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1. Jiggers
   Member Profile

   

   98% of homeless people are just that.Watch this video...Cute homeless cat.

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRjuxO_-ZtY

   Posted 3 months ago #         

2. DBP
   Member Profile

   Hm . . . Know what else is 98%, Jiggs?

   —The chance of this post getting tagged and bagged.

   Maybe next time you could rephrase this a bit so we can engage with you on it.

   Posted 3 months ago #         

3. kgdlg
   Member Profile

   

   I care about them because my brother in law is schizophrenic and there is a very good chance he could be one of these "druggies or alcoholics" if not for his sheer luck of being born into a family with healthcare and the means to support him.

   But if that doesn't resonate with you jiggers, here is a good right-wing argument for ya. That "druggie" who lives outside likely falls down, gets attacked, has a mental episode, and needs medical treatment quite frequently. Those trips in the ambulance to the ER add up, some high users in Seattle have bills of over $1m (each!).

   Guess who pays? You and me the taxpayer. Studies have shown that getting that "homeless druggie" into housing, off the street, with medical care in-house, reduces those bills dramatically. Like, by millions, when you add them up.

   Your moral high ground is pretty darn expensive.

   Posted 3 months ago #         

4. alki_2008
   Member Profile

   

   I agree that the cat is cute, with its short tail and friendliness.
   .
   I'm not going to touch the drug or alcohol question, but I will say that I never give money or food to homeless people that I see smoking. Last time I checked, the price of a pack of cigs was enough for a couple 'meals' at McD's or Jack. If their priority is to buy cigs instead of food, then I'm not going to contribute.

   Posted 3 months ago #         

5. bluebird
   Member Profile

   More than likely they bummed the cigarette. Given the amount of stress they're under just trying to survive, whatever gets them though the day is okay with me. Having any kind of litmus test to your generosity seems cruel. Give or don't, but save the judgement.

   Posted 3 months ago #         

6. Jiggers
   Member Profile

   

   I'm dumbfounded how the county can give a roof to self-induced alcoholic's to live in, but not to someone who literally has a lifelong legitimte serious compramised medical condition/s who's just trying to stay alive.

   article,
   http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002684566_eastlake15m.html

   Posted 3 months ago #         

7. JoB
   Member Profile

   jiggers..

   I have no problems with alcoholics or druggies..
   homeless or not...
   as long as they don't ask me to pay for their addictions

   Posted 3 months ago #         

8. Jiggers
   Member Profile

   

   But they wouldn't tell you if they were going straight to the smoke shop or liquor store right after you gave them money. That would be dumb on their part.

   JoB..Are you feeling better?

   Posted 3 months ago #         

9. JoB
   Member Profile

   jiggers..

   and dumb on my part if i didn't suspect that was true.

   Posted 3 months ago #         

10. 365Stairs
    Member Profile

    

    "...Have you ever looked down when the homeless walked by...or changed the channel when you saw a hungry child...How many?..How many?...Say I"

    Van Halen III

    I

    Posted 3 months ago #         

11. Jiggers
    Member Profile

    

    Ain't that the truth 365....

    Posted 3 months ago #         

12. kootchman
    Member Profile

    I turn the channel when the ASPCA shows the baaad baaad pictures of tormented dogs. How do they expect donations if ya have to endure those? I never get to the "800" number part. Ahhh Job but we do..... one way or the other.

    Posted 3 months ago #         

13. kgdlg
    Member Profile

    

    @jiggy, The article you link to exactly proves my point above. The DESC 1811 project has saved the City millions in emergency response and ER costs alone. There have been a number of peer reviewed studies that have proven this.

    http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Study-Seattle-home-for-alcoholics-saved-1302953.php

    We can argue the moral high ground all we want (we shouldn't help alcoholics!), but when it comes down to it, this is the less-bad option of dealing with the severely impaired and homeless. Turning a blind eye only winds up biting us all in the a**!

    Posted 3 months ago #         

14. alki_2008
    Member Profile

    

    Hhmmm...Given the amount of stress they're under just trying to survive, whatever gets them though the day is okay with me.

    So, if the sexually frustrated need to assault people (adults or children) to help them get through the day...then that's okay and we should just accept it, because they're so stressed out that they can't help it? Or is having a litmus test for that okay? The "they're so stressed out" excuse doesn't work for me...but to each their own.

    Posted 3 months ago #         

15. kgdlg
    Member Profile

    

    @alki_2008, there is a big difference between someone taking a handout and buying a 40 with it, and sexual assault! i don't think anyone was saying that the homeless should have a blank check to behave however they want, regardless of the law.

    but sadly, being a drunk isn't illegal. i personally think that everyone should be free to make whatever choices they want in life. the side effect of this kind of freedom is that some people will make bad choices over and over and over again, rich or poor (i.e. whitney houston)

    all i am saying is that ignoring these bad choices and pretending that they don't impact the larger society isn't the solution. it is more expensive, more damaging to families, and more damaging to our general social structure. it is politically convenient to call for "cutting off" people like this for failing so badly at life. but the truth is, there are cheaper, more efficient ways to address their presence in our society. and these ways also happen to be more compassionate, which i like too.

    Posted 3 months ago #         

16. Jiggers
    Member Profile

    

    I guess I"m going to become an alcoholic to get the help I need. Trying to live with a very rare medical condition that is killing me and become a productive member of society isn't working out. I fall right through the cracks of the system. The City did say it is cheaper to put them all in one building and let them be drunk rather than have them scatter all over the City and continuosly calling 911 to pick them off the street.

    Posted 3 months ago #         

17. kgdlg
    Member Profile

    

    @Jiggers, First, I am sorry you are struggling with a medical condition. That is not fair, and well, it just sucks.

    I might argue that the nexus of these two problems here is our healthcare system. (Mentally ill people on the streets and medically fragile people falling through cracks). Just because the City is attempting to solve one crisis one way, doesn't mean they are intending to hurt you by doing this. We should have a healthcare system that fully supports you in your illness so that you CAN be a productive member of society. It is messed up that we don't. Just like we should have a system where poor mentally ill people can get easy access to the medication they need to become more stable. While I am glad we have Medicaid, the options are just not good for these folks, and they end up becoming a drain on our whole society. These two things are the result of our ever-fraying safety net and it is totally wrong.

    Posted 3 months ago #         

18. JoB
    Member Profile

    kgdlg

    well put

    Posted 3 months ago #         

19. JoB
    Member Profile

    i would like to add

    that when you give someone that dollar
    you also give them the opportunity to make a choice

    without it
    they don't have the opportunity

    Posted 3 months ago #         

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