Chris, I understand what you are saying, but those dictators hardly do without their fancy liquor, clothes, houses cars or anything else they want. The joke is, everybody at the top in those countries thinks socialism is great and communism is even greater! People from Cuba don't risk their lives trying to get to the USA in flimsy boats because they love where they live. What some on this board want is the most idealistic of worlds, where effort to produce anything for one's self is never expected and other people work because they like to and to give their earnings away gladly. (Service to the community and doing good...) Then the takers can keep taking and telling everybody that they are, in fact worthy, sitting on their butts and doing nothing. But we know that losers do little but whine and successful people are too busy working to go that route.
In the last thirty or so years much has been done to help the poor and those on the streets, but the problems are much greater. The governor of Sacramento is asking that business owners chip in 20 million to make tiny houses for the homeless. It will be interesting to see what the very kind governor of Sacramento will say when his efforts to house the homeless fail....oh wait, he'll be gone by then. But seriously, asking business owners to pay out millions for the homeless to live in little houses? What about food, clothing and the cost of utilities? Sounds like some have never heard of a Pandora's Box. Or have never had a loser brother-in-law come and stay until they get on their feet! When he finally leaves, it's to go to another relatives house who is more understanding.....until they too, see what a loser he is. He'll tell his hard luck story to anyone who might give him a bed for the night, but never look for a job because that's not in his game plan.
Some need to wake up. Being homeless is now a new life style and we may as well face the fact that only tough law enforcement will end the trend. Wrong choices have consequences....and nobody owes anybody a living.
Rose, unfortunately, I have no sympathy for the homeless, or the politically correct "residentially challenged" (I heard a Folsom PD member use that term a while ago).. Every time I see a homeless person, I see a life of bad choices. There is a tiny part of the homeless crowd who have had an extraordinary string of bad luck. It happens. I believe it's appropriate to help them until they get back on their feet, which they will. The rest of them deserve no help. Why should I work my butt off so some other guy can have a nice life?
We frequent many of Folsom's parks while walking the dog, and have seen homeless in most of them. There are two general groups of homeless, one group are usually young, boisterous, probably dealing drugs, and dangerous. The other group are old, quiet, stay in the shadows, don't want to be seen, and benign. I understand there is a large homeless camp in the eucalyptus trees on the west side of Folsom Blvd near Glenn Drive. It's on State Park land and Folsom PD has no jurisdiction. Folsom PD does a pretty good job of keeping them out of sight, out of town. The median household income in Folsom is $118,000, and we pay a lot to live in our bubble. Keep it clean. Let the homeless live in their bubble, perhaps in the rural parts of Nevada.