Before Reagan became President, homeless people sleeping in the streets
was so rare that, outside of skid rows, homelessness was more of a
curiosity than anything else. But then after more than a decade long
orgy of Republicans, Reagan and Bush, hacking and slashing to death
social program after social program in their midst, homelessness
exploded to levels unseen in our nation's history.
Recently, the pattern has been repeating itself around the nation and, yes, even in liberal Minnesota. The Minnesota legislature, stretched by budget deficits, has made severe cuts to housing, day care, and health insurance programs for the poor.
The number that people should realise is THAT NEARLY 20% OF THE CHILDREN IN THE US LIVE IN POVERTY.
Ike Yonoklast
12-Sep-2004 07:11
I won't joke over a death. It shouldn't happen, but what is the point? Mnpls is the most liberal, underdog-underprivileged-supportive place I know. I am sure, like other places that there are adequate shelters, public and private, but the homeless people who refuse to use them have their reasons. Usually they do not want to follow the rules or cooperate with others.
Mainly these are psychiatric problems and these people should be institutionalised because they cannot take care of themselves. We used to do that, but a bunch of liberals in the 70s said you can't put someone in an asylum unless they are a danger to themselves or others. Suddenly we had thousands of home;less in the streets. There is a big difference between "a danger to others" and "unable to take care of oneself." If someone is mentally incompetent under that law they should be institutionalized at county expense and npot permiotted to live under bridges and in the streets.
