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Today marks the third anniversary of "Care Not Cash" and as a result, homelessness is having the Best Week Ever.
In honor of the anniversary, Team Gavin has launched a full court press showing that despite appearances, things have improved. Question: what is the proof? Answer: according to Trent Roher, about 1,800 homeless people are now people formerly known as homeless. Those who go into the program mainly stay in the program. Of course, numbers can be spun all sorts of ways and there's been different interpretations of those numbers.
Team Gavin has also been issuing a whole bunch of new initiatives on the issue. One of them will be more money. Another one is to deal with the 219 people who are classified as "chronic inebriates" and who cost the city a little under $11 million a year just in hospital expenses. Gavin wants to set up a "wet house" in which participants will be put in a special house and can drink all they want if only the agree to counseling. Now that would make one hell of a reality show. Come to think of it, isn't that what "the Real World" is anyways?
And finally, there's his community court idea, the one about setting up a special court for so-called "quality of life" crimes. This is his biggest initiative (Ken Garcia drops some Aristotle in his support of the measure) but is getting the most heat from opponents. And by opponent, we mean mainly Chris Daly, with whom Gavin recently threw a gauntlet at. How much of a gauntlet? Gavin says this about the homelessness: "If people don't like what we're doing, get rid of me this November. Just throw me out. They have a chance. They don't have to wait four years. You can do it right now."
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If "Care Not Cash" is going so well Mayor Newsom,why are their still so many people still sleeping on the streets of the Tenderloin and Panhandling all over downtown and the Tenderloin. I guess they did not get the memo about the plan.
I'm still waiting for gavin to sign his own recall as he promised he'd do over the intolerable homicide rates. Now he taunts people to throw him out of office for his failure over the homeless situation. How was San Francisco stupid enough to elect this moron? He really has a high opinion of his "nothing" record, maybe he should stick to something he really does well like betray and destroy his best friends or sexually harass his staff. You go gavin (hopefully far away).
San Francisco can't solve this problem. It's too big, too much as a result of statewide and nationwide structural problems. A national solution is the only solution that will stick. At least Newsom tried. He may have fallen short. But so has every previous administration.
Happy Birthday Care Not Cash!
Knee jerk notions - Just like America is a big draw for folks from other countries because we accomodate and encourage entrepreneurs (at least that's the advertisement), I believe San Francisco is a big draw for drug addicts and a destination for mentally ill folks (due to drug use - probably in many cases). As long as we're accomodating and our weather is pretty benign (granted that wind and some rains are a beast), how do you stop the City from attracting more and more drug addicts and mentally ill folks?
I'm not saying all homeless people snorted or shot up their life savings and ended up homeless because of their expensive recreational habits. Many kids runaway from hellish existences elsewhere - especially LGBT youth. Again, however, we're a welcoming City for those youth (and LGBT folks in general).
We should be known as the most Christian/Catholic/Holier than thou City in the nation because of the extent to which we accomodate folks who are down on their luck.
Mentally ill folks are just that - and many will never voluntarily leave the streets. We're as rational as can be - they're not. Someone who is paranoid that the world and inanimate things are out to get them isn't going to settle into our rational reality - cash, care, or crevice on the sidewalk.
Wow look at the mayor going all "Warriors" on Daly. Talking smack knowing Daly can't back it up in November. Shall we say Daly got "Nowitskied" and before all of you Daly-ites start sticking up for your guy fyi: I live and D6 and voted for him so save your energy.
J's last comment was on point and nobody has an answer to how to fix it.
I'll answer the question of why there's so many people still panhandling. 7 years ago, my building was sold and taken over by Tenderloin Housing Clinic, which turned it into one of these homeless supportive housing hotels. I know for a fact, that people here still go out an panhandle, even tho they have housing.
I know one guy who has a regular spot in Noe Valley and he's been on GA for at least 5 years now. I heard him brag about his spot in the elevator once
In fact, it now enables them to stay longer here. And as for the chronic inebriate hotels?..that's a crock, this place is already one. Whats ironic, is one of my chronic inebriated neighbors is the ONLY one who actually sweeps the street instead of claiming exemptions like all the rest.
and also, this pressure to keep them housed at all costs. You want to see the result?, see my blog about it with videos >
http://www.bluoz.com/blog/index.php?/categories/6-Tenderloin-Housing-Clinic
Everybody knows they're not going to get evicted, no matter what they do, so now there's people beating up others and preying on them. You expected a different result?. There's more dope here than in the pot clubs now. More convicted felons than in the projects.
But as long as it's not in your face, right?..I got news for you. It's still in your face, because they're free to go back outside and do what they did before, and do that they sure do, and now for much longer periods of time
Speaking as someone who lives in the downtown/TL area (though not for long), I must say that the homeless and inebriate problem is getting worse. I blame the police in part, but another part due to the complete indifference from people who live in this area.
When I first moved here a year ago, there was maybe some loitering, drunkenness, urination, and sidewalk sleeping, but now it is every day, every corner, and even in front of police.
Newsom's program has made things worse, and while I'm sure his heart was in the right place, his studies in sociology were flat wrong.
As for auweia1's comment, I'm a little afraid to add to it, every time I'm critical of the TL Housing Clinic in a public forum I get scary hate mail.
yeah, no kidding. That's why i call it the welfare mafia. I've been threatened before too. This is a business for TL Housing Clinic, they make big dollars from peoples misery. The only reason they haven't gotten rid of me yet is because I'm wired to the hilt. they can't get away with it and they know it.
I should add that tenderloin neighborhood Develpment Corporation runs a much better ship. I have a friend who lives in one of those on Turk, and from what I've seen, it's much better, and the staff is more professional and caring. Hopefully someday I can convince the city to let TNDC to take over here because THC runs a shoddy operation
it's time to get medieval on their assess. nothing less will work. i have two thoughts on this:
a) take all the money we spend on the homeless per year and use that number to justify a new facility in the desert to house them until they die
b) put them all to sleep!
Wow ... the video on your blog, auweia1, is pretty shocking. It reminds me why I can count the number of times I've walked down 6th Street on one hand. :)
I can't blame the police too much .... the police are understaffed in the City. They can't hire people - even at $65k to start. Nobody wants the job .... out of control folks getting more brazen all the time, and a legal system that seems to just turn 'em back out on the streets.
I definitely think San Francisco citizens need to push for a carry concealed weapon permit process that allows almost all law-abiding folks who feel the need to pack a gun to do so. Hopefully, folks would never need to use them, but i want every piece of crap criminal to think twice before mugging an old lady... thinking that old lady may shoot him in the balls.
Believe it or not these places use to be worse.So bad that the cops would not even come in at night.But unfortunately you have a few bad apples.And the bad thing about seeing a few on a blog gives the people the idea that all who live in this are the same.NOT ALL PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE ARE LIKE THIS!!