Almost 9,000 Chicago students are homeless (Number has doubled since 2000)

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/news/cst-nws-homeless20.html

For much of the last two years, Reg Benton, a soft-spoken 12-year-old, bounced among his grandmother's house, his dad's place and two homeless shelters with his mother.

Few people knew he was homeless -- his clothes were clean, his hair groomed. But the signs were there. His grades slipped. He stormed out of class one day. He even threw a chair in anger.

"I daydream a lot, worrying," Reg said Tuesday during an interview at the Uptown Salvation Army shelter where he's been staying with his mother and two siblings for the last month. "I was worried about getting a home and coming back with my family."

His mother, Charneise Silas, used to hold a steady job and for 12 years kept her family together in an apartment before being evicted in 2003 after a drug conviction. They've been homeless since.

Number has doubled since 2000

[ernstbass]

1. How sad

It's hard enough being a kid in this crazy country without being homeless - I fear this is a hidden epidemic in our society - Gosh they missed this part when they said "no child left behind":mad:

[cmd]

2. Until the poverty issue is solved children will be left behind

Of course it is easier and cheaper to blame the teachers.

[Talfen]

3. This is disturbing

It seems his mother had a big hand in them being homeless. Why hasn't the Father or the Grandmother taken the children from the mother? Seems to be the most appropriate action considering the fact she was convicted of a drug charge that helped get them evicted to begin with.

[NNN0LHI]

4. This woman didn't end up homeless after her drug charge

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/01/29/jeb.bush.daughter.drugs/



A booking photo of Noelle Bush, 24, taken after her arrest Tuesday in Tallahassee, Florida

Jeb Bush's daughter charged with prescription fraud

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (CNN) -- The daughter of Florida Gov. Jeb Bush was arrested early Tuesday after she allegedly tried to fill a false prescription at a Tallahassee, Florida, pharmacy, police said.

Police arrested Noelle Bush, 24, at about 1:15 a.m. EST at a Walgreens drugstore and charged her with fraudulently obtaining a controlled substance, a jail spokesman said. Police said she was attempting to pick up Xanax, a sedative used to treat anxiety disorder. The drug can make users feel drowsy and dizzy as it reduces nervousness and tension.

However, Xanax also is growing in popularity in the club drug scene, where it is used as a "parachute drug" taken to reduce the impact of the drug ecstasy, said Joe Kilmer of Drug Enforcement Administration's Miami office.

Bush was released pending a court appearance.

[Talfen]

7. What does this have to do with the article?

I didn't say all people that are convicted of a drug charges are evicted just that this woman was evicted after her drug charge. The article doesn't say, but I bet she was dealing the drugs out of her apartment. I had friends that were evicted when they were busted for dealing pot out of their apartment.

The problem I am having with this story is that it seems the family isn't doing enough to help out. The father lives apart from the family, the Grandparents help them occasionally. If the mother is a drug addict or was caught dealing drugs why haven't they taken the kids away? She is apparently unable to take care of them properly. It seems the whole thing could be averted if the Father would step up and do what is right, or if he is a looser the Grandparents. I am not sure about anyone else, but I know that my family would step-in and make sure my two kids have a home and are well taken care of if for whatever reason my wife and I were unable to provide those things.

[Mairead]

8. Perhaps you should think more about people in other circumstances

Classist 'should' assumptions about the resources people have aren't helpful. Not everyone has family able to help out. Many people are existing on the thin edge of disaster--total disaster, in the case of the working-poor. If, as you surmise, she was dealing, why might that be? Could it be because, with Bush having clobbered the economy, that was her best hope of maintaining an income sufficient to support her family?

And as NNN0LHI's Noelle Bush cite goes to illustrate, classism plays a huge role in outcomes: the privileged tend to be able to evade facing any but minimal consequences for their behavior while the poor are dropped in the gyppo. And it doesn't matter that the one has all the advantages in the world while the other was scrambling to keep 'food on her family'--if anything, the fact that one had to scramble is used against her!

[Talfen]

10. I understand fully others problems with work in todays work force

Why is it hard to put the blame elsewhere? Bush has fucked up the economy sure, does that mean you should resort to crime to take care of your family? Instead of resorting to crime she could of went to a public library and did a search for government agencies that would of helped her with her bills, food, and going back to school so she could of learned a different career and made more money. Her family could of gotten off their asses and helped her and the kids out too by giving them a place to stay instead of them hopping around the local shelters.

I blame Bush for many of the problems this country faces, but I can not look past the fact that she was evicted because she resorted to illegal activity. Many people do not know that there are 1000's of grants available for the poor, minority, and single parents. You can use these grants to pay your bills, go to school or open a business. Why should we continue to let the government screw us over? I am tired of letting this Government get the best of me, I have started taking everything I can, it helped me out 4 years ago and now I have a great job that I got after I received my Associates degree. Before that I was considered below poverty. I remember how hard it was to make sure my kids had food, new clothes and shoes that didn't have holes in them. This woman could of done the same thing. It only took one question at my library to get me pointed in the right direction. Can you point me to where I might find out about Federal grants? simple really and I didn't have to resort to selling of drugs to get where I can finally take care of my family. Best part is I do not have to pay that money back, lets start using the government instead of them using us. Take back some of your tax dollars instead of letting it go to some war... Well I do not have to finish that as it is said often around here. If I can do the above anyone can, for I am a product of public education :)

[Mairead]

14. Then why didn't your response reflect the understanding you claim to have?

And you're still doing classism, btw. If you walked down the street in a poor neighborhood right now, accosted 100 people, and asked them about those '1000s of grants', how many do you think would know about them? My finger-in-the-wind guess is maybe 3, and that's optimistic. Knowing about grants is a class thing.

Step outside your own head and have some compassion.

[Laughing Mirror]

16. I hear there are grants that help one learn English grammar

Prepositions, compound verbs and past tenses, things such as that. Courses available even to those of us with terrible public educations and no Associates degrees.

[raccoon]

18. True, they COULD have

"Her family could of gotten off their asses and helped her and the kids out too by giving them a place to stay instead of them hopping around the local shelters. "

But WOULD they have? Maybe, maybe not.

[raccoon]

17. Right,

"Not everyone has family able to help out. "

Or willing to, I would add.

[Laughing Mirror]

15. Damn little 12-year-old Reg Benton

for not having chosen your wonderful well-managed family to grow up in. Damn.

[Chi]

9. Why focus on one, when there are 8,969 others.

Must be some cause (common denominator) to increase the numbers by so much in such a small amount of time.

Let's see, what could the cause be....
Any ideas?
8)

"Reg is among 8,970 homeless kids in the Chicago Public School system this year, the highest level ever. The number has more than doubled since 2000, up from 3,500."

[StaggerLee]

5. Billions of dollars a month being spent on Operation Feed Halliburton

Hmmmmm wonder where some of that money could have gone otherwise....

Thinking.....thinking.....

[Gregorian]

6. Really. What a SIN.

This administration is clearly against the people.

[Zorra]

11. This is only the beginning of the poverty and misery that Bu*h policies

will bring upon the majority of people of America and the world in the future.

He has destroyed our country.

Deliberately.

[Doctor_J]

12. Wait! Bush's deficit, er, tax incentives

will be trickling down any minute! Have I mentioned lately how much I hate these people?

[hayu_lol]

13. I sense a troll lurking in this thread...does anyone else...

notice the same thing?

[raccoon]

19. Yes. nt