep near "deposits" of urine and feces. To be fair the "deposit" law was deemed too outrageous to keep on the books and the city repealed it; after which the police began jailing homeless people in an effort to enforce the nonexistent law. Today's Review-Journal headline: "Shopping carts taken from homeless: They say they were denied chance to keep belongings." To Oscar Goodman, Las Vegas City Council and Metro: Shame on you. Shame on you. Shame on you.
Throw the bums out. They make the areas where they camp out unlivable. What about property rights, the basis of civilization? But you work for the socialist LA Times. Your opinion is meaningless.
Posted by: vegas crash watcher | December 20, 2006 at 09:14 AM
Vegas crash watcher, where would you like to "throw the bums out" to? What is your idea? Is it to deny homeless PEOPLE basic rights till they die?
I met with clients from a homeless shelter the other day. the stories are amazing and really the same situations could happen to everyday citizens.
Where is your humanity?
Posted by: S | December 20, 2006 at 10:04 AM
Property rights? You mean the property that was stolen at gunpoint from Native Americans and Mexico?
What a joke.
What's needed is a program to deal with the homeless here, but that would require politicians with actual leadership skills.
Posted by: Slothrop | December 20, 2006 at 11:22 AM
The homeless dont want to use existing services and shelters because they cant drink,do drugs and cant pan-handle while there. No one has any rights to sleep on the sidewalks, parks or public property. Where is there a 'right' to crap in public?
We took the land from the Indians and Mexico? Talk about living in the past. I think the Spanairds were the ones that killed most of the Indian tribes and formed Mexico. We have done more than enough for Mexico. I was in San Ysidro yesterday, what a dump. It looks as bad as Tijuana. Mexicans need to have more pride in their neighborhoods. The homeless wont even go there.
Posted by: manabouttown | December 22, 2006 at 04:53 PM
Always remember; There but by the Grace of God go I.
There are so many reasons a person can become homeless. Say a prayer it never happens to you.
Posted by: Rod Dickson | December 24, 2006 at 08:58 AM
There are many programs and services to help the truly needy. If a person seeks help, there are alot of people ready to help them. The problem people dont want to get back to work, they want to hang out on the streets and parks and be a 'pimple on the butt of society'.
Posted by: bodyfit | December 25, 2006 at 10:14 AM
I don't think those of you who bad mouth the homeless people have ever really talked to them in person or known any of them. They are people just like you and me.People who have lost their will power to do any better or alot of them are.They are people who have been done wrong by society or even homeless vets who the government has even done wrong. There are alot of homeless vets in this country because we don't take care of our own or their checks are not enough to live on. These people have feelings just like we do, they are parents, husbands abd wives who may have even lost someone in their life and don't feel like there is any reason to go on. They tend to give up in life because of what ever they have been thru.America is supposed to be the land of the free so why can't they live on the streets? They make money to survive with their shopping carts going to fill them with aluminum cans and bottles to recycle so they can buy food and whatever else they need. They are being treated worse than an animal. Wake up and try to help each other not criticize them.
Posted by: Donna | January 01, 2007 at 04:00 AM
It is continually said that homeless do not want the city's resources because they cannot do drugs or drink . This is not the sole issue las vegas has well over a thousand homeless in the metropolitan area of las vegas alone not to include smaller areas like north las vegas and henderson . In contrast to that large number there are only 6 shelters to serve not only the metro area but henderson, north las vegas and other surrounding areas. Some of the shelters do not give you a free place to stay for example a bed at the salvation army and a locker for what little belongings you have will keep you off of the street for fourty dollars but i do not know many homeless people with that fourty dollars . They are left with the option of getting a bed for the night and leaving the few blankets and clothing they have(which in cold weather could be their key to health or suvival) behind. We simply have more homeless than we can take in . It is true that some homeless choose not to take advantage of shelters but those reasons are varied. Violence and harassment occur in those places as does molestation. Also, with so many people packing in that tight area they chances of illness and disease are greater than that of sleeping outside. It is true that there are people with addiction to drugs and alchohol who cannot be housed in shelters . These people do not have access to the proper resources it takes to get clean . When a rich celebrity like lindsay lohan has a drug addiction she can still be beautiful and adored by fans . When it is a homeless man who has an addiction but not the looks or money he is an eyesore so we want to criticize and demean him . If your family member had a drug addiction would you be so cold as to let them die on the streets ?
Posted by: Kristal | February 01, 2007 at 06:24 PM
after reading some of these messages, i just became speachless. I am an architecture major at UNLV and have an assignment to develope a design for a portable shelter for the homeless. If anyone has research they can help me out with, please contact me. Thank you.
Posted by: LuPs | March 01, 2007 at 10:49 AM
I'm homeless. I'm 20 years old and i've been homeless since i was 18. It really hurts my heart to hear what some people have to say about people just like me. I'm not homelss because i wan't to be. Im not lazy. I don't do drugs or drink. I was a foster child. I was molested as a child, beat as an adolesent, and finally kicked out of the system when i was 18 with no friends, no family, and no job experience. Iv'e gotten jobs, but they never paid enouth to get me into an apartment. Every paycheck went to food and other essentials. I'd put a little money out of each paycheck away, save it. But then my boss whould realize i was homelss and fire me. Then i had to spend me saveings to survive untill i could find another job. Now i'm pregnant, high risk and unable to work at all. Beleive me, i'm going to get my life together, but don't think this couldn't happen to you. Most people are one pay check away.
Posted by: Rachell R | June 23, 2007 at 11:09 AM
I am 50/50 on the homeless. I live in Long Beach where locally I have experienced several homeless people all radically different. All in my area are pushy, socially...wrong in many ways, and crooked, except a large woman who is a self talker and is unpredictably aggresive. When there is high sidewalk traffic she's usually not the one to make way when it gets tight, but why i bring her up is her mental instability. Previously I had a mental...disposition that prevented me from attending a chunk of my senior year in high school before I resolved my issue. My issue was relatively easily treatable but some people are just lost and theres not a lot of hope so what do you do right?
The other homeless persona: Johnny Belmont. Yaaa all you Belmont Shore locals you know what I mean. Johhny has long surfer hair, scruffy yet somewhat trimmed facial hair, some black jeans, and that unmistakable grin of misbehavior. Johnny Belmont buys alcohol for minors with commission, sells drugs locally, and high fives and laughs with his buddy when the more attractive female constituents of Belmont Shore stroll by. The last is a habit known to most young intoxicated young men in the presence of a friend... but it gets annoying when walking with your family no where near a bar.
At Ralphs I encountered a black homeless man seasoned in the game in which he was about to play with me. We've all been there. Running late to sit down for Hawaiian BBQ with friends already arrived, I took my last steps before the door and there it was, "sir hold up a minute, i need some money for the bus, I'm short and i've got to get home." "Sure, it's ninety cents but i've only got a dollar, here" "oh but i need a transfer and a return and a meal, but thats not enough a drink too and blah blah blah..."
Once they get your glance your done.
I got inside and my friends said, "what did he say...really?...he's always here dude saying the same thing, i just walked right by, you got hosed."
Damn you should have come out and stopped me, I'm almost broke now and he's turning circles."
Point is how do you know who's who in the field and what to do with the different situations going on. How do you get Johnny off drugs and off to work? Sometimes you just know people are capable of more and like living two blocks from the Beach in California without forking 1.2 million for a spanish style with a balcony and an ocean view, but rather strolling the street, selling alcohol to kids and maybe drinking the commission to celebrate, while others are betrayed by their own mental instability and are roughing it out.
Good luck.
Posted by: Jake | June 25, 2007 at 12:26 AM