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I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

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Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#91

Post by webmaven »

LurkingPenguin wrote: post #88
webmaven wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The issue isn't the number of people in public parks. The issue is that people are using public parks (and other public spaces) to set up encampments, which is not the purpose of these public spaces. In fact, this infringes on the rights of the people who want to use these spaces for legal purposes. All right, where do you think the encampments should be set up?

I find it interesting that you apparently have the belief that such encampments should or need to exist.

All right, what do you think the people populating such camps should do? Where do you think they should go?

Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#92

Post by epistasis »

LurkingPenguin wrote: post #83
epistasis wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Things are changing, as the entrenched interests die from old age. Last year, Prop 15 nearly eliminated the Prop 13 for commercial properties. That this was even within 10% points of passing is such a huge change as to be unthinkable. 15 years ago I would rant about Prop 13 and get nothing but hate from others for my position. These days I'm as likely to find somebody ranting about the evils of Prop 13 as I am to ini…

Hope springs eternal in California, but unfortunately water does not.

Lol, I love the slogan, and it may be true. But I will go down fighting this fight, and in my estimation it is getting easier to fight, even if it's not yet clear who will win.

I would not blame anyone for leaving, given the current insanity of state and local politics, but I also welcome the growing crowd of politically active young people that have far more skin in the game than the aged "got mine, forget you crowd. So if you ever do return, get in touch with local political orgs and you will be making a positive difference.

Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#93

Post by ummonk »

legerdemain wrote: post #53
rubicon33 wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm really not convinced that high housing costs accurately depict the source of the homelessness problem in CA. If it does, it certainly isn't describing the homeless people I see. Most of the homeless people I see, the ones who are literally pitching tents on the side walks, sleeping on boxes, defecating anywhere and everywhere, passed out on park benches at 3 in the afternoon, are almost certainly not going to be…

If one of your top complaints about the homeless is that they poop (an unavoidable bodily function you might be familiar with), then I'm not sure I trust your judgment about policy matters.

There are public toilets and restrooms all across the city. It's valid to complain about the homeless who choose not to poop in them.

Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#94

Post by hack-news »

alisonkisk wrote: post #11
eplanit wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The government website stats support the claim: ~29% of the entire US homeless population is in California, which is disproportional when compared to other state population densities.[1] That said, the piece doesn't offer much constructive advice on how to fix it. Californians have been witnessing the very real, large increase in tent cities, addicts, feces, ... for years now, but so far they still vote for the same…

The callous disregard for human life exhibited in this post is sickening. My office has a janitorial staff. Why don't public spaces? Too many people in public parks? Claw back more public park space, maybe from the automobile lanes and parks that infest our cities and spew far more stinky poison than people living rough.

This website is filled to the brim with limousine liberal assholes.

Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#95

Post by betwixthewires »

alisonkisk wrote: post #11
eplanit wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The government website stats support the claim: ~29% of the entire US homeless population is in California, which is disproportional when compared to other state population densities.[1] That said, the piece doesn't offer much constructive advice on how to fix it. Californians have been witnessing the very real, large increase in tent cities, addicts, feces, ... for years now, but so far they still vote for the same…

The callous disregard for human life exhibited in this post is sickening. My office has a janitorial staff. Why don't public spaces? Too many people in public parks? Claw back more public park space, maybe from the automobile lanes and parks that infest our cities and spew far more stinky poison than people living rough.

Sickening is it? You're physically ill from reading that?

We can talk frankly about real problems as they exist, their potential causes and solutions, and we can be right, wrong and everywhere in between. But what we can't do is continue looking for excuses to get outraged so as to feel morally superior to other people. If you want to see where that gets us, look no further the homeless problem in California.

Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#96

Post by betwixthewires »

amanaplanacanal wrote: post #81
LurkingPenguin wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> My office has a janitorial staff. Why don't public spaces? San Francisco spends tens of millions of dollar a year cleaning its streets. https://www.businessinsider.com/san-francisco-spent-54-milli... > Too many people in public parks? Claw back more public park space... The issue isn't the number of people in public parks. The issue is that people are using public parks (and other public spaces) to set up encampmen…

Unless you have a better idea as to where these people should go, just saying that they shouldn’t be there isn’t very useful.

That's not true, acknowledging the problem is the first step to coming up with a solution.

Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#97

Post by jazzyjackson »

Schnitz wrote: post #26

> Rather than asking "Who can we blame?" maybe we could start asking "How do we fix it?" Nobody talks about the hard truth: The homeownership rate in California is ~55% and therefore over half of Californians are heavily incentivized to keep the housing crisis going. For existing homeowners this isn't a crisis, it's a free paper money bonanza. Just by living in their houses home "owners" (most are heavily leveraged)…

what good is your house doubling in value if all the other houses have also doubled in value?

Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#98

Post by xboxnolifes »

lbarrow wrote: post #77
Schnitz wrote: post #26

> Rather than asking "Who can we blame?" maybe we could start asking "How do we fix it?" Nobody talks about the hard truth: The homeownership rate in California is ~55% and therefore over half of Californians are heavily incentivized to keep the housing crisis going. For existing homeowners this isn't a crisis, it's a free paper money bonanza. Just by living in their houses home "owners" (most are heavily leveraged)…

55% is one of the lowest home ownership rates in the country. If high levels of home ownership drive policies that prohibit new construction and drive up prices, how is it that places like Minnesota, with a home ownership rate in the mid-70s, are so cheap to live in?

The problem isn't that 55% is "high" (or not). The problem is that, currently, there is a housing problem that is significantly profitable for 55% of a population. This means that 55% of people have conflicting interests with fixing this problem.

Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#99

Post by bb88 »

lbarrow wrote: post #77
Schnitz wrote: post #26

> Rather than asking "Who can we blame?" maybe we could start asking "How do we fix it?" Nobody talks about the hard truth: The homeownership rate in California is ~55% and therefore over half of Californians are heavily incentivized to keep the housing crisis going. For existing homeowners this isn't a crisis, it's a free paper money bonanza. Just by living in their houses home "owners" (most are heavily leveraged)…

55% is one of the lowest home ownership rates in the country. If high levels of home ownership drive policies that prohibit new construction and drive up prices, how is it that places like Minnesota, with a home ownership rate in the mid-70s, are so cheap to live in?

They're not a voting block and their financial well being doesn't revolve around their home prices remaining high.

If you buy a $1M 1400 ft^2 in CA, and the price goes down, you're going to be deeply underwater in your mortgage. If home prices stay high enough long enough than it "embeds" itself into politics.

Re: I believe California is the dumping ground for America's homeless problem

#100

Post by MontyCarloHall »

xboxnolifes wrote: post #98
lbarrow wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

55% is one of the lowest home ownership rates in the country. If high levels of home ownership drive policies that prohibit new construction and drive up prices, how is it that places like Minnesota, with a home ownership rate in the mid-70s, are so cheap to live in?

The problem isn't that 55% is "high" (or not). The problem is that, currently, there is a housing problem that is significantly profitable for 55% of a population. This means that 55% of people have conflicting interests with fixing this problem.

Yes, and those 55% wield extremely disproportionate political power. This is why I’m pessimistic that NIMBYs will always rule.
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