Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Homeless alone

homelessalone.blogspot.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

231–240 of 284 posts

Re: Homeless alone

#231

Post by dragonwriter »

the_ancient wrote: post #223
dragonwriter wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You go on welfare. If you have children, you may qualify for whatever your states implementation of Temporary Assistance for Needy Family (TANF) is -- which has a work requirement. If not, your jurisdiction may have a "General Assistance" program, but these tend to be very small benefits, and often restricted in how long someone deemed "employable", whether or not they actually can find employment, can be on them (…

Allow me to quote one of our Founding Fathers "I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I traveled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course be…

If you want to argue that a very weak social Assagai net is a good thing, feel free. "Ben Franklin said so based on, at best, personal anecdotes" probably isn't the most compelling argument for that position but, in any case, e point is that the US system is weak, whether that's desirable or not, contrary to the upthread suggestion that it is substantial.

Re: Homeless alone

#232

Post by capote »

kangar00 wrote: post #222
capote wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always have to wonder why people don't work at least minimum wage jobs, to solve the base problems like hunger. I apologize if I'm missing something or if I seem really ignorant. Actually, I realize I am totally ignorant in this respect. I've never worked a job outside of programming, so I don't know—is it very difficult for some people to get 'normal' jobs? Is it mostly people with some kind of issue or disability…

Of the homeless I've gotten to know, some shared with me that they were schizophrenic and the other had family but was estranged from them. Others were just down on their luck. If they have kids and are a single parent, it makes it much tougher to just get a job. Others have access to the resources, but they don't feel they could do the jobs they know about. I think the majority of truly homeless need someone to real…

I didn't mean to imply that I'm unsympathetic toward the homeless--read my question again, I tried to be as clear as I can that I just need an explanation for the job thing. It's become more clear to me with other answers.

Of course I understand how tough it is, lack of privilege, lack of reliable family and friends and resources. I don't ignore homelessness. Like the OP of this thread, I live in Chicago, downtown. My short daily walk to work (4 blocks) generally has 4 homeless people on it, one in a wheelchair missing a leg. This is why I've been thinking about their situation more these days, what we can do, and how they ended up this way.

Re: Homeless alone

#233

Post by capote »

Riseed wrote: post #227
capote wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always have to wonder why people don't work at least minimum wage jobs, to solve the base problems like hunger. I apologize if I'm missing something or if I seem really ignorant. Actually, I realize I am totally ignorant in this respect. I've never worked a job outside of programming, so I don't know—is it very difficult for some people to get 'normal' jobs? Is it mostly people with some kind of issue or disability…

Something the other replies didn't mention is that some (many?) homeless people wouldn't be hired for minimum wage jobs because they'd be considered overqualified. [0] There's always the option to leave education and employment off of your resume, but during the interview how do you explain even a four-year gap without mentioning "I was doing a Ph.D in particle physics" or "I designed marketing materials for Goodyear…

This is a great answer, and something I'd never thought of.

Re: Homeless alone

#234

Post by capote »

SolaceQuantum wrote: post #219
capote wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always have to wonder why people don't work at least minimum wage jobs, to solve the base problems like hunger. I apologize if I'm missing something or if I seem really ignorant. Actually, I realize I am totally ignorant in this respect. I've never worked a job outside of programming, so I don't know—is it very difficult for some people to get 'normal' jobs? Is it mostly people with some kind of issue or disability…

Being homeless and getting a job makes it very difficult, almost impossible. Where are you gonna keep a nice suit? Where are you going to get shaving materials? Make-up? Do your hair? Even if you got the job, where will they send your checks? What if you don't have official documentation (birth certidicate, social security, etc) because you're homeless? How would you get around if public transport is unreliable? And…

I suppose ther person at hand and many others had things happen so unexpectedly and quickly that he might not have had time to mobilize all these requirements for a job.

It bothers me that a handful of these problems seem possible to be easily solved with very little tax money. A place to send checks/ids (free PO boxes with an address for the homeless) a place to help get documentation and stuff...

Do shelters provide basic makings for a shower and shave?

Even internet access with available hardware, since it's more and more possible to do everything on the internet, would be reasonable.

Re: Homeless alone

#235

Post by Natsu »

capote wrote: post #234
SolaceQuantum wrote: post #219

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Being homeless and getting a job makes it very difficult, almost impossible. Where are you gonna keep a nice suit? Where are you going to get shaving materials? Make-up? Do your hair? Even if you got the job, where will they send your checks? What if you don't have official documentation (birth certidicate, social security, etc) because you're homeless? How would you get around if public transport is unreliable? And…

I suppose ther person at hand and many others had things happen so unexpectedly and quickly that he might not have had time to mobilize all these requirements for a job. It bothers me that a handful of these problems seem possible to be easily solved with very little tax money. A place to send checks/ids (free PO boxes with an address for the homeless) a place to help get documentation and stuff... Do shelters provid…

Yes, some shelters will provide such, as well as an address to get mail at. They also will help you search for a job.

Re: Homeless alone

#236

Post by ericd »

tstrimple wrote: post #225
the_ancient wrote: post #220

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it shocking that anyone wants to trust the American Government with their health.. That seems to be extremely idiotic given the record the American Government has when dealing with Health Care, pick either Medicaid, Medicare or the VA system.... You want that on a National "Universal" Scale... are you a sadist or something? Most of the current problems with Health care costs in this nation are directly attribu…

That's because your information on Medicare is wrong. I and many others would be happy with Medicare for everyone. It's well run and more efficient than private insurance. Expanding Medicare to everyone would give it even more bargaining power and price controls. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-column-miller-medicare-idU...

Yep, Medicare is very efficient. Medicaid, on the other hand, is state by state, and is oftentimes run very poorly. I would love to have Medicare for all.

Re: Homeless alone

#237

Post by ericd »

the_ancient wrote: post #224
toomuchtodo wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you tried to get Medicaid in a state? Because I have for a family member (Indiana). There's a waitlist, and even on it, your monthly out of pocket costs are very high (the person in question had zero income , and was still required to cough up $400-$1000 for prescriptions and copays, with no income!).

>>Have you tried to get Medicaid in a state? Because I have for a family member (Indiana). There's a waitlist, Wait are you not for Universal Healthcare... WTF do you think Universal Healthcare will be.... Medicaid for everyone that is what...

Medicaid is managed by the states, Medicare is the Federal one. It would likely be Medicare for all.

Re: Homeless alone

#238

Post by tinbucket »

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #229
Riseed wrote: post #227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Something the other replies didn't mention is that some (many?) homeless people wouldn't be hired for minimum wage jobs because they'd be considered overqualified. [0] There's always the option to leave education and employment off of your resume, but during the interview how do you explain even a four-year gap without mentioning "I was doing a Ph.D in particle physics" or "I designed marketing materials for Goodyear…

To expand on this: low-end employers want people who (it appears) don't have any better options. If someone seems like they could find a better job at some point in the future, then they're less likely to put up with the kind of treatment that minimum-wage earners usually get. They might quit, or they might cause trouble and have to be fired. Better to go with someone who knows that they can't do any better.

That's been my experience. I had a white-collar job, quite well-paid, which I lost due to layoffs and the business moving to a cheaper part of the country. There's a huge industry downturn just now, which forced me to look into retail jobs. I did, and it was really, really difficult to get one because the people interviewing me knew that I'm only there until I can get back to what I was doing before.

Re: Homeless alone

#239

Post by Annatar »

jessaustin wrote: post #214
toomuchtodo wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Kudos. I like your style. I paid $42K in federal taxes last year, I'd pay more to get universal healthcare and real social safety nets here.

If you'd pay more taxes, would you also simply donate more toward such efforts? If not, would you donate under some Kickstarter-like scheme in which pledges of donation were only enforced in the event that some threshold were met? Congratulations on your income!

Charities and donations will not truly solve the problem.

United States needs major reforms:

1. implement what I term socio-capitalism (private property and enterpreneurship is protected, but there is a social safety net in the form of universal health care and unemployment benefits) -- U.S. already made the first step with "Obamacare", but there is a lot more to do;

2. reform the government to reflect the Swiss model 1:1, and institute direct democracy, as well as make lobbying highly illegal.

Admittedly reforming the government will be a very difficult task, for those in power will fight by every means available to preserve it. The good news is, it could be done through the current political process.

Re: Homeless alone

#240

Post by [deleted] »

windowshopping wrote: post #57

I find this pretty fascinating. Firstly because I'm overwhelmed with sympathy for this guy, and I stopped to ask why. I live in Chicago and I see the homeless every day, and I know it's a problem and I wish I could fix it but I don't know how, and giving a dollar to every person I pass would actually start to have a hefty toll ($20+/day or more, easily. ) So since moving to the city I made it a blanket rule not to gi…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN