Ken Schram: Do more than just complain about the homeless

I'm surprised Seattle hasn't made the cardboard army and homeless sign holders get a business permit to pan handle...

When you are driving down the freeway of life, and you pass a car wreck, you can A) slow down and stare, B) pull over and see if you can help, or C) gripe because now traffic is backed up and you are going to be late for work.

Put these poor souls on a ferry boat and send them to Bremerton it is Homeless friendly.

"Do more than just complain about the homeless"

 

I was complaining?

 

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If you see a book from across the street, you have no way of knowing whether it's a great book or a piece of sh**. Same with a homeless person holding a sign. If you don't feel "the urge" to help them, then don't. Otherwise, give 'em $2 bucks and walk on. If they were like me 7 years ago, they will find a "Union Gospel Mission" type program within a few days, and emerge two years later sober and hopeful.

"I have very arbitrary rules about giving money to panhandlers. Guys in their 20's and 30’s, no."

 

Hey Ken, Do you ask bums for I.D. before you give them your loose change?

Bums are like pigeons, stop feeding them and they will go away. 

I've lived here my entire life, and have never seen Seattle this filled with panhandlers, drug dealers, gangs and just general lowlifes. Throwing piles of money at them is absolutely useless. It's never worked. Ever. I now completely avoid going to Seattle. Sad, really.

What I find sad is that this state and the city of Seattle claims to not have the funds to help the poor, but can spend millions of dollars on a animal crossing, or an overpass for bicyclists.  The state and the city of Seattle has always found the money for thier favorite pet projects, homeless people are not one of them.  But in reality, continually giving them money wont solve the problem, getting jobs back will. We are all about 2 paychecks away  from being homeless.  And the "Progressive" savior doesnt seem to have an answer either......

The bankers responsible for the economy should be required to adopt the homeless.

There is another group that should be included-the poor who have been hurt by the economic downturn.  I was earning $30/hr when my job was eliminated in 2009. I lost my home -everything including my savings and 401k. It took me 3.5 years to land a job making half that.  I was really close to begging on the street corners - I have a Bachelors, I don't drink or do drugs and I don't know anyone who is financially able to assist. So to those who judge the homeless or "beggers" - there but for the grace of God goes you.

If ytou want to cure the sickenss,  treatment is the answer,  According to Ken, more money and resources should be thrown at this problem.  There is a serious downside to this simple ideal - when there is more effort by responsible people to help the less fortunate, the less fortunate become accustomed to someone else carrying the load. According to the information I found, the City of Seattle spent over 40 MILLION in FY2011 dealing with the homeless issue.  Maybe we should double that - throw more money at the problem. Here's the deal - We can throw 40 BILLION at the problem and all that will happen is that the homeless issue worse.  Here's an idea; round up all the urban outdoor campers, put them in a controlled, 6-month  work/rehab camp-type environment. While confined to this environment,  the camper will learn job, communication and eductaional skills. that are designed to make the camper succeed, and not a problem. Also make these campers take counseling to deal with thier various issues; addctions/mental, etc. When they are not being kept busy learning they should be working - let them take over cleaning roads, parks, etc.  They can be paid, the money bankrolled by the State - and given to them when they are released. If this is done right, the problem will go away.  ,. The campers are comfortable with their current lifestyle choices; after all, not much effort required.  As far as mental issues - BS we ALL have issues,mentally or otherwise - this is  just a convenient excuse to justify thier behavior and lifestyle choices.  My opinion,that's all

What's yer solution Ken? More taxes?

 

Our governments job is to fund education and to provide for 1st responders. BOTH are held held at gunpoint to the peoples heads already. If ya wanna help the homeless, get rid of the tax for arts bs. You seem so passionate for the homeless Ken. Or is that too much to ask?

 

Paradise by the Dashboard Lights. What's it gonna be boy, yes or no?

Any $$ only vindicates and/or encourages them to stand on the corner.  I donate $$ and time to the local food banks.  Make charitable donations.  These are all available to those in question.  They just don't seek it out.  Anyone see that gal at the 4 Ave NE exit off 405 w/ her iPhone?  These folks are receiving $$ tax free.  Nice living:  http://www.koco.com/news/oklahomanews/okc/Panhandler-arrested-claims-to-have-made-60-000-last-year/-/11777584/15620916/-/o4flxb/-/index.html

 

Money for substance abuse programs. That's all the$e people need!

 

So just raise car tab renewals in King County a few hundred a year. Create a full time focus group of drug counselors to finally cure these folks of their addiction ills.

I wonder how many of the people commenting on here, especially Schram, REALLY have a clue about the "homeless" in Seattle, including those that volunteer and/or work to assist them.  Remember, you are seeing one side of them, and getting one story from people that say what you want to hear, so they can get  something for free, from you.  As a Patrol Officer,  I interact with them practically everyday, over and over.  I see all sides of their lives, and how their lives and actions and decisions affect themselves and others.  I see the crimes they commit against others.  I see the nuisances they cause.  I see them at their worst, not just when they are acting in order to guilt a gullible enabler into giving them more.  I've seen the needles, the booze, the killings, and so on.  They are not victims.  They are predators, and they are dangerous.  Are there some, legitimately homeless people that need our help?  You bet there are.  However, they are a tiny fraction of that population, and, they are usually the one's that work to change their situation, and leave that lifestyle, so, they are not around long.  And, good on them.  The rest, they are a scourge. 

I do agree with you Ken about the 20 something's. I work around Westlake and I'm sick of the constant crowd of losers hanging out there trying to sell dope at 4th and Pine when the cops aren't looking. It's not anybody's fault but their own that they didn't listen to their high school guidance counselors and I'm sure if they stopped smoking weed for at least a few weeks they could pass a pee test and get a job. The last I checked dishes still didn't wash themselves and that's how I started out. 

I give to charity but never to panhandlers.  It peeves me that majority of them have entitlement issues and throw a tantrum when they don't get the money they think they deserve. 

There's also laws against corruption but I don't see any of you changing that!

Our whole society is geared toward treating symptoms and not the causes. Just look at pharmacology. There are almost no new cures coming out these days. There are however, 100s of thousands of new treatments (expensive ones) coming out for everything from restless legs to cancer. Including many things that don't really need to be treated but hey it is profitable. The people who have the money make more money by keeping the problems in place and uncured.

Society as a whole is saturated with other people's needs. We are all given out. Food banks are crying, communities are tring to keep up with the low-income housing to no effect, prisons are filled to overflowing and our streets are filled up and overflowing with more than just humans. Ken, you said it well. We are putting band-aids on a viral vicious disease of which there seems to be no answer. You mentioned the sickness--what might that be? There are a few wise intelligent people left in this world that know what it is. What do you think it is?

How many of you have been on the streets? Really? I was unemployed due to the economy and I had a job. I was working at this job while being homeless for 8 months. Not nice trying to sleep in the back of a REALLY small car but I made it and was able to get an apartment.

 

THEN I got laid off THAT job and had unemployment. Still looking for work I never was able to find anything and then ran out of ALL my extensions and faced homelessness again. I found ANOTHER job but that only last 4 months and I was back to being homeless.

 

I tried all the assistance places I could find and those that I did decided I didn't qualify because I was "single, no dependents". I was even told that, "Unless you have a child in your house or you have someone you have to take care of, your basically screwed". (Yes, THAT was a direct quote from a DSHS worker).

 

So, I was looking of trying to find a place to go with my pets, my stuff AND also of being stuck back in that small car.

 

LUCKILY I found a program that's paying my rent but there are so many hoops to jump thru I feeling like a Tigger because if I don't bounce right, I'm out.

 

The streets suck. Even with a car I had the cops banging on my windows, threatening to arrest me because I was homeless and "if you look at me funny one more time, I'm taking your ass to jail". (Lovely, Mr. SPD Officer).

 

Not everyone out there is a drug addict, not everyone is going to buy alcohol, but when my car would run out of gas on my way to work because I had to go WAY out of the way to find a decent place to sleep and take a shower, people looked at me like I was scum.

 

There are other states who actually make an attempt to keep people OFF the streets. It's called "Renter's Assistance" and the don't make it ONLY for families, but WA state DOES. I know. I've slept in the back of that small little care more than I can remember since I've lived here.

 

Kinda makes me a bit mad. I'd LOVE to have another job, I'd LOVE to me able to breathe and make sure I have my money coming in that I earn and not have to jump all the time.

 

If you have a job in the technical field, hey, hit me up. I'd love to work. Unlike other homeless who don't.

 

So, c'mon send me something feasible. Don't ASSUME that all homeless are trash. You might be surprised to find your former next door neighbor with a sign "NEED GAS TO GET TO WORK" on the corner. Then what would you do?