3 Billion Dollars Later…

Thank goodness, Election Day is over!

This means that we will no longer have to endure the negativity all of the political ads we’ve been bombarded with over the past several months (or at least not until the next election cycle).

And, as if that weren’t bad enough, there are also the obscene amounts of money that were spent on those ads.

If you’re thinking along the lines of "hundreds of millions of dollars" — think again.  

NYC Mayor Bloomberg Defends Homeless Study

In my post, this past Friday, I mentioned that New York City was going to use 400 potentially homeless families as guinea pigs to see if the city’s homeless services were effective.

Basically it boils down to this: 200 families would be provided with services to help them get off the streets. The remaining 200 families would have to fend for themselves because they would be denied homeless services for two years.

Despite outcry from NYC homeless advocates; City Councilwoman Annabel Palma; and Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito (who incidentally referred to the study as "inhumane"), NYC officials claimed the "study" was necessary to create "Improved homeless-prevention programs [that] would, in the end, keep families or individuals out of shelters."  

NYC denies services to 200 homeless families to conduct an experiment

New York City politicians and bureaucrats aren’t known for being the sharpest crayons in the box when it comes to addressing homelessness. In fact, their track record stinks – despite all of their braggadocio and rhetoric.

To give you an example of some of the "wonderful" solutions which have been put forth by NYC’s bureaucrats…

Back in May of this year, I wrote a post titled, NYC’s New Homeless Czar Offers His Solution For Ending Homelessness, in which I mentioned newly appointed Homeless Services Commissioner Seth Diamond’s solution to homelessness. In essence he told the homeless to "get a job."

NYC now has a new message for 200 families who are facing potential homelessness: Heal thy selves.  

What does criminalizing homelessness accomplish?

Over the last few months it seems as though there has been an increase of news articles about communities that are placing some types of bans on homeless activities. Some of communities are even placing bans and restrictions on “regular” folks feeding the homeless in public places.

Most homeless advocates refer to these types of legislative practices as “criminalizing the homeless.” Community politicians and officials, on the other hand, are quick to counter that they are not criminalizing homelessness, but are just trying to keep the peace.

Regardless of how it’s labeled, the end result is ultimately the same: it punishes a segment of a community’s local population for not having a place to call home.  

Can you say: ‘Appalling Behaviour’?

Over the last six months or so, I’ve read a number of news articles from all across the U.S. about elementary, high-school and even college students and their organized "Sleep Out for the Homeless" events.

The purpose of these "sleep outs" is theoretically twofold: To raise public awareness about homelessness in their respective communities; and, to give the attendees a small "taste" of what it’s like to be homeless. In a number of instances, these sleep outs have also served as fund raising events – with the proceeds going to local homeless support services groups.