Does our President realize that we have children right here in America that are hungry and living in

[rhett o rick]

cars? This is unacceptable. They cant wait. Stop the wars, feed the children.

[napi21]

1. I know he knows, but it's NOT the President that allocates money, it's the HOUSE!

You're pleading to the wrong people. Call your congressman, send a ltte of your paper, to the NYT, and all the national papers, contact the consumer advocates of your local TV station.

[rhett o rick]

3. So he has zero influence with the HOR? Sad, isnt it? nm

[eleny]

5. "Bully pulpit" seems to have been lost from the Dem dictionary

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

15. Deleted message

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[NYC Liberal]

27. Yet when he does just that, we hear "actions speak louder than words"

and "We need more than speeches!"

[eleny]

34. The bully pulpit isn't just speeches...

It's calling in legislators and using the power of the presidency to get them to consider your position on issues and how you expect them to work with you to achieve the presidential agenda.

LBJ is the usual example. Love him or despise him; I marched in D.C. against his war policies back then, too. But he got civil rights legislation passed by skillful use of his presidential authority.

Have faith in Obama. His powers as president are enormous. I believe that it's our job as responsible citizens to encourage him to use them for the benefit of the hungry, homeless children the OP is concerned about. Keep the focus here. It's about them not the president whose children I doubt will ever be homeless and hungry.

[NYC Liberal]

38. No it's not, you're right.

I have plenty of faith in Obama. I recognize his accomplishments, I know what still needs to be done, and I disagree with him on things too. Like most other people. However, I am not about to start screaming and shouting and stamping my feet every time I disagree with something he does. I'm not going to launch into tirades about Obama being the same as Bush or call him names.

If all these things were so easy to do, they would have already been done a LONG time ago.

FDR had HUGE Democratic majorities in Congress: 80% in the Senate and 76% in the House at the beginning of his second term. Yet despite the very strong support he had when he was first elected, he had a very rough time even with those majorities (bigger than what he had in the "First 100 Days"). There was a lot he DIDN'T get to do because of all the Washington bullshit.

You're also leaving out the lack of the 24/7 media that earlier presidents did not have. The 24/7 news cycle is horrible. There just is NOT enough news to talk about literally every minute of the day. Thus why the media invents controversies, blows up nonissues, talks about stupid crap for days on end: because there's nothing else to do. And people lap it up because "I saw it on teh nooze, it must be true!"

Anyway, all of that isn't excusing any actual mistakes. I'm just saying that there tends to be a lot of overreaction to things, a lot of hyperbole. It's easy to look in the rearview mirror, decades later, and look at what was accomplished. When you're in the thick of things, it looks VERY messy. The food that the waiter brings you arranged nicely on a plate looks delicious, but stand next to the chef while he's making it and it doesn't look so pretty.

Washington, Lincoln, FDR...all the "great" presidents...they all went through periods during which they were VERY unpopular. They all had people who HATED them. People burned Washington in effigy, Lincoln sincerely did not believe he would be reelected (and that was even without the Southern states voting), FDR faced huge opposition from isolationists who made up a very large part of the country.

[eleny]

94. "screaming and shouting and stamping my feet"

So much hyperbole.

And nobody I know thinks change is easy to accomplish. Perhaps that's why they call it "the bully pulpit".

[NYC Liberal]

109. I said I'm not going to do that. Are you?

Obama is using the bully pulpit every damn day. The problem is, everyone disagrees over priorities.

[donheld]

145. It seems to be the Wimpy pulpit now.

[rpannier]

156. Bully Pulpits are only effective when Republicans are in the WH

At least that's what it seems like listening to people here

[Just-plain-Kathy]

148. Bush and Cheney got everything they wanted...even beyond their terms.

[Orsino]

177. He has exerted more than zero influence...

...and what we have is the best they were willing/able to do. That is sad.

[earth mom]

10. Yeah, just like FDR had no ability to do a damn thing either.

Sorry but I'm NOT buying it.

[Chulanowa]

16. FDR did a lot in the same way that Bush did

He dreatly empowered himself and the Executive branch. Plus this was back in a day when both parties realized that votes from voters were actually meaningful for their careers. Nowadays no matter what, our reps and senators are going to make millions anyway, and will never be held criminally liable for ANYTHING they cause, so why do they care?

[avaistheone1]

30. President Obama is way too out of touch to understand what is going down in America -

like hungry children, like the people losing their jobs to outsourcing, like Americans who are friggin war weary from this illegal pointless war. Obama doesn't get it all.

[Chulanowa]

39. He should put on a hard hat, grab a bullhorn, and send Biden out with a shovel to dig something

Amirite?

[LostinVA]

58. He could at least visit Pine Ridge and inner city Baltimore

Clinton is the only Preseident to go to the former, which is why the Lakota have always supported him.

At least send Biden or the Girst Lady. Then, do something about the conditions in this country. God, we are in another Depression.

[Chulanowa]

108. Visit Pine Ridge? Bwahahahahahahahahaha

Oh, oh man... Really? Shit, I'll tell you, I was fucking floored that he even talked to indians on the campaign trail. Addressing the Crow was like, more than the last twelve presidents combined have done. And since he's apparently been adopted into their nation, odds are someone in Pine Ridge might seriously try to kick his ass.

A president, visit Pine Ridge... heeheehee... sure, oh, hey! Why not cut the defense budget and support solar technology while we're at it! Pffffffft hahahaha!

[LostinVA]

185. That was my point -- Clinton is the only one who ever has

And, that wasn't enough, but it was least an ACKNOWLEDGMENT. You know how poor those counties are -- teh poorest in teh country. It's a Third World country, literally.

At least send the First Lady out there.

[rhett o rick]

76. Or tell us that he supports a strong public option. nm

[JDPriestly]

141. FDR had support in Congress. His problem was with the Supreme Court.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[QC]

20. Except when he signs a bill. Then it's proof that he is firmly in charge

and making things happen, by gum, and it's time to haul out The List.

Ever notice that?

[Bluebear]

31. Lily Ledbetter! Lily Ledbetter!

[QC]

96. Precisely! n/t

[laughingliberal]

111. +1 nt

[MyNameGoesHere]

173. Hey who signs those authorizations for more war money?

Nobody gets a free ride from this mess.

[sandnsea]

2. Nah, he created a plan to end homelessness

because he doesn't give a shit about anything but corporate green and war war war.

http://www.usich.gov/slocal/index.html

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SunsetDreams]

32. But they might be "hungry and living in cars",

as your OP states. If you are against the war like I am, and you care about the homeless like your OP states, then why would you want to send them to Afghanistan?
Even if it's snark, a joke or whatever, it's still offensive.

I've helped in a soup kitchen on multiple occasions over the years, I've collected clothes and basic necessities from friends, family, and neighbors to take to homeless shelters.

So, bearing that in mind, I hope you understand why your statement is offensive.

[Hannah Bell]

53. oooh, helped at a soup kitchen. collected clothes for a shelter! my, my!

brownie points all round!

[SunsetDreams]

59. It's rather sad you have to snark at helping homeless people

and very telling.

[Hannah Bell]

62. ...not worth it.

[Botany]

138. Obama gave up on millions of dollars to help the poor in Chicago & Gary, IN

n/t

[Steely_Dan]

162. How Dare You?

I refuse to remain silent!

[Hannah Bell]

33. he doesn't have any more plan to end homelessness than bush did, when *he* talked about

ending homelessness in ten years.

it's the same pr line as bush, down to the "ten years".

they think we won't remember. (and won't be able to figure out that it's a real estate scam)


More than 100 cities have launched 10-year plans since President Bush in 2001 set an ambitious goal of ending homelessness in a decade.

Philip Mangano, Bush’s homelessness czar, said he is optimistic that Nagin’s committee will be able to craft a “management agenda that is research and data driven, performance based and, most importantly, results oriented.” But a successful plan rests on comprehensive community partnerships, Mangano said in an interview this week from Las Vegas.

At the U.S. Conference of Mayors last June in Denver, 225 mayors unanimously approved Bush’s 10-year initiative. “Partnership trumped partisanship,” Mangano said. “On this issue of homelessness, there is no ‘D’ or ‘R’ or ‘I’ or ‘G,’ but we’re just Americans partnering to end a national disgrace.”

http://www.commonground.org/?p=108


Bush didn't end homelessness in his 8 years; it grew, it's still growing, it will continue to grow.

The rest is PR spin & real estate scamming.

[SunsetDreams]

35. You link is all about Bush

It doesn't compare the policies.

Do you have another one that represents that the policies are one and the same?
Or was the time frame your argument?

Irregardless, a plan is in place. It is going to take years to combat homelessness, it's just too big of a problem to happen overnight. Believe me, I wish we could have all the homeless people off the streets, with the snap of our fingers, but it doesn't work that way, with this problem.

[Hannah Bell]

40. it happened overnight, & it can un-happen overnight. but it's not going to.

because for all the happy talk, capital is fully committed to impoverishing & dispossessing the populace.

check back with me in 10 years.

"It's too big a problem to happen overnight"

lol.

i went overseas in jan 1982 & came back in 1985. in that short space of time, "homelessness" had become an obvious problem in seattle. it hadn't been when i left.

it's done nothing but grow ever since.

we could turn it around in a year if there were any genuine will to do so.

just like unemployment suddenly dropped from 15% in 1940 to 5% in 1942 after being above 14% for the previous 10 years. on a dime.



History of the Ten Year Plan:

In 2000, the National Alliance to End Homelessness released A Plan, Not a Dream: How to End Homelessness in Ten Years. Drawing on research and innovative programs from around the country, the plan outlined key strategies in addressing the issue locally, which cumulatively can address the issue nationally. The plan outlined four key elements of a plan to end homelessness:

- Plan for outcomes. Every jurisdiction should collect data that allows it to identify the most effective strategy for each sub-group of the homeless population and jurisdictions should bring those responsible for mainstream as well as homeless targeted resources to the planning table.

- Close the front door. Communities should prevent homelessness by making mainstream poverty programs more accountable for outcomes of their clients.

- Open the back door. Communities should develop, and subsidize when needed, an adequate supply of affordable housing.

- Build the infrastructure. Ending homelessness can be a first step in addressing the systemic problems that lead to crisis poverty, including a shortage of affordable housing, incomes that do not pay for basic needs, and a lack of appropriate services for those that need them.

Since the release of this blueprint, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Bush Administration endorsed the idea of planning to end chronic homelessness in ten years, the US Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) challenged 100 cities to create plans to end homelessness. The momentum built across the country—to date, there are 234 completed plans to end homelessness across the country. These plans echo key strategies outlined in the Alliance’s plan and represent a critical, collective effort to end homelessness nationwide. The Homelessness Research Institute at the National Alliance to End Homelessness recently completed a study evaluating the completed plans. The study, A Shifting Focus, evaluates the elements and implementation of the plans.

http://www.endhomelessness.org/content/article/detail/1786


well, how's *that* plan worked out?

utter & complete failure. our local homeless shelter are fuller than ever.

like the director of one told me on the way to a "ten-year-plan" meeting: "Here's where we pretend we're going to end homelessness in ten years."

even the people working on the ten-year-plans know they're bullshit.

you know why? because there's no funding.

how to end homelessness: employ people so they can house themselves or house them. stop funding shelters & free-market vouchers for slumlords & fund decent affordable housing with security.

it's not that fucking complicated.


but instead, more of the same bullshit, written up by more paid "consultants" like the ones our city had to pay to develop our own bullshit, useless 10-year-plan (how to end homeless in 10 years with no money to pay for it, just money to pay useless "consultants," think-tanks, government wonks):


OBAMA ADMINISTRATION UNVEILS NATIONAL STRATEGIC PLAN TO PREVENT AND END HOMELESSNESS

Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness

Cabinet members and Administration officials from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness deliver plan to finish the job of ending veteran and chronic homelessness by 2015 and among families, youth, and children by 2020.

On June 22, the lead Cabinet secretaries from the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) – from the U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Labor (DOL), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Veterans Affairs (VA) – joined Executive Director of the USICH Barbara Poppe to unveil and submit to the President and Congress the nation's first comprehensive strategy to prevent and end homelessness. Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes accepted the plan on behalf of President Barack Obama. The full report is titled Opening Doors: Federal Strategic Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.

The USICH is chaired by HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and the Vice Chair is Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. The 19 member agencies span the nation's housing, health, job, education, and human services to coordinate the Federal response to homelessness and to create a national partnership at every level of government and with the private sector to reduce and end homelessness in the nation while maximizing the effectiveness of the Federal government in contributing to the end of homelessness.

http://www.usich.gov/


deja vu, or what?

[SunsetDreams]

41. Homelessness happened overnight? Really?

I hope you understand why I don't agree with that statement.

It's been going on longer than the years you talk about, it becoming and "obvious" problem.

If I just take your 1985, until now 2010. That is 25 years. That is hardly overnight.
It is not going to happen in a year.

[Hannah Bell]

42. yes, it happened very nearly overnight. when reagan ended the committment to continuing

construction & maintenance of federally-subsidized low-income housing & started funding vouchers & homeless shelters instead.

nothing to do with closing insane asylums (as it was explained at the time, because the change was *very* obvious to anyone who lived in a city), it was a change in housing policy.


you don't have clue one.

The most dramatic cut in domestic spending during the Reagan years was for low-income housing subsidies. Reagan appointed a housing task force dominated by politically connected developers, landlords and bankers. In 1982 the task force released a report that called for “free and deregulated” markets as an alternative to government assistance – advice Reagan followed. In his first year in office Reagan halved the budget for public housing and Section 8 to about $17.5 billion. And for the next few years he sought to eliminate federal housing assistance to the poor altogether.

In the 1980s the proportion of the eligible poor who received federal housing subsidies declined. In 1970 there were 300,000 more low-cost rental units (6.5 million) than low-income renter households (6.2 million). By 1985 the number of low-cost units had fallen to 5.6 million, and the number of low-income renter households had grown to 8.9 million, a disparity of 3.3 million units.

Another of Reagan’s enduring legacies is the steep increase in the number of homeless people, which by the late 1980s had swollen to 600,000 on any given night – and 1.2 million over the course of a year. Many were Vietnam veterans, children and laid-off workers.

In early 1984 on Good Morning America, Reagan defended himself against charges of callousness toward the poor in a classic blaming-the-victim statement saying that “people who are sleeping on the grates…the homeless…are homeless, you might say, by choice.”

http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/135/reagan.html

[SunsetDreams]

43. So are you telling me there were no homeless

people before Reagan? NONE?

Any amount of homelessness should concern us all, not when it becomes "obvious".

[Hannah Bell]

44. you must be young. you grew up in the neoliberal paradise, where homelessness is a fact of nature.

such an inexplicable problem, so very complicated & difficult to solve.

10 year plans as far as the eye can see.

i came of age in a different world -- & in retrospect a very short-lived one, the post-war era, 1950s-1970s.

[SunsetDreams]

45. 1950's you say?

Like I said, homelessness has been around for years. In fact, centuries.

Pre-1960s
Many towns and cities had an area which contained the poor, transients, and afflicted, such as a "skid row". In New York City, for example, there was an area known as "the Bowery", traditionally, where alcoholics were to be found sleeping on the streets, bottle in hand. Rescue missions offering "soup, soap, and salvation", a phrase introduced by The Salvation Army,<20> sprang up along the Bowery thoroughfare, including the oldest one, The Bowery Mission. The mission was founded in 1879 by the Rev. and Mrs. A.G. Ruliffson.<21>


The Bowery Mission at 36 Bowery in New York City in the 1880sThe mission's parent organization, Christian Herald, once published Christian Herald And Signs Of Our Times. In relating the formation and origin of the mission in its March 27, 1895 edition a chronology is given: "Fifteen years ago, Rev. A.G. Ruliffson and Mrs. Ruliffson, long engaged in mission work in New York, decided to open an eastside mission for men." Thus, based on this chronology, the time frame is 1880 rather than 1879.

At the time the Bowery Mission was established it was located at 36 Bowery, a location that in an earlier time in New York City, played a role in the New York City Draft Riots, when the building was used as a saloon. An examination of the Annual Reports for the first decade of the mission, and period New York City newspapers starting in 1881, suggest that an 1880 date for the mission is more likely than 1879. To cite examples from period newspapers, The New York Tribune's article, "The Bowery Mission, A Sketch of its Career", dated March 14, 1898 opens with "The Bowery Mission was started in 1880 at No.36 Bowery by a number of men who were interested in mission work." An even earlier article appearing in The New York Tribune on November 8, 1880, "A Bright Spot In The Darkness", declared "The Bowery Evangelical Mission, at No.36 Bowery, was opened yesterday afternoon with a prayer-meeting, at which some 150 persons were present." The present location of the Bowery Mission at 227-229 Bowery dates to 1909 when an abandoned coffin factory was converted to a mission.

In smaller towns, there were hobos, who temporarily lived near train tracks and hopped onto trains to various destinations. Especially following the American Civil War, a large number of homeless men formed part of a counterculture known as "hobohemia" all over America. This phenomenon re-surged in the 1930s during and after the Great Depression.<22><23>

Jacob Riis wrote about, documented, and photographed the poor and destitute, although not specifically the homeless, in New York City tenements in the late 1800s. His ground-breaking book, How the Other Half Lives, published in 1890, raised public awareness of living conditions in the slums, causing some changes in building codes and some social conditions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_the_United_States

[Hannah Bell]

46. you don't get it at all. you're posting stuff about the 1880's, the heyday of the same

economic policies reagan reinstigated. the fucking robber baron era. i said 1950s-1970s: the post ww2 era.

yes, there were plenty of homeless people & beggars 1880s-1930s. In the 1930s the little town of 30K people i now live in also had a full-fledged red-light district, open houses of prostitution, where the prostitutes would yell out of top floor windows to attract customers, too.

for the same reasons -- lots of poor people with limited options.

during the depression my grandparents took in a boy who came with the fruit tramps - more or less homeless families/individuals who migrated with the harvest. not mexican immigrants - most migrant workers were "american" then. he wanted to go to school & wouldn't have had the chance living with his parents. she raised him to adulthood.

that was a different world too.

WW2 & the post-war economic policies turned that around -- on a dime.

i'm telling you, in seattle 1950s to 1970s, you didn't see homeless people or beggars in the street.

you might see old winos & drunken indians occasionally, but at night they went home to single room occupancy hotels on the waterfront. waterfront view.

it was a different world. From 1958 to 1982, minimum wage was $6/hour or higher in equivalent 2002 dollars. It's never been that high since.

http://www.fiscalpolicy.org/MinimumWageGraphs.pdf

In the early 70s the business assault on the post-war consensus began:

http://www.reclaimdemocracy.org/corporate_accountability/powell_memo_lewis.html

and it reached fruition in reagan. it's been downhill ever since, boiling the working-class frog by degrees.

believe me or not, i don't care. you're obviously invested in homelessness being some kind of eternal insoluble problem.

the reasons there was little homelessness circa 1950s-1970s were very simple:

a bigger share of the economic pie went to the working class,
generally plenty of jobs,
a healthy public sector & a functioning (compared to the red tape & punitiveness of today) accessible safety net for those who, for whatever reason, couldn't work consistently.

and i'll tell you more: i lived in japan in the early 80s. you didn't see homeless people living in the streets there during that era, either.

but you do today, & for the same reasons -- changes in economic policies.

[SunsetDreams]

47. Just because you didn't see it

meant it didn't exist. "you didn't see homeless people or beggars in the street"

I'm glad you NOW recognize that it existed before you said it did. It did not happen overnight.

A centuries old problem is not going to be fixed in a "year". The idea of any plan on homelessness is to combat the problem. It would be nice if we could have not one single person homeless on the streets, but that's just not possible. You deal in absolutes. There is no absolute to the problem of homelessness.

"believe it or not, i don't care" kind of says it all.

Nice edit on your post, after you read mine. It now reads "believe me or not, I don't care"

I edited again too

[Name removed]

48. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[SunsetDreams]

49. Nice try, but I'm no longer .

interested in "debating".

[Hannah Bell]

51. there's no debate. there's just the facts. and the facts are, during the post-war era

homelessness nearly disappeared.

it reappeared with a vengeance under reagan.

due to the move to neoliberal economic policies.

the same thing in the west generally, & in japan circa 1960s-1980s.

try time magazine & see how many articles you find about homelessness in the US circa 1950s-1970s.

then try 1980s-2000.

http://www.time.com/time/

homelessness used to be a problem that *other* countries had, not america.


and obama's ten-year-plan is a big a pile of kickbacks for consultants & potemkin press releases & other useless steaming bullshite as bush's was.

[SunsetDreams]

52. Yes, there are facts indeed.

but "it nearly happened overnight"
"homelessness nearly disappeared." I can see why you would think that, it not being "obvious" and all.

"homelessness used to be a problem that *other* countries had, not america."

Since It's clearly documented, at least back to the 1800's, I guess that's more denial.
I guess things like, oh the Great Depression didn't happen.

We've already established that homelessness happened before 1950's. I don't need to click on your link, because like I said we should all be concerned about homelessness, not (just) when it is "obvious"

I've run out of time with the debate about "obvious" and "nearly happened overnight"

It's been interesting, but have a good night.

[Hannah Bell]

55. yes, you just go on patting yourself on the back for "helping out at a soup kitchen"

& "collecting clothes".

all your "concern" ain't worth a good goddamn.

1 year of fdr-style economics is worth more than 1000 years of "concern" & clothes-collecting.

"it's all so complicated! so many ten-year-plans! but i can give those poor unfortunates my dirty used shirt. or start a project in partnership with walmart (kaching!) to provide cheap chinese ones."

[SunsetDreams]

60. snark about helping the homeless

mighty big of ya

[Hannah Bell]

61. because it doesn't help. that's the point. it doesn't help.

30 years of soup kitchens & used shirts & walmart partnerships & there are more homeless people than ever, & still growing.

it's not about not having a fucking shirt. it's about not having a job or a place to live. or about having a job but still not being able to afford a place to live. it's about the cutback of the safety net & the growing proportion of the national income that goes to capital.

it's like we deliberately produce homeless people so nice people like you can feed them soup & get written up in the local paper for their good deeds.

the same articles, year after year: "12-year-old gives her christmas presents to the homeless!"

ooh, isn't that nice!



been there, done that.

[SunsetDreams]

63. It doesn't help huh?

"because it doesn't help. that's the point. it doesn't help.
Posted by Hannah Bell
30 years of soup kitchens & used shirts & walmart partnerships & there are more homeless people than ever, & still growing.

it's not about not having a fucking shirt. it's about not having a job or a place to live. or about having a job but still not being able to afford a place to live."


So while they are trying to fix it and all, we should just ignore them.

Your hungry? Too bad.

Your kids have no shoes? Too bad.

You need something nice to wear to go on that interview? Too bad.

You need some shampoo, toothbrush, soap, to maintain some dignity? TOO BAD!

I'm sorry you are on your own.

AMAZING!

[Hannah Bell]

64. we're not going to fix it. we're just going to keep giving them soup.

dignity?

are you kidding?

there is no fucking dignity when you live in a homeless shelter. i know a great deal more about it than any soup-pusher.

maybe you missed this part, since you obviously read nothing of my posts:

"like the director of one told me on the way to a 'ten-year-plan' meeting: 'Here's where we pretend we're going to end homelessness in ten years.'"


"The economy" is not some mysterious fact of nature; it's a human creation directed by & operating in the interest of a ruling class. It creates homelessness, slums, depression, bank failures, migration, family breakup, ruined lives, wasted potential & more -- for PROFIT.

[SunsetDreams]

65. You've clearly represented that you don't

know a great deal more about it, and frankly that you don't care.
You want it to just GO AWAY! It's not your problem right, just fix it right now. I don't want to help them, YOU DO IT.

"we're not going to fix it. we're just going to keep giving them soup.
Posted by Hannah Bell
dignity?

are you kidding?

there is no fucking dignity when you live in a homeless shelter. i know a great deal more about it than any soup-pusher."

Like I said...TOO BAD!

You are on your own. That reminds me of....hmmmm... who could they be?

I'm not kidding, about the dignity part. You answer would be that they go around, not having their hair clean, smelling clean, having shoes that are not worn or at least having some shoes, something nice to wear to an interview, etc etc. THAT IS DIGNITY! What you profess to want to do, is GIVE THEM NO DIGNITY. There is a difference.
Again you deal in absolutes.

[Hannah Bell]

66. you have no clue. at. all. shampoo has nothing to do with dignity. that's a middle-class fantasy.

when you live in a homeless shelter, you have no dignity. with shampoo, or without.

at least a quarter of the people in shelters work. they can buy their own goddamn shampoo.

and you have no clue what i'm talking about.

so continue bringing the homeless shampoo if it makes you feel good. the objects of our charity are ever-ready to contribute to our continuing sense of our own self-worth & identity.

[SunsetDreams]

67. Finally :)

You are right I don't have a clue what you are talking about.
Now you just continue with your not caring and all, and just wanting someone else to fix the problem, and RIGHT NOW!
Meanwhile, others, like myself, will continue to help them, no matter how much someone else would rather just ignore them.

"Middle class fantasy" LOL

Beyond Amazing, your posts have been.

_______________________

"you have no clue. at. all. shampoo has nothing to do with dignity. that's a middle-class fantasy.
Posted by Hannah Bell
when you live in a homeless shelter, you have no dignity. with shampoo, or without.

and you have no clue what i'm talking about.

so continue bringing the homeless shampoo if it makes you feel good. the objects of our charity are ever-ready to contribute to our continuing sense of our own self-worth."

__________

It's been really enlightening, but I must go now.


:hi:

[Hannah Bell]

68. i've been on this beat for years. for you, homelessness was just invented.

you think it's complicated.

i know it's not.

the shelter i was associated with for over 5 years had a basement full of clothes. they sent half the clothes they got to the trash or the rag men.

sometimes it actually *cost* them money to dispense of clothes they could use or store, or even worse, completely unusable clothing that people had "donated" -- thinking, i don't know, that the shelter was a garbage dump or that poor people wouldn't mind wearing the shirt that smelled permanently of cat pee or the dress pants with stains on them.

no shortage of clothes.

what they were short on was cold hard cash.

to e.g. pay the mortgage, pay for new pipes (toilet leakage especially fun), mold treatment, rotted shower stalls - the power bill, the water bill, the garbage bill (gotta dispose of those old clothes, broken knicknacks, stinky used stuffed animals somehow) - peed on mattresses, broken windows, the freezer that quit working on the weekend, the 40-year old coolers that didn't cool, the 60-year-old production stove with the pilot light that went out sometimes, the kind of food items that were rarely donated, the rotten linoleum around the dishwasher...& on & on.

they always had plenty of toothpaste, though. and hotel travel size shampoos.

so everybody had clean hair & felt all dignified-like.

though they were living in dorms in a homeless shelter & couldn't be inside the building during the day unless it was below freezing.

at least at our shelter they didn't have to pack all their belongings around with them all day, though.

not to mention their personal information being public knowledge, the surreptitious information-sharing with the police, drug court (if you ever have to live in a homeless shelter, know that anything you tell the "counselors" - about your sex life, your family situation, or whatever -- is likely to be shared with others without your permission & that anything you say can & will be used against you)...

i have a lot of stories.

homeless could be ended tomorrow.

[HughMoran]

79. Feeding people in Africa must not help either

Where do you get these arguments?

"it's like we deliberately produce homeless people so nice people like you can feed them soup & get written up in the local paper for their good deeds."

That's one of the most disgusting sentences I've ever read on DU :puke:

[rhett o rick]

174. You are wasting your time arguing with the "let them eat cake" crowd.

They think that having a "program" or six to feed the homeless is enough. And if you dare say that "feeding" the homeless isnt enough, they will accuse you of wanting the homeless to starve. They dont recognize that we need jobs. We need a different economy. Not one that preys on the poor and working class. Their arguments smack of libertarianism (every person for themselves and "cake" for the starving).

[HughMoran]

78. That's a really awful thing to say about somebody who volunteered their time to help homeless people

I'm really disgusted thinking that it's more important to you that you are 'right' rather than 'just'.

:wow:

[CBR]

85. Who cares about the work you did either? Stop patting

yourself on the back.

[SunsetDreams]

54. Since you edited your post, I will reply yet again.

"and obama's ten-year-plan is a big a pile of kickbacks for consultants & potemkin press releases & other useless steaming bullshite as bush's was."

One word: hyperbole.
In the original reply, you said it was the same policy as Bush, and gave a link all about Bush, not Obama.
When I asked for a different link that compared policies, you had none.
So, like I said hyperbole.

[Hannah Bell]

56. i thought you weren't interested in debating. but you keep debating.

my editing my posts is immaterial to your professed lack of interest in debating.

don't you have some clothes to collect or something?

[HughMoran]

75. ", in seattle 1950s to 1970s, you didn't see homeless people or beggars in the street."

So you apparently never lived in NYC or Boston where I grew up.

You're lost in this argument - your 'personal anecdotes' don't jibe with reality.

"you might see old winos & drunken indians occasionally, but at night they went home to single room occupancy hotels on the waterfront. waterfront view."

OMG!!!!!!!! ::wow: :wow: :wow: :wow: So street people had a "waterfront view" huh? Wow, I've never even heard a Republican use such a 'wave of the hand' dismissal in my entire life - but from a self-professed socialist? :wow:

If you think your little personal anecdotes work in places like Boston (where I saw the homeless 24/7 in the 60's), NYC, Newark & many other old NE cities, then you're deliberately not facing reality. :wow: Are you really serious?

[rhett o rick]

87. Are you attacking the poster or discussing the issue? What is your take on the wars? nm

[HughMoran]

88. Diversion.

Nice try.

[rhett o rick]

119. Disruption

You are the one that isnt adding anything to the discussion but harassment of the poster.

[Hannah Bell]

97. take a number with the phoney outrage.

[HughMoran]

105. Guess that means I win the argument

I kind of expected this.

[Hannah Bell]

106. The neolib mission: "It has always been like this, no other world has ever existed"

[TBF]

131. You win every argument, because the rules are written in your favor.

That's ok, we'll see how it goes in November. Every single one of us who post on this site can go to our polling places and pull the D lever, straight party, and many of us will.

But it's not going to be enough unless our president can turn this thing around. Right now he's sitting on 2 wars, a disaster in the gulf, and high unemployment. It doesn't matter if most of it was started by Bush, people's memories aren't that long (well, they are on this site but I'm talking about the general public).

We're not "debating" with you and the other self-professed "cheerleaders" to hone up on our debating skills. We are just ordinary Americans talking about what we see. I personally see tea party bumper stickers wherever I go, but then I live in Texas. I'm sure you'll come back with some snarky comeback to shut me down, but this is what I see around me. People out of work, teachers getting fired, people worried about their jobs and medical bills, people wanting the wars to end.

[rhett o rick]

158. How sad that winning is your objective. nm

[Forkboy]

169. Anyone who has to declare their own victory hasn't won anything.

But some people need that feeling desperately, whether earned or not, to get through the day and feel good about themselves.

[whathehell]

170. The point is..

the homeless existed in FAR fewer numbers!!

It's like comparing a couple cases of the flu to a freaking EPIDEMIC!

[rhett o rick]

179. Well put. nm

[whathehell]

181. Thanks, Rhett. n/t

[HughMoran]

74. Hogwash nonsense

& I grew up with homeless in my neighborhood in the late 60's & you seem to be skirting the issue of what you wrote in your previous post.

[Hannah Bell]

100. ...

In the 1930s, the Great Depression caused the ranks of the homeless to swell considerably. With scarce or non-existent job opportunities, many able-bodied men dropped out of the labour market and became part of an army of "permanently" unemployed transients. This mass of homeless people often overwhelmed the available "Skid Row" accommodation; many were housed in emergency shelters, in special camps located on the outskirts of the cities or, when temporary housing facilities were unavailable, simply escorted out of town.

World War II brought a substantial decline in the homeless population, as many transients were integrated into the armed forces or absorbed in the burgeoning war industries. As a result, the homeless population shrank considerably, though it did not altogether disappear.

In the 1950s, transients living outside the family unit tended to be concentrated in the poorer districts of the city where there were cheap hotels and restaurants, bars, religious missions and casual employment agencies. The current notion of "homelessness," based on the absence of shelter, did not strictly apply here, as most of the poor could readily find shelter in rooming houses, cheap hotels, or other forms of substandard housing ("flophouses"). In fact, only a small minority of the "transient" population actually resorted to sleeping on the streets...

In the 1960s and 1970s, most researchers believed that "Skid Rows" were destined to disappear. They pointed to the substantial drop in transient populations and high vacancy rates in cubicle hotels as evidence of its imminent departure from the urban landscape. Also, the continuing mechanisation of low-skilled or menial tasks in the 1960s and 1970s further reduced the economic function of these areas as a source of cheap labour. A survey of 41 American cities noted that populations in such poor areas dropped by 50% between 1950 and 1970. Further, where the markets for unskilled labour declined sharply, the drop in these populations was correspondingly larger.(1)

However, the predicted demise of the "Skid Row" and homelessness was premature. While most flophouses and cheap hotels were demolished, and the land reclaimed used to raise more apartment and office buildings, the homeless did not disappear. Quite the opposite happened; the homeless became more visible as their composition changed substantially in the late 1970s and 1980s...

"One must remember that homelessness is a housing problem: homelessness on the scale seen today is in large part an outcome of the shortage of inexpensive housing for the poor, a shortage that began in the 1970s and has accelerated in the 1980s.(2)"

http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection-R/LoPBdP/modules/prb99-1-homelessness/international-e.htm#(1)


Before Reagan, people sleeping in the street were so rare that, outside of skid rows, they were almost a curiosity. After eight years of Reaganomics - - and the slashes in low-income housing and social welfare programs that went along with it -- they were seemingly everywhere.

And America had a new household term: "The homeless."

Reagan's supporters don't quite see it this way, of course, but his critics say the single most powerful thing Reagan did to create homelessness was to cut the budget for the Department of Housing and Urban Development by three-quarters, from $32.2 billion in 1981 to $7.5 billion by 1988. The department was the main governmental supporter of subsidized housing for the poor and, combined with the administration's overhaul of tax codes to reduce incentives for private developers to create low-income homes, the nation took a hit to its stock of affordable housing from which it has yet to recover, they contend.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0610-03.htm

[rhett o rick]

187. Strange that you have to explain the damage the Reagan did to a DU'er. nm

[whathehell]

172. I grew up in the fifties and sixties in

the large east coast city of Philadelphia, PA.

I did NOT grow up with, or even SEE homeless people until the nineteen eighties....and I didn't live in a well-off area...I lived in a blue collar neighborhood which I left for the far more diverse "downtown" area in 1972.

I repeat: Beyond the occasional wino one would see in any city in any era...I did NOT see homeless people.

Maybe the area you grew up in was particularly impoverished

[rhett o rick]

77. Sorry but I am missing your point here. Are you telling us there is no problem or that we always

had one?

[whathehell]

126. Five or six, maybe?.......

a couple of hobos riding rails?....Seriously...I was THIRTY years old when Reagan was elected and so I remember the pre-Reagan era quite weill....There was no "homeless problem" before Reagan...You did NOT see people sitting, or lying around city streets asking for money!

In school, we would hear about places like Calcutta, India where people "lived on the streets"..and we were reminded how lucky we were to live in America (or even Europe, for that matter) because e, those things didn't happen here...and they didn't.

In the Sixties, we had the largest middle class in the world, the highest number of college graduates.....Homeless people begging?..No way!

When they started appearing it was like "holy shit"!..HERE?!....Everyone I knew was shocked and thought it was a "temporary problem" that the government, someone..would surely fix...It's been thirty years...never "fixed"....Disgusting..Not the America my generation grew up in.

[rhett o rick]

180. Reagan emptied the mental institutions into the streets. Now there is a compassionate conservative.

[whathehell]

182. Precisely. n/t

[HughMoran]

73. "yes, (homelessness) happened very nearly overnight. "

That's just plain ignorant of the facts

:eyes:

Unbelievable. No credibility at all.

[rhett o rick]

184. It is not constructive to call people ignorant. By the way, I live in a fairly small

community. We had homeless of course, a decade ago. A handful of men that didnt want a home. Today we have two tent cities that are too large they are causing the county problem. And we have a number (we try to keep their locations secret as best we can) of churches who allow their parking lots to be used by families living in their cars. We recently set up a church parking lot for single mothers living in their cars.

This problem is increasing fairly rapidly. We have a ton of empty houses and people living in cars. We didnt have any of this a decade ago. Pres Obama didnt cause this problem, but if he doesnt do something soon, he will own the problem.

[Bluenorthwest]

116. Just noting later that this is very much accurate information

Reagan, the 'transformative' President, as Obama calls him. Yep.

[Ignis]

104. From someone who lived in Los Angeles in the 80s: YES, it did.

No one's saying that there were absolutely no homeless before Reagan's policies. That's a strawman, so there's no need to joust against it.

[whathehell]

171. From someone who lived in Philadelphia at the same time....THANK you! n/t

[grillo7]

159. Very true...

"how to end homelessness: employ people so they can house themselves or house them. stop funding shelters & free-market vouchers for slumlords & fund decent affordable housing with security.

it's not that fucking complicated."

Even the vouchers aren't well-funded. Every place I've lived has a minimum of a two-year wait list to get section-8 vouchers. There's no will to get this problem solved in Washington, and it's seriously messed up. Safe and secure housing--especially for children--should be a basic human right, as Roosevelt suggested it should be back in the 40's.

[flyarm]

93. we got the "PLAN" when Reagan was pres..he closed up many mental hospitals and put the people out on

the streets..we didn't have hardly any homeless before that.it exploded then in the early 80's..it is now over 29 years..and now 5 presidents later and we still get the 10 year meme..in 1993 I had a homeless man move in front of my home in Los Angeles..he deficated in my yard at night and used my hose for a shower..he left food in his car in the hot weather and I couldn't even go into my front yard for the smell.

I would get my son out to go to school in the morning and the guy would look like he was dead in the car and I would pull out of the driveway and pass his car and see him looking dead with a needle through his pants in his leg..he was passed out from shooting up drugs into his leg.

I would be scared to come home alone after dropping my son off for school.

My son was terrified of this guy..as was I..because he took up residence in front of my home for 3 months! In a broken down car..he would stand on the street and pan handle for money which he then used for drugs..and would shoot up infront of my home.

He was homeless ..but with a car..

His hair was half way down his back but matted so bad it looked like a nasty bird nest.

There was no where for him to go, because all the shelters were full , the drug rehabs had no beds..because none were being funded enough! Not through 3 presidents at that time.

When is it time to help these people..another fucking ten years??????

We are now at almost 30 years! Another 10 years makes it 40 years!

If not now..when????????????

Its been documented that hospitals drop the homeless and helpless at Homeless areas..just dump them..if they are old or helpless and poor with no family to help them.

I live in Fla now and never see a homeless person..but my kids live in LA and when I go out there ..it's over whelming to me how many more homeless there are now compared to the 80's and 90's..

Many have serious problems medically and mentally.And none of their problems are being addressed, not by our government and not by society.

If not now When????????

10 more years these poor people can not wait!

[Oregone]

36. He should be consistent and mandate private home purchases

Thatll work

[cottonseed]

6. Is this some sort of march on DU tonight?

I don't get it. I popped in this evening and everyone's screaming.

[Scurrilous]

24. LOL

:thumbsup:

[The Northerner]

7. The wars will continue for as long as there is funding and support for them

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

9. But..but..he's telling us his war Afghanistan is "necessary". Feeding poor people isn't.

And, not nearly as politically expedient as proving he's "tough on terra'".

[Scurrilous]

50. Yep...Obama believes feeding the poor isn't necessary.

I heard he gets that from his wife.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

142. Photo--ops don't end wars or put the money fighting wars towards ending hunger.

But, they do make for nice shows of "concern".

[lunatica]

11. He probably knows far better than we do

Politics is the art of compromise. I scratch your back and you scratch mine.

As harsh as that might sound. Is there really any doubt in your mind that he doesn't know what's going on out here?

[Ramulux]

18. Well he either

knows and doesn't care or just doesn't know. I cant tell which is worse.

[lunatica]

22. it feels bad no matter what it is

It's too bad for us and our country, but we're not the first military power to make huge mistakes and deplete ourselves into oblivion.

[madrchsod]

12. of course it is unacceptable....

feeding the down and outs in this country is a low priority.

[Kahuna]

70. Nonsense. There are plenty of programs to feed the down and outs.

Ever hear of food stamps and food kitchens? :eyes:

[rhett o rick]

82. Ah yes the "we have a program" answer. How well are the programs working?

We still have the problems.

[Kahuna]

103. Is that the best response you could come up with? If so, it's a

good day for me and a not so good one for you. ;)

[rhett o rick]

121. It doesnt matter how many "programs" you have. What matters is the results. We have children hungry

and living in cars and all you got is "we got programs". I worked at a place and got my fill of the "we have a problem" ohh well "we have a program". No solutions only "programs". I deal with these people on a one to one basis and your "program" aint fucking working.

[laughingliberal]

134. +1000 nt

[rhett o rick]

122. I wouldnt think of wishing you a bad day. I guess we differ. Snark away. nm

[Forkboy]

128. It was so good you felt compelled to dodge the question.

How are these programs working?

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. Amen

[Name removed]

17. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[QC]

21. And if he ends the war, Fox "News" might call him a liberal!!! n/t

[flyarm]

23. Oh my god ..curses!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Scurrilous]

26. I don't think he'd fancy that. n/t

[Common Sense Party]

25. And now we have repukes on MSNBC saying get out of Afghanistan.

It's a crazy, muddled-up, shook-up world.

[leftstreet]

28. No kidding?

Were they politicians, or pundits?

Interesting

[Common Sense Party]

29. Repub congresskid from Utah, Chaffetz

I guess he was on KO's show today talking about it. They mentioned it on the radio here tonight.

[Kahuna]

72. "Repukes?" How many? Name names. nt

[Common Sense Party]

92. I already did name one name

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/home/50003492-76/chaffetz-funding-war-afghanistan.html.csp

[rhett o rick]

86. So now if you say get out of Afghanistan, you get called a repuke. Great. nm

[Common Sense Party]

89. Ummm...he IS a repuke. Chaffetz.

Some things actualy ARE literal.

[rhett o rick]

120. I understand. I mean now I get called a repuke enabler because I dare challenge the Pres on

continuing the Bush war.

[Oregone]

37. Yes he knows. He was a community organizer after all

Next question: does he care?

[LostinVA]

57. Visiit Pine Ridge Reservation -- get a factory to open there

Help the world, but help our own, first.

The cobbler's children go without shoes.

Good OP.

[Kahuna]

69. Pick an issue. The three you have stated are not connected. Your

post erroneouly assumes that there are no policies in place to "feed the children" and that is just wrong and you know it. Ever hear of food stamps?

Your post also assumes that there are no policies in place to assist the homeless and that is also wrong. There are many, but they are mostly handled at local government level. I suspect that you really do know that too. :eyes:

And for the record, to those who are demanding that homelessness be "ended," there is no way that homelessness can ever be ended, because for their own reasons, there are folks who do not want to participate in any government assistance programs. In NYC, they have even have had policy in place to arrest homeless people to get them off the streets when the weather is extremely cold. It is mandatory for the homeless to go to public shelters, and some just prefer to not do it. So to state that homelessness can be "ended" is just ridiculous.

[rhett o rick]

81. The issue is misplaced priorities. The "policies in place" are not adequate

to see that America's children are housed, clothed and feed. I want my President to be as committed to ending hunger as he is in "winning" in Afghanistan.

Of course ending all homelessness is ridiculous, but my OP says "stop the wars, feed the children". Do you disagree or object to that?

[Kahuna]

102. Nonsense. The government is designed to address different priorities..

all at the same time. That's why they have agencies and agency heads. :wow:

[rhett o rick]

124. Well your government is failing in both cases. nm

[spanone]

71. america funds war....that's what we do...always have

fuck the poor fuck the unemployed fuck the homeless fuck the people

600 billion a year to blow people the fuck up

[femmocrat]

80. Did anyone see Dateline, NBC on Sunday, July 25?

Ann Curry did an hour on poverty and hunger in America. I thought it was very well-done for a network show.

Link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38382773/ns/dateline_nbc-america_now

[rhett o rick]

84. I saw parts of it. It's good of them to at least show we have a problem but I think

all the examples they showed ended on a positive note, possibly leaving some to think, as one poster in this thread, that we have programs in place to help. Problem solved.

[AngryAmish]

83. .

<http://my.opera.com/Bj%C3%B8rk/albums/showpic.dml?album=66445&picture=816419>

[Stinky The Clown]

90. Their parents are lazy, so stop your whining.

:sarcasm: <--- in case it was not obvious

[rhett o rick]

153. Yep I got it Stinky. nm

[ChiciB1]

163. I Just Made The Very Same Comment... We MUST Stop This Criticism

of the POOR, and all the name calling that goes with it!!

[slackmaster]

91. To make matters worse, there are people in Congress who are pushing for smaller cars

:argh:

[sandnsea]

95. lol

I alerted on this pile of crap last night. Then all the separate posts, some that got deleted. So I open DU this am and here it still is. Your post is perfect, cracked me up. Thank you. I'll just hide the whole damn thing now.

[femrap]

98. He doesn't care.

Endless war is what is important.

[treestar]

99. Unrec'd, this is not an either/or question

Of course the President realizes this and is working on doing things about it. That does not mean that we can't fight the war at the same time. One does not have to be for or against the war to see this.

[rhett o rick]

176. It appears to be an either war or feeding children. We have the war and have not solved the hungry

children problem. Every day we spend millions on war. That's today and tomorrow and yesterday. But what are we doing about children living in cars and begging for food? "the President realizes this and is working on doing things about it." Just how long do we have to wait for results?

It is either/or when the public is reluctant to support increasing the deficit for social programs while we are spending hundreds of billions on war.

The war needs to end for many reasons, dont you agree?

[jpak]

101. unrecc - inane strawperson

yup

[rhett o rick]

186. Thanks for the kick, but your response lacked content. nm

[Name removed]

107. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rhett o rick]

127. I see you have nothing to contribute but hate. Ignore. nm

[Forkboy]

129. Like your locked thread the other day?

[NJmaverick]

110. He worked as a community organizer. I would venture to say he is more aware of this situation

than almost everyone on DU

[ChiciB1]

161. PLEASE... NJmav.... NOT NOW... NOT THIS TIME! Please! n/t

[laughingliberal]

112. K & R nt

[TroglodyteScholar]

113. Of course he knows.

He's from Chicago, for fuck's sake.

[mother earth]

114. Absolutely! END the war NOW! Our flag should be upside down.

The GOP bitches about debt while they started the avalanche of bail-outs and profiteering, and our party enables the bastards, they continue it. The real terrorism is what's taking place at home before our very eyes.

[democrank]

115. Sorry, but the kids will have to wait.

We have banks to save and wars to wage.

[laughingliberal]

135. +1000 nt

[sandrakae]

117. Yea but it takes a while to fix 8 years worth of FUCK UPS.

[jgraz]

118. Then he should probably think about getting started on that, dontcha think?

Instead of cementing the fuckups as "centrist" and "bipartisan".

[laughingliberal]

123. +1000 nt

[rhett o rick]

125. It would help me a lot if he would just say he wanted a strong public option.

Or that he really wants to kill the Patriot Act and domestic spying. I would love him to say he wishes to end the wars as soon as possible w/o worrying about "winning". And he could stop today, the prosecutions of military personnel for being gay, while Congress fiddles away. But he hasnt.

How do I know he even wants these things?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

143. You mean like escalating a lost war? And pouring more money into it?

[defendandprotect]

147. Aah, the time line alibi again -- ???

[asdjrocky]

130. Poor children are invisable to the rich and powerful.

Unless they live on top of oil, then it's a whole 'nother story.

[TBF]

132. Yeah, then they kill them. You don't want to be getting

in between a rich person and their oil.

[asdjrocky]

133. Yeah.

I thought about saying it, but I figured someone would come along that knows the score.

[Ken Burch]

136. He's more comfortable with the people in the suites than the ones in the streets

And that will always explain everything with him.

(And yes, he's better than we could have been stuck with...but we shouldn't have to SETTLE for this...and by "we", I mean the American people...)

[Botany]

137. Obama very well knows about the suffering

11/08 Thanksgiving food give away

[spooked911]

139. I agree this is unacceptable but I have a serious question

What kind of documentation is there on how many kids like this there are?

[Catherina]

149. 1 out of every 50 American children is homeless

http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/




More than 1.5 million homeless American children are stranded at the grim nexus of poverty, economic recession, and escalating housing foreclosures—one in every 50 American children is homeless each year. With foreclosures and layoffs increasing daily, the number of children and families without homes in the United States is likely to increase.

America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness presents the clearest snapshot yet of the 1.5 million children who are homeless each year—where they live and the consequences of their precarious situations. The report documents the extent of child homelessness, child well-being, risk for child homelessness and policy and planning efforts for each state. Recommendations for state and federal action are also included.

...

Among the findings reported in America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report Card on Child Homelessness:

1 in 50 children in America are homeless.

1.5 million children are homeless each year.

Of the 2.3 to 3.5 million Americans who are homeless each year, 34% are families.

These numbers are likely to grow as the economic recession worsens and escalating housing foreclosures increase.

Overall Rank by State
States ranked 1-50 with 1 being best and 50 worst

State / Score
Connecticut 1
New Hampshire 2
Hawaii 3
Rhode Island 4
North Dakota 5
Minnesota 6
Wisconsin 7
Massachusetts 8
Maine 9
Vermont 10
Iowa 11
South Dakota 12
Illinois 13
Pennsylvania 14
West Virginia 15
New Jersey 16
Virginia 17
Maryland 18
Delaware 19
Ohio 20
Wyoming 21
Alaska 22
Idaho 23
Tennessee 24
Washington 25
Oregon 26
Missouri 27
Kansas 28
Michigan 29
Indiana 30
Oklahoma 31
Alabama 32
Montana 33
Nebraska 34
Colorado 35
Arizona 36
Utah 37
New York 38
South Carolina 39
California 40
Mississippi 41
Kentucky 42
Florida 43
North Carolina 44
Nevada 45
Louisiana 46
New Mexico 47
Arkansas 48
Georgia 49
Texas 50

http://www.homelesschildrenamerica.org/findings_national.php

Download the full report

Interactive Map Here

[rhett o rick]

152. Great post. You should have done the OP. nm

[Catherina]

155. Nope. Your OP is great. I did another one. Thanks for the suggestion

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8837148 :hi:

[spooked911]

167. Thanks! Though I guess I was wondering about good examples

that could be used to educate people.

[rhett o rick]

151. Use google. The internets are your friend. nm

[spooked911]

166. obviously I could have searched for it myself

but searches can be fruitless and I was wondering if someone had already found a pertinent link

[rhett o rick]

178. Agree, I often do the same. Didnt intend to be snarky just flip. nm

[JDPriestly]

140. And people in their 50s and early 60s so desperate

that they are suicidal?

It's the same story that it was with Bush. When he ventures out to be with the public, he meets with hand-picked crowds of supporters who cheer him. He is not really talking with the people who have lost their jobs and homes.

[lib2DaBone]

144. No.. he doesn't have a clue. He lives in Royal luxury like all politicians..

[defendandprotect]

146. How could Obama not know? "Stop the wars -- feed the children -- !!!" YES!!

[Catherina]

150. The DLC only cares about well-to-do urban professionals.

That's the face of the New Dem Party.

[ProSense]

154. The President can make an unconditional commitment to ending child hunger

National Anti-Hunger Organizations Release “Roadmap to End Childhood Hunger” in Response to President’s Goal of Ending Child Hunger by 2015

USDA Announces Grants to Help End Hunger in America

[rhett o rick]

157. I truly hope this works, but please excuse my skepticism. I have seen programs come and go

without helping the problem.

"the Roadmap recommends increasing economic opportunity, bolstering income supports, and strengthening the nutritional safety net." This sounds like rhetoric to me, but I truly hope its more.

I will not be happy until I see that the number of hungry children decreases.

In the mean time, end the wasteful wars, and redirect the billions to job creation.

[ChiciB1]

160. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ASKING THIS QUESTION... There Is Another

here at DU who has asked THIS question almost every single day with every single post. I'm not sure I'm allowed to do this, but "rhett o rick" I'm overjoyed that you have posted this subject matter. I'm sure there are many, many others who KNOW people around them who are struggling much more now than they had ever thought they would. So many who have lost so much through no direct fault of their own, but somehow are blamed and made to feel SHAME because others choose to label them as lazy or that they simply aren't trying hard enough to pull themselves back up. I DON'T believe this to be true for most part.

While I know that there is a group here who sincerely feel this is a shameful thing going on in this country, and who also are very sympathetic to the cause. But here is one person who comes to mind when I think about this subject. She goes by the DU name of "bobbolink" and NEVER forgets to remind me and most here that POVERTY is a LARGE, LIVING, BREATHING scourge that is attacking this country from within!

As with many threads that so quickly die and sink down the line as soon as a "breaking news" story pops up, I would like to think that this subject will at least make some stop and think of just how serious this issue has become.

A STORY:
Recently a neighbor (a friend) of mine lost his job about six months ago. A job good enough to provide for his family in a middle class neighborhood and buy a few extras now and then for them to enjoy a bit of our American Dream. I won't go into the whole story, but I know the shame he now feels. I DIDN'T know how bad it had gotten because I assume he wanted to at least save his pride. Unfortunately his water system broke down and he HAD to get it fixed and called a service to fix it. Not long after, I was there when he had to call them again because the repair needed more attention. The person who came out wasn't very tactful when he told the man he would fix it again, but he wanted "cash" because his other 2 checks had bounced! I'm sure anyone can imagine just how "small" he must have felt that I was there to hear those words. And I myself didn't quite know what to say. Many thoughts went through my mind, several I wanted to direct at the service person, but then I thought that even THEY might be having difficulty too! They didn't know I was just a friend and not a family member. But there I stood and I wanted to cry!

We're a close knit neighborhood, but I pondered about what I could do to help. It's hard to ignore what happened, but it's also hard to see them struggle along trying to keep their dignity. My husband is very handy and can fix many things from cars, to roofing, small motors... a list that makes me proud of him. There are others who are handy doing other odd jobs so we CAN be helpful to them, but it sure was difficult to let this family know that WE UNDERSTAND and we are willing to help where we could. I "think" I did the right thing by offering assistance and passing the word along, still I understand WHY they didn't want others knowing. It's SHAME, and SHAME that we as a country have let this get so out of hand.

I just wanted to add my 1/2 penny to this discussion. And this isn't the only family here who have lost a lot. Two other families have had to move and leave their homes, but you know... out of sight, out of mind! Not really for me though because they were nice neighbors and good people!

IT IS a FACT that POVERTY has grown and grown and grown in this country called "The Greatest In The World!" Up the road from me, many prosperous and famous people have homes, but I'm now seeing that they too have "for sale" signs up. Most of those homes are probably 2nd or even 3rd homes and I think they will survive. I can't even imagine what it might be like in some of our very large cities that are coming apart at the seams. Just knowing is hurtful!

Congress just passed a HUGE WAR FUNDING BILL and yet can't seem to find the money to help so many in need! THIS IS WRONG and I didn't think I would ever be seeing this so up close and personal! All IS NOT well, not by a long shot and I wonder just how many others are hiding behind closed doors not wanting to lose their PRIDE!

bobbolink, thank you for always reminding me, and rhett o rick... thank YOU for remembering too and posting this!

This is long, maybe some will read this, maybe not... I just needed to tell a little story of my own!
:hug:

[rhett o rick]

165. Thank you. There are lots of stories. My best friend lost his retirement when Enron took over his

company and literally stole the retirement fund. He has recently had to "retire" because of health issues, but has no health insurance. He badly needs a knee replaced. I suggested he move to Canada or Europe. I am not proud to be an American.

[ChiciB1]

164. II MUST KICK THIS... It's So Important!!! n/t

[Vinca]

168. Educate the children, too. It's our only hope.

[rhett o rick]

175. Just wait until the con's get the school systems privatized. They are trying. nm

[ChiciB1]

183. That's ANOTHER Big Issue On The Horizon! And I Don't Think Many People

have put enough thought or even interest into what is happening to the education system. How this charter school stuff is going to be helpful to those experiencing POVERTY is even more DIRE!

I simply don't recognize this country much anymore! I myself spent yesterday in bed because of a medical situation that has now passed! At least I still have what I would call "good" health care because my husband worked for a Union. He retired early so we could take his mother into our home to care for her. She suffered from Alzheimer's and lived with us for 10 years, until a social worker came in and told us that we were no longer qualified to deal with her needs. The social worker wasn't wrong because she was no longer walking, talking or doing anything on her own. While we had cared for her throughout with the Depends, feeding and all the "messy" stuff for so long, when she was pretty much in a vegetative state, she had to be removed. But once she was placed in a Nursing Home she died within two months!

I don't blame those working at the Home, because the real on hands workers get paid so little per hour, while those in charge are making GOOD salaries!

But still, it goes back to POVERTY because had she not had us to care for her she might have lingered on as she did in some crappy Nursing Home that not only smelled bad, but screwed with any real health care she got from us. I have been to many Nursing Homes, and have volunteered my time, but I can NEVER get the "smell" of those places out of my nose. Not to mention what you "see" going on. People crying out and grabbing at you simply for some ATTENTION! I understand they suffer dementia or worse, but there are not enough people there to care for them!

It's really awful, and since people simply can't be put down, the over crowding is UNREAL! I'll stop with this now and am sorry I didn't reply sooner. I WANT this issue to stay front and center, but I see that it's one that TOO MANY PEOPLE simply don't want to deal with! Perhaps it's because it's so pervasive and monumental and too many just don't know what to do! I myself think that way many times, and I TRY to do what I can to help!

It's JUST SO FRUSTRATING, and we as a Nation simply are ignoring a problem that is growing larger day by day, and WILL have to be dealt with, if only because it will hit us smack in the face, and when it will be much too late!!

Why our Democrats have been so lame remains a mystery to me, and I'm not sure I really believe much in a political answer much anymore! Both parties are about MONEY for the most part and looking to grease their own palms... I'm NEVER thought Democrats would actually let themselves get so rolled and DEFINED by Repukes, but I CAN'T ignore what seems obvious to me!!!

JMHO!!