When people tell me they aren't interested in politics, I use indicators of political policies like the homeless issue. This is not something going on "everywhere." CA has 1/4 of the nations homeless. Why? Sure, weather is a factor, but several states have moderate climate. POLICIES are what drive it. Soft hearted and soft headed decisions have lead to this. It seems to me, there are 4 kinds of homeless. Crazy people ranting at the sidewalk. Drug addicts. People on the edge who got hit with a disaster, and professional homeless.
The following is based on my anecdotal experiences with the homeless over the last 28 years in Sac.
The number of crazy has seemed pretty constant. There seems to be less people who hit financial ruin, especially with the current economy. Many of those also tend to have cars that they live in, and often get back on their feet.
It seems to me that the huge growth in homeless is directly tied to addicts and professionals. the addicts are pretty obvious. They are the ones defecating on businesses. Their proportion has seemed to have grown. However, the biggest group increase I have seen is with the "professional" homeless. This group knows all the tricks and resources that are available. They are aggressive, rude and ungrateful. They act entitled, have a massive chip on their shoulder and are a scourge. Particularly dangerous in packs. These are the ones with tents and bicycles, lawn chairs and cell phones (oh yeah, they get them "free"... thanks Obama, er taxpayer).
The best way to fight the homeless problem is to focus on the two groups that have taken over. Zero tolerance for threatening behavior, drug use, being a public nuisance, etc. There are plenty of programs to help people out who want help.
Jack Armstrong of the local A&G radio show had quite the run in with a homeless man who threatened to rape and kill his wife and children while they were eating dinner on a patio in Davis. The first cop responded as if the homeless guy was the victim, and the subsequent stories of the council meetings where he testified show just how blind some people are to the problem. In their mind, the homeless are the victims, not the business owners and citizens. Despite running business and customers out of town, threatening people, ruining parks and public areas and being a general nuisance, a good portion of people seem to think we just need to give them MORE services, then everything will be utopia again.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive" -- C.S. Lewis
If the only way to combat "global warming" was to lower taxes, we would never hear of the issue again. - Anonymous
"Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one" — Thomas Paine, 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 (1776)