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Replies to '12/21 One Paycheck Away'
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October 11, 2006, 1:06 am PDT
 Quote From: labella226 Dr. Phil:
I'm sorry but I have no mercy for these homeless people in the streets who live off of all the working peoples' money. Take a look at them, they have two good eyes, two good arms, legs and a mind. There are so many jobs as cleaning bathrooms in public places, washing dishes in restaurants, sweeping park grounds, working in cemetaries, etc. There is no excuse for their decisions, they are just plain lazy and they know if they stand on a corner, people will give them money. We as taxpayers are paying for this nonsense; we have to go out a bust our butts working to earn a small paycheck. I can't see and I never will give these people any money. When they come up to my car, I tell them to "GO GET A JOB" and stop living off our money. People don't realize it, but, a lot of these homeless people choose this life and if you were to investigate some of them, they have more money than the average worker, they own homes, cars, etc., but it is easier to collect off of us TAX FREE!! I don't feel any remorse for them!!!
Arlene from Florida I agree with you on one point: I see these people standing around with their cups out begging for change, and I can't help but wonder why they can't spent that time working? Plus, who knows what they do with the money they do manage to get-buy alcohol or cigarettes? On the other hand, those who have fallen into bad times are not in the same boat as the beggars. You need to realize that sometimes things happen, and it could happen to anyone. My brother, for example, was born with MD. He worked hard all his life until the disease took its toll (at a mere 45 years old). He was "let go" from his job (in which he was pretty comfortable financially until this point), his wife left him for someone else, and he was forced to file for bankruptcy. No one would hire him because of his deteriorating condition. He did apply for disability, but that does not happen over night. It takes a lot of medical evaluations and red tape. In the meantime, I gave him a lot of money to help him survive until his benefits kicked in-I even helped him pay for his wheelchair because the State was giving him a hard time about funding it (even the MD Foundation, to which millions of dollars are raised each year, was reluctant to help!). Although my brother had to ask me for money, I hardly feel that he was being a freeloader, trying to cheat the tax payers. What you need to remember is that every situation is different-sure, there are definitely people out there who would rather get a free ride than work like the rest of us, but there are some that, unfortunately, get hit by hard times. My brother never thought he would be in need of financial help, but there he was. I hope everyone out there who reads this throws away their smug attitudes about those less fortunate than us and starts to realize that just because you are reading this in your nice warm house without a care in the world, it doesn't mean that it couldn't happen to you. |
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October 11, 2006, 7:19 am PDT
Quote From: labella226 Dr. Phil:
I'm sorry but I have no mercy for these homeless people in the streets who live off of all the working peoples' money. Take a look at them, they have two good eyes, two good arms, legs and a mind. There are so many jobs as cleaning bathrooms in public places, washing dishes in restaurants, sweeping park grounds, working in cemetaries, etc. There is no excuse for their decisions, they are just plain lazy and they know if they stand on a corner, people will give them money. We as taxpayers are paying for this nonsense; we have to go out a bust our butts working to earn a small paycheck. I can't see and I never will give these people any money. When they come up to my car, I tell them to "GO GET A JOB" and stop living off our money. People don't realize it, but, a lot of these homeless people choose this life and if you were to investigate some of them, they have more money than the average worker, they own homes, cars, etc., but it is easier to collect off of us TAX FREE!! I don't feel any remorse for them!!!
Arlene from Florida Amen! |
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October 11, 2006, 8:20 am PDT
Quote From: labella226 Dr. Phil:
I'm sorry but I have no mercy for these homeless people in the streets who live off of all the working peoples' money. Take a look at them, they have two good eyes, two good arms, legs and a mind. There are so many jobs as cleaning bathrooms in public places, washing dishes in restaurants, sweeping park grounds, working in cemetaries, etc. There is no excuse for their decisions, they are just plain lazy and they know if they stand on a corner, people will give them money. We as taxpayers are paying for this nonsense; we have to go out a bust our butts working to earn a small paycheck. I can't see and I never will give these people any money. When they come up to my car, I tell them to "GO GET A JOB" and stop living off our money. People don't realize it, but, a lot of these homeless people choose this life and if you were to investigate some of them, they have more money than the average worker, they own homes, cars, etc., but it is easier to collect off of us TAX FREE!! I don't feel any remorse for them!!!
Arlene from Florida You have a great deal to learn about homelessness.
I will not deny that a small portion of this population may be the types who panhandle for a living, but the VAST majority do not fit this description.
Homelessness is something very personal to me as I experienced it as a young teenager when my mother lost her job. She was a single parent receiving very minimal child support from my father. We lived for a few weeks out of a car. It took several years before we were in a stable housing and employment situation again. It has had a long term impact on my life, even 20 years after the fact.
Most people are homeless short term (less than 3 months). These are usually due to loss of job, medical issues, etc. They are often not counted homeless due to the fact they stay with friends and family until they can get on their feet again. They are the lucky ones since they have resources and reserves to fall back on.
Some are homeless due to a bad domestic situation. Women with children have to flee to women's shelters due to abusive husbands, thousands of times daily. Often they have longer term housing issues as their abusers were the ones who controlled the money in their homes. It takes alot of courage for them to leave that situation without monetary resources, but its often a decision based on saving their lives. (Men can also experience this in reverse, but its much rarer that they would be without monetary resources).
Some are homeless due to things that could happen to everyone. Loss of job or longterm illness can devistate a family's resources. So the next time you see a family living on the streets, why don't you ask them what happened instead of screaming "GO GET A JOB".
Many of the long term homeless are mentally ill. They cannot hold steady employment due to this situation. They are in a catch 22. The courts have ruled that if someone is not a danger to themselves or to others, they cannot be held against their will for medical treatment. Without access to regular medical treatment, they will often not take their medications which are the only things that might let them live a regular life with steady employment. If they have no family or a family that has given up on them, they are left with very few options. Telling someone with paranoia or schizophrenia to "GO GET A JOB" is as useful as talking to a wall. It does no good.
Some of the long term homeless have addiction issues with drugs or alcohol. Many use these addictive substances to deal with underlying mental issues such as depression or bi-polar disorder. They might get locked in a drunk tank once in awhile, but long term prospects for homeless people with these addictions is not good unless they have families that care.
The fact that you see the homeless as lazy bums who secretly own cars and homes off of panhandling proceeds, says alot about the state of information in this country. Please educate yourself before you start spouting off nonesense. |
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