submitter: What a great way to spend $186 million a year

Gees what are those Liberals thinking? That money could be put to so much better use like a tax break for the oil companies, or buying more bombs!

Wow...that money would be much better spent on 20 hours in Iraq...

People panhandle because they are short of money.
That monetary shortfall could encompass homelessness, but not necessarily. There are other essentials like food, which I've heard is very nice to have.
Getting into subsidized housing doesn't suddenly mean all your bills are paid.

_{/just waiting for the smalltown outrage from people whose mortgage payment couldn't rent a wet cardboard box in SF}

I still say we should use poor people for fuel. We get rid of two problems at once.

SF's homeless makes me glad I am in NYC, despite the occasional brick-throwing psycho or HIV-infected needle in your ass here. They are farking aggressive out there. If a bum in NYC tries that shiat here, they will probably get their ass kicked in a major way. Amazing what they put up with in SF.

eddyatwork: I still say we should use poor people for fuel. We get rid of two problems at once.

just use fat people. fat burns good.

Weaver95: just use fat people.

You better hope the TFettes don't see that. They might SIT on you!

Weaver95: eddyatwork: I still say we should use poor people for fuel. We get rid of two problems at once.

just use fat people. fat burns good.

For God's sake, show some class, man.

Fat burns well.

Dinki: Gees what are those Liberals thinking? That money could be put to so much better use like a tax break for the oil companies, or buying more bombs!

That money could be even better used back in the pockets of taxpayers.

Crosshair: Dinki: Gees what are those Liberals thinking? That money could be put to so much better use like a tax break for the oil companies, or buying more bombs!

That money could be even better used back in the pockets of taxpayers.

CEOs and CFOs of oil companies are taxpayers too, ya know!

Dinki: Gees what are those Liberals thinking? That money could be put to so much better use like a tax break for the oil companies, or buying more bombs

the point is that despite spending a buttload of money doing very thing that homeless advocates say will address the major problem with the homeless--that they need a home--and generally succeeding at that, they still have a "homeless" problem.

maybe, just maybe, they're doing it wrong

Lionel Mandrake: For God's sake, show some class, man.

Fat burns well.

I am very glad you said it. I did not wish to look pretentious. My top hat and monocle are off to you my good sir. If you were in my locality I would invite you to perambulate to the local drinking establishment for some spirits.

subby: As much as 75 percent of San Francisco's "homeless" street panhandlers have a home--in taxpayer-funded housing. What a great way to spend $186 million a year

Housing is a great way to spend tax money. Giving to panhandlers is a terrible way to spend pocket change.

/don't EVER give cash to panhandlers
// you're not helping them or anyone else

This is why I only give out cigarettes to the homeless. You can all thank me for doing my part to rid you of them quicker some other time.

I doubt this problem is confined to San Francisco. The welfare system is farked up all over the country. A woman with a few children and no man in her life doesn't have to work because she can get section 8 housing, free thank to the federal gov't, and welfare, WIC, and food stamps thanks to the state gov't, and she can panhandle for money and make $50,000 a year income.

Tell me that's not farked. Some of these people live nicer than you and I. I know of a home developer in Vegas who couldn't sell their houses due to the crappy real estate market. So they offered the houses to the government as section 8 housing. These were half million dollar homes on a golf course. The gov't snapped them up, the builder gets guaranteed payments, and the welfare people get to live in brand new five bedroom luxury homes for free. It's unbelievable.

Seattle has the same problem.

The biggest flaw (of many) with Left Coast Liberals is this idea that if you just treat people better, they will make something of themselves, exactly being like you view yourselves. In other words lifting people up with more government support.

When in fact, time after time, study after study shows the opposite: you give a permanent half-way solution, people will adapt to fill that niche, and that in itself becomes part of the problem.

So in Seattle we have a 8 million, 75 bed "Drunks Welcome" hotel near where I live, and sure enough, drunks are welcome. So that takes 75 drunks off the street, but it doesn't actually cut down on the over all drunks on the street, it just gives a nice city supported apartment to 75 of them. What do we do with the other 10,000 ?

Its an amazing thing to watch the Left Coast fumble this issue time and again for decades, but it does, with maddening consistency.

I don't advocate jail for all homeless, but I would much rather see the cops and the homeless advocates do something that would actually WORK: get the chronic, by-choice, lifestyle inebriates off the streets and into jobs and off drink and drugs.

Otherwise you have this idiotic scenario with million dollar condos and upscale property, and on the street you have bums. Nothing in the middle.
And an elitist ruling class that thinks its benevolently helping by funding stupid programs that make the situation worse, that enable alcoholics to stay alcoholics.

Generation_D: Its an amazing thing to watch the Left Coast fumble this issue time and again for decades, but it does, with maddening consistency.

it's a psychological thing. they see themselves as compassionate people, so they take action toward that end, despite the real-world experiece of what happens and the basic facts of human nature. and they fail.

but to admit that their approach doesn't work in the real world would be admitting they are not truly being compassionate. and they can't take that.

I was in San Francisco for the first time last month and the homeless situation there is really out of control. Almost every 5 feet from the moment I left my hotel's front door some homeless person would be asking me for money. There are very aggressive ones too who will scream at you and even follow you. Don't even think of walking the streets at night, it's scary enough during the day. Can you imagine walking the streets at night and one jumps out at you from around a corner and shouts "GOT ANY CHANGE?????". I felt like I was in that "South "Park" episode the whole time i was there.

I prefer giving $ to help a poor person have a roof over his ass than give it to rich bastard politicians to fly their spongy fat around the globe for lunch.

My favorite bum in San Francisco lives near Pier 39 and jumps out of the bushes to scare people. I gave him a peanut butter sandwich last week :)

I thought they all lived in airport baggage claim areas

Walker: I was in San Francisco for the first time last month and the homeless situation there is really out of control. Almost every 5 feet from the moment I left my hotel's front door some homeless person would be asking me for money. There are very aggressive ones too who will scream at you and even follow you. Don't even think of walking the streets at night, it's scary enough during the day. Can you imagine walking the streets at night and one jumps out at you from around a corner and shouts "GOT ANY CHANGE?????". I felt like I was in that "South "Park" episode the whole time i was there.

Hobophobe

PC LOAD LETTER: SF's homeless makes me glad I am in NYC, despite the occasional brick-throwing psycho or HIV-infected needle in your ass here. They are farking aggressive out there. If a bum in NYC tries that shiat here, they will probably get their ass kicked in a major way. Amazing what they put up with in SF.

As a resident of San Francisco I would like everyone to know that there will be a new pilot program of trucking in aggressive New Yorkers to kick hobo's asses. As part of the program, they will teach native SFers how to blow off all all of our am-I-green/hipter/progressive enough angst (by kicking hobo's asses).

//studies show I am really annoyed with the hobo situation downtown

Let the homeless bashing begin...........

Cause they aint gonna be readin no puters

The best part, and what makes me giggle, is listening to all these liberal SFians spout off in language that sounds suspiciously conservative, "Gee, can't they get jobs instead of panhandling?"; "I don't think we're getting the best bang for our buck", etc...

This is purely wonderful. Maybe twenty years from now there will be a little sanity let back into the city.

Simple solution: Allow citizens to beat homeless people. Ask me for spare change? I get to bury my fist in your eye. It cuts down on people who could work just panhandling, and it helps those who need to panhandle feel like they earned that $1 in coins.

Simple solution two: Hire welfare recipients to shoot homeless. You know they have guns. Now they have a job off welfare, and and the streets are nicer.

/why, yes, I do have a low opinion of my fellow man!

Lived in San Jose for over 30 years and worked in San Francisco and Berkeley for a little over three years, driving a UPS-size truck for a delivery company. That area has truly kept the spirit of the numbskull hippies alive, while most everyone else has moved on.

The homeless, whom I encountered through working in a Catholic mission, call it "Santa Claus Valley," due to how easy it is to get money and food. Some people are truly addicted or have mental problems and can't help themselves. But many are able to help themselves but don't want to.

Why would anyone choose to be homeless you ask? Because they want to spend all day getting drunk and not working. As long as there are free handouts available, there will be those who take advantage of it.

For those who can't help themselves, the churches should step in and help them, not the government.

Now give them a WalMart smock and call them employed

/will post for free

Have them join the military. Feeds the need for bodies and gets 'em off of the streets.

Asheville has banned panhandling. Before you'd roll up to a stoplight and 5 guys would run out of the bushes. Then they got wise and shared a crutch...so you'd have 5 guys with one "broken leg and stranded" sign and a single crutch. They'd run but would limp near your car.

RawData: I prefer giving $ to help a poor person have a roof over his ass than give it to rich bastard politicians to fly their spongy fat around the globe for lunch.

I'd gladly pay the politicians if they never came back.

Walker: I was in San Francisco for the first time last month and the homeless situation there is really out of control. Almost every 5 feet from the moment I left my hotel's front door some homeless person would be asking me for money. There are very aggressive ones too who will scream at you and even follow you. Don't even think of walking the streets at night, it's scary enough during the day. Can you imagine walking the streets at night and one jumps out at you from around a corner and shouts "GOT ANY CHANGE?????". I felt like I was in that "South "Park" episode the whole time i was there.

It's their job man. It's a 189 million dollar a year industry to scare tourists.

Crosshair: Dinki: Gees what are those Liberals thinking? That money could be put to so much better use like a tax break for the oil companies, or buying more bombs!

That money could be even better used back in the pockets of taxpayers.

This. The government is not a charity.

panhandling does not equal homeless.

i was once on Speaker's Corner TV decrying kids and fakers
taking money out of the truly needy and homeless.

if you're under 50 and begging,
you are simply not trying.


ALSO, bums nowadays just sit on their asses asking for cash.
in the olde days, a bum would at least stand up with his hat out.
If you can't stand up, you are simply not trying.


SIMPLY NOT TRYING.


MAN WITH A BEGGAR'S MIND
IS BUT A STRANGER TO HIMSELF

-Traffic 1970

IndyGemini: The best part, and what makes me giggle, is listening to all these liberal SFians spout off in language that sounds suspiciously conservative

The political spectrum is horseshoe shaped.

Yeah, because standing on the street panhandling is such a stimulating and rewarding way to go through life...leave these people the fark alone.

DimensionalPunk: Hobophobe

Beats being hobosexual.

eddyatwork: Weaver95: just use fat people.

You better hope the TFettes don't see that. They might SIT on you!

Not all TFettes are hulking masses of cholesterol.

This is why I like Winter here in North Dakota. Having the temperature not get above zero for weeks at a time is strong motivation for someone to get a job and off the street. That or they head to the west coast for all the handouts.

/ND Winters, it kills both the mosquitoes and the homeless.

StillH2O: IndyGemini: The best part, and what makes me giggle, is listening to all these liberal SFians spout off in language that sounds suspiciously conservative

The political spectrum is horseshoe 's ass shaped.

Giving misfits a place to live doesn't magically make them fine upstanding citizens.

/Follow the Yellow Brick Road

In the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex there is an old man who wears a suit and holds a sign..."Please give me a job". He was everywhere around here. People gave him money because he looked like he was sincerely needing a job. Come to find out there was like 40 of them old men all working for the same guy....some sort of panhandler pimp...who would take a cut. When the ring was busted the old guys admitted they made about $500 a day. Genius, I say.

/never gives money to beggars

PC LOAD LETTER: SF's homeless makes me glad I am in NYC, despite the occasional brick-throwing psycho or HIV-infected needle in your ass here. They are farking aggressive out there. If a bum in NYC tries that shiat here, they will probably get their ass kicked in a major way. Amazing what they put up with in SF.

Why do you think SF has so many hobos? It's the softest gig in the nation for a bum.

But, they ask, can't someone stop the panhandling? And, given all the programs and services, is it unreasonable to ask those who are being given supportive housing to start making some effort to be self-sufficient?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!

bums are great for martial arts practice

The bums also make SF smell like pee, more so than any other major city I've ever been to.

NYC is expensive and somewhat overrated, but it smacks the living hell out of SF.

Dinki:
Gees what are those Liberals thinking? That money could be put to so much better use like a tax break for the oil companies, or buying more bombs!

Or, and try to stay with me on this...the gov't doesn't steal my (and your) hard earned money in the first place!!
What a concept! Then I could spend my money how I want. Like donating to charities voluntarily.

Now, was that so hard?

/Not a "liberal" or a "conservative".

That's more than it would cost to restore basic services,including protection and infrastructure AND research staff (jobs for college grads!) - to our entire National Park System.

I guess people would rather have lots of workers following the homeless around picking up after them.

In Berkeley, they tried (or are still trying) a system where especially pernicious homeless people have another person paid $8 to follow them around most of the day and pick up their poop and guide them to the available public restrooms, and to try and prevent other inappropriate behaviors.

One person per homeless - $64 bucks a day for the worker. Homeless person of course gets food and food stamps and can sleep at a shelter.

It seems to be helping - Berkeley smelled way better last time I was there.

castufari: Have them join the military. Feeds the need for bodies and gets 'em off of the streets.

kilgorn: give them a WalMart smock and call them employed

Yikes