Los Angeles vows to end status as U.S. homeless capital

[JI7]

for those who have been to LA, you know how big a problem this is. there are so many homeless here. i see homeless people even in places like Beverly Hills. one of the problems in dealing with this is that no area wants the facilities to help the homeless in their city.


<LOS ANGELES, April 6 (Reuters) - Vowing to end Los Angeles' "ignominious distinction" as the homeless capital of America, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday embraced a $12 billion plan aimed at sheltering the county's 90,000 homeless people within a decade.

"We will not be the city with the ignominious distinction of being the homeless capital of America, but a city with a new model, a new plan, a city on the other side of midnight," Villaraigosa told a news conference.

Despite its image as a haven for rich movie stars, Los Angeles County has the highest number of homeless people in the nation, double that of New York City, according to a census taken last year.

More than 12,000 people released from county jails each year end up living on the streets, according to a report released on Thursday. Most camp out under freeway passes, store doorways and in public parks all over the county, relying on begging and food handouts from charities.

Efforts to help them in the past have run afoul of legal skirmishes between city and county officials over responsibility for their care.>

http://today.reuters.com/News/CrisesArticle.aspx?storyId=N06408722

[aquart]

1. Amazing how housing ends homelessness.

What made those clever people make the connection?

[Mythsaje]

2. Double than that of New York?

No kidding. LA is a lot more comfortable a place to go without having a roof over your head than New York is.

[SoCalDem]

3. They need to contact THIS guy.. he knows how to do it

John Rosenthal.. his shelter has 100 % "graduation"..with full time jobs
Posted by SoCalDem in General Discussion
Tue Mar 14th 2006, 11:25 PM
http://www.boomerstv.com/episodes_episod...

He charges them "rent" for a semi private space,"hires" them, trains them, and at the end of their year or 2 years, they "graduate"...and he gives them back their "rent" in a lump sum..

A great example of what one businessman with a conscience can accomplish

This is a fantastic series..look for it on your PBS schedule..

...............................................................


Doing Good and Doing Well

To some, John Rosenthal presents a walking oxymoron: a successful real estate developer who is also an environmentalist, a gun owner who champions gun control, an undisputed successful capitalist and deeply committed social activist.

Believing that there is no problem that business people can't solve when they put their minds to it, John Rosenthal is all about using whatever leverage his business success provides to address the social concerns closest to his heart: gun control and the homeless.

In the clips below, John recalls some events in his early life that led to his political activism and discusses the relationship between rights and responsibilities. Also, he issues a challenge to his fellow Boomers.

Then, listen as John discusses how business leaders can leverage their influence to assist those in need.

http://www.boomerstv.com/episodes_video....
http://www.boomerstv.com/episodes_video....

.........................................

More resources on the shelter

[Peace Patriot]

4. Release non-violent offenders, get rid of "3 Strikes" for non-violent

offenders and rehabilitated violent offenders, decriminalize drug use and prostitution, downsize and entirely clean up with prison-industrial complex and the prison guard/mean, violent, oppressive culture of prisons; provide a decent, humane environment for prisoners, in which medical, social and spiritual healing can take place; provide better legal help to those accused; provide humanitarian aide to released prisoners: money, medical care, dentistry, training, jobs and optional counseling--and you will almost entirely solve the "homeless problem," at least for the time being.

"More than 12,000 people released from county jails each year end up living on the streets."

12,000 mostly poor, often black or brown, people whom the prison-industrial complex has chewed up and spit out.

--------

As for the long term, confiscate Halliburton's war profits, and 90% of the salaries of CEOs in the country, tax the rich fairly, and create an economy that is FOR the people, and not for global corporate predators and the super-rich, and the other part of the "homeless problem" will solve itself: jobs.

People like to do useful things, to create things, and make things run right. Americans are notable for their productivity, creativity and can-do attitude. Give them half a chance, and they WILL create a great economy and prosperity for all. Give them the right to vote, and they will create all this AND save the planet.

But continue as we are--with the rich bilking the poor, and all energy and resources drained into war-making, and pouring into the pockets of war profiteers--with a vicious, ugly, huge, de-humanizing prison system lurking to catch all those who fail, and we will end up like Calcutta, with the streets filled with beggars, and the crippled, the sick and the dying.

And we now have another generation of young people physically or emotionally crippled by yet another senseless war--many of whom will end up on the streets, adding to "the problem."

Providing housing for homeless people is a fine thing to do. But it is looking into the wrong end of the telescope. What is the SOURCE of this "problem"?

1. The prison-industrial complex, which ruins good people and makes troubled people worse.

2. Fascist economic policy.

3. War.

[Peace Patriot]

5. Villagarosa views the homeless like he might view acne: as unsightly!

So, cover it up, hide it away, make it SEEM like it's not there. Put a cot under them and a roof over their heads--and shovel them in there, under threat of returning to pigsty jails--and, like magic, "the problem" goes away.

The homeless are not a pimple on the face of Los Angeles. They are a SYMPTOM of a country with all of its priorities horribly screwed up.

Shelter the homeless, yes. But, for godssakes, ALSO unscrew up the priorities!

[Tempest]

6. L.A. was sending the homeless to Bakersfield

It was a big scandal here and the Bakersfield mayor and city council threatened to sue L.A. after it was discovered L.A. was giving the homeless one-way bus tickets to Bakersfield.

L.A. stopped the practice after that.

[raccoon]

8. I thought that was going to be the suggestion to "cure" the homeless

problem.

I heard this sort of thing referred to once as "Greyhound therapy."

[dysfunctional press]

7. how are they going to change the weather?

i think that the average person would prefer being homeless in l.a. to being homeless in chicago...especially around january.