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Lessons learned from the many years that this great nation has funded with our tax dollars the protection of the most needy among us:
Through the trials and tribulations of the 19th century and the great depression of the 20th century we Americans embraced programs that helped everyone we could, to the very best of our ability including the poor, needy, sick and mentally disabled. We were committed in due diligence for humanity and God to help the disadvantaged that they might live comfortably and have a chance to rejoin society as to the best of their ability.
Whe rarely saw homeless people in Orange County when I was growing up in the 60s. The system then was better at taking care of the poor and needy; the funding stream designated to keep the people off the streets has decreased significantly in the last 20 years.
Welcome to the 21st century:
- “Public Housing and HOME Grants Have Seen Deep Funding Cuts”
- “Recent Housing Cuts Continue 20 Years of Federal Disinvestment”
- “Cuts in Federal Assistance Have Exacerbated Families’ Struggles to Afford Housing”
Cuts also include $5.8 billion to the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
- $400 million less to mental health and substance abuse programs (including a $116 million cut to the Mental Health Block Grant program)
- $6.2 billion in cuts to housing programs.
If you cut the services to the poor, needy, sick and mentally disabled we will unavoidably see an increase of homeless people on the streets, just as we do.
The lily-white part of town I grew up in was Garden Grove in the 60s and 70s. Actually it really WAS a garden at that time, with orange groves every other block, too many to eat, pick em eat em, 2, 3 , 4 at a time.
Avocado groves were all over too, but I was not into guac in my younger years. We were not yet exposed to the gooey spicy goodness of guacamole and chips, or avocados on anything. But I do remember my father eating that green stuff along with giblets, and fried fish skin.
There were no homeless living in the nearby orange groves, just kids and sweet oranges and tree forts. The Avocado grove behind my house produced a zillion avocados and among the dense green trees there were no homeless people.
We never found a homeless person squatting in our “finely” constructed tree houses among the avocado trees. These flimsily built forts in the trees were never up to code and the homeless were probably smart enough to avoid them for fear of being injured. Parents didn’t mind our using them though…
Now days we see the homeless around town on a regular basis, people with no where to go.
Community aid is lacking, ineffectual, rude and discriminatory.
“Pick,” the homeless people are told by the code officers and police in Anaheim: “Shelter, Jail or leave Anaheim.” The choice is an over crowed shelter with bunk beds, stinkin’ bathrooms and cold showers – or – Jail with over crowded bunk beds, stinkin’ bathrooms BUT hot showers (at least). The third choice seems simple enough – leave Anaheim.
Stay in the place you know and hide in plain sight is the choice of many. Using the secret places only known to the homeless people and the coyotes.
Living with the coyotes is not an easy life; imagine losing everything, physically or mentally disabled and forced into hiding by a defective and deeply flawed system.
I do know my feelings on the subject and they are supported by my actions for decades, perhaps based on a sense of humanity instilled in me by my parents.
We were in San Francisco in 2005 with my 2 beautiful children aged 10 and 12. At the beginning of our day on the town we would give each child some money to spend any way they wanted. My daughter would always give it away to the homeless people on the streets before we knew it!
“Honey you shouldn’t give all your money away” we urged. So we came up with a system where we gave her separate money designated for the homeless so she would save some for herself.
These are lessons we taught our children and believe in always.
When a few homeless people pitched tents in the park near our house my wife would take them dinner every night. I slowed it down because I knew there would be a backlash if the crowd grew too large. My neighbors are not so giving.
When I speak to the individuals living on the streets many have SS or disability or even part time or full time jobs but cannot afford housing.
The moneyed in Orange County are building housing at a record pace for the moneyed only.
Funds have been cut, money that is available is not being used, and people are dying.
It is time to step up.
Leaders please step up now, everyone step up now and save the people on the streets from dejection, loneliness, despair and early death.
Michael J Robbins
Peoples Homeless Task Force
*There is a school of thought that says: “Before people go homeless, try to keep them in their home, house, condo or apartment….so they don’t have to become homeless!” Another school of thought is: “These people are all lazy louts that don’t want to be anything by homeless!” Then there is another school of thought that says: “The Homeless Issue is over amped….There really aren’t that many Homeless people…really!? Then there is another school of thought that says: “Not in my neighborhood – get the homeless out of my area and we certainly don’t want any Homeless Shelters around our fair city!” Then there is another school of thought that: “The situation is hopeless, so lets just close our eyes and maybe it will all go away eventually!” Has anyone ever heard of Bolsa Chica State Park? In 1961, it was called “Tin Can Beach”. There were too many poor people, not enough affordable housing and people took up residence from the Newport Beach River Jetty almost all the way to the Huntington Beach Pier – with homeless people! How many Homeless did we have in 1961? Well, there were about 10,000 folks that lived on Skid Row in LA. They had about 120, 000 that lived in the Southland in one room apartments. They had Flop Houses which charged a couple of bucks a night. The situation was dire and so aerospace jobs, automobile manufacturing, electronics companies and lots of other smaller sub-contractors brought jobs, increased housing development, business was then thriving. Today, we are in a very different situation. Jobs are more technical, fast becoming more robotic and intelligent. The cost of housing and transportation is really out of sight for most people starting from the bottom without a stake.
Thanks Dr. D., and Chairman Vern for addressing this extremely vital issue in The OC which must find answers and quickly. In LA the current 39,000 estimated Homeless population has a total of 9000 beds available, every day! These are Winter numbers which account for about Half of what the Summer numbers can be. Are these numbers really verifiable? Hard to say! When the Census Bureau is not responsible for the actual count……..these numbers can become easily manipulated or politicized! Our electeds need guidance. The developer Community must be brought in to help solve this crisis and help us find answers to our Public Safety and Public Health Concerns regarding our Homeless populations.
So Michael, it was OK for you to play io other people’s property, those orange and avocado groves, and steal some of their crops? Fine compassionate roll model you are.
I’m just speculating, but I have a very strong hunch that a big chunk (probably the majority?) of the current OC homeless people are “imports.”
I’m not being derogatory, I’m talking about the huge, unregulated, Alcohol and Drug ‘treatment’ centers that infiltrated quiet neighborhoods throughout S. CA , recruiting from all over the nation to bring those who are addicted (and have, or can immediately qualify for CA health insurance) to “recover in the CA Riviera.” Yet, when/if their insurance runs out, or they fail a drug test, are they returned to the state you came from? Nope! They are shown the door…where they walk down the street – penny-less, and join the swelling ranks of the homeless population. It would be one thing if those ‘treatment centers’ where even marginally successful, but they’re just a fleecing of the insurance system. Worse yet, they’ve turned local neighborhoods into war zones – needles and bottles scattered where kids play, EMS services making endless emergency runs (since no doctor is required to be in attendance), and at times impaired people wondering around the neighborhood.
I totally agree that the elimination of mental health treatment, and other factors play a role, but this seems to be the elephant in the room that remains unnoticed!
While I agree that every city needs to serve and protect all its citizens, the homeless population I’m seeing in our area largely entered this state as a “patient” – yet, after all the potential profit has been sucked out of them, S. CA cities are being held at gun-point (by the very state legislature that did nothing to stop the main issue) to solve the resulting issue – homelessness + drug/alcohol addiction and resulting crime.
I just seems that we’re focusing on a symptom, not the cause.
No, studies and interviews show the vast majority to come from here – from near where they’re staying now.
BTW, good luck on your re-appointment tonight!
Vern,
Thanks. I’m highly doubtful of my success.
Interesting story in today’s OC Register about this very issue. Seems that DA Spitzer agrees:
“Todd Spitzer, Orange County’s new district attorney, isn’t sure that Daly’s bill will help with problems reported in the private sector, either.
“He really needs to take a strong look at the area where there’s significant abuse, the residential treatment facilities that are being run by private operators and funded through private insurance,”
LIC
Spitzer said. “One of the biggest complaints we get are about private facilities targeting people across country, bringing them here, then tossing them out when the insurance benefits run out.”
Logically, it has to be a major, contributing factor I would think!