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SF tech bro: ‘I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, despair of homeless’

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Re: SF tech bro: ‘I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, despair of homeless’

#41

Post by sandworm101 »

m1sta_ wrote: post #37
stochastician wrote: post #32

Note that SF already spends a large amount on the homeless http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/S-F-spends-record... and that at least some politicians are starting to take notice http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2016/01/25/s-f-supervisor-scott-wie... It's not clear what the solution is to this complex problem.

Part of the solution will be a realisation that not everyone has a right to live in SF. Just like not everyone has a right to live in Newport. A part, but not a big part :)

Or the solution may be to accept that the city owes a duty to everyone in it's boarders and cannot deport human beings based on circumstance. The city could tax the rich heavily, to the point that a balance is struck that both shelters the poor and dissuades further gentrification.

Re: SF tech bro: ‘I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, despair of homeless’

#42

Post by JoeAltmaier »

ryandrake wrote: post #39
FussyZeus wrote: post #4

I wonder if this was s stunt to get attention on his company? This seems so cartoonish, I mean you could picture wealthy people thinking this way but to me it almost seems too insensitive. Maybe a publicity stunt that backfired a little. On the other hand maybe he is so sheltered as to think this is an actual problem he's helping solve...

Having read the letter, I can't help but think that this must be some kind of elaborate trolling: That after 2 weeks or so, he'll follow-up with "Thanks for all the attention everyone! My start-up's revenue took a 45% bump from all this publicity!!" This reads like a cartoon caricature of the stereotypical clueless tech bro. No real person could actually think this way.

That's an optimistic view. Real people think all sorts of things. Entitled people especially.

Re: SF tech bro: ‘I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, despair of homeless’

#44

Post by SideburnsOfDoom »

sandworm101 wrote: post #18
Afforess wrote: post #9

To play devil's advocate, he's right. He shouldn't have to see the pain, struggle, and despair of homeless - the city government should be providing affordable housing and shelters for the homeless. That it hasn't is a failure of the local government, and should be addressed. Much of the reason that affordable housing is out of reach of many in San Francisco is due to government regulation, not market capitalism. Ext…

And let's see his opinion on the evils of regulations when the city taxes him and/or turns his favourite ping pong parlour into a shelter.

Asking for homeless people to be moved out is basically asking for regulations and enforcement which has to be funded from taxes, isn't it. Not all that different from a shelter, except much crueller.

Re: SF tech bro: ‘I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, despair of homeless’

#45

Post by monkmartinez »

Afforess wrote: post #9

To play devil's advocate, he's right. He shouldn't have to see the pain, struggle, and despair of homeless - the city government should be providing affordable housing and shelters for the homeless. That it hasn't is a failure of the local government, and should be addressed. Much of the reason that affordable housing is out of reach of many in San Francisco is due to government regulation, not market capitalism. Ext…

This is a complex issue... but in my experience, most of the homeless are not looking for help to find jobs and/or contribute to society in manner that will lead them out of "homelessness." A lot of them prefer this "lifestyle"... we try very hard to help the people that want help. Most don't.

Go talk to your local EMS/Fire department personnel and most of them will have similar stories. I know the homeless people in my area better than I know my extended family. I have memorized their birthday's, the medications they should be taking, the street drugs they prefer, the kind of beer they drink, where they stash their stuff, where they have their main camp, what their childhood, and adult life were like, their medical history, what shelters they've been kicked out of and are not allowed back to... and more.

We are forced to talk with them, sometimes 3 or 4 times a shift. I lost sympathy for most of them a long time ago, that doesn't mean we treat them like sub-humans... we just have less patience with the shit they are inevitably going to give us.

Edit: here is an article specific to San Fran about EMS & the homeless: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/27/us/san-francisco-firefight...

Re: SF tech bro: ‘I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, despair of homeless’

#46

Post by Coding_Cat »

discardorama wrote: post #35

I think he does have a point... but he could have put it better. I live in SF too; for ~10 years. I have never seen it this bad. The City passed a "sit/lie" law a couple of years ago.. but it's never enforced. The City is spending $1M/month ... for housing 225 people[1]. Do the math, and you'll see how ridiculous is that. At that rate, how much do you think the City can spend on the homeless? It has 7000 homeless, an…

>You can't force them to use detox clinics, etc.

Maybe it is not possible yet legally, but why shouldn't we allow this? The courts can already force people to be commited for mental afflictions when they are a danger to themselves or others. Why not do the same for (heavy) drug addicts who start becoming a liability?

Re: SF tech bro: ‘I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, despair of homeless’

#48

Post by huac »

a friend of mine who interned in SF last summer has a (satirical, I pray) startup idea: 'uber for harassing homeless people' - just geolocate yourself and your walking route before leaving, and a team will clear the homeless and from your path

again, I hope he was joking but honestly probably wasn't - I fear this lackadaisical 'tech can solve all of MY problems' attitude is prevalent (we should also consider how we can solve the problems of others)

Re: SF tech bro: ‘I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, despair of homeless’

#49

Post by armandososa »

I went to SF (and to the US) for the first time last month and I too was baffled by the amount of homelessness I saw, which is more striking when contrasted to the wealth and beauty of the city (which I loved).

Also, I think we are judging this guy too harshly because of his privilege status. But I cant tell you that I live in Mexico, the third freaking world, and even people living on $4 don't want to see homeless people showing their genitals at them.

Re: SF tech bro: ‘I shouldn’t have to see the pain, struggle, despair of homeless’

#50

Post by yangmaster »

I think if he hadn't gone on his moral high-horse and ranted about "free market societies" and "revolutions" he would've avoided much of the controversy. I sympathized with his actual grievances, but not his armchair ranting in the second half of his article.
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