Peyton priority shifting to downtown, riverfront development

[tpot]

........and having these resources located in the center of downtown JAX is a huge negative for the city.  The city can build all sorts of public space in downtown JAX, but if it gets overrun by the homeless, then all they did is create a new place for them to sleep, drink & urinate.  Prime examples are Hemmining Plaza and the Main Library...........

[CrysG]

Steven,

First there is a difference between being "jobless" and the people we have milling around downtown. I know a lot of jobless people, non of whom are sitting on a street corner asking for money. I know a lot of jobless people non of whom using are using main library for their personal showering facilities.

I don't think it's a simple as creating a volunteer corps to give the homeless a job. I know first hand there is a church on the Westside that gets requests from homeless people for food. The churches policy (which I agree with 100%) is that if you work for 1 hour helping the yard and janitorial crew you get a meal. Hardly anyone ever takes them up on their offer. Why would they when they can get downtown and get a meal for free?

The toughest problem with this issue is not the homeless.

The homeless are 65% of the reason I don't live downtown. Why would I want to live downtown and have to be asked "hey you, do you have a dollar" everytime I want to go to the Library, park or any other place downtown?  I've said this before on another thread. One time when I went to visit my husband's office on the Southbank, in the one city block it took for me to walk there, I was stopped THREE times with someone asking for money. As a woman I'd rather live in the 'burbs and almost never be asked for money then live downtown and be asked for money repeatedly.

[nestliving]

Crys,

Every person who lives in a decent size city deals with the homeless. They are everywhere. In Jacksonville, the only difference is that the people who should be living downtown are not because they think we have a homeless problem. In my opinion it's the total opposite, we have a resident problem. Move downtown, you'll see really quickly that it's the same 10 guys walking around asking for money. Tell them where to go once and they bother you no longer.

[Cliffs_Daughter]

Crys,

Every person who lives in a decent size city deals with the homeless. They are everywhere.

True - I've been approached in a Wal-Mart of all places. Some guy just wouldn't let up about asking me for money or a pack of cig's. This was in the parking lot and later IN the store itself. Same guy.
So it's definitely not isolated to downtown. It's just the homeless shelters and outreach facilities are mainly there.

[raheem942]

peyton is a mini retard he s are very own personal president bush.

[JeffreyS]

Peyton is correct about prioritizing the downtown river front.

[tufsu1]

Even TUFSU should be able to understand that.

Understand what?

Remember, I live downtown...and chose to do so knowing full well how many homeless people circulate in front of my home.

But here's a question...how many homeless people did you see downtown this weekend?

The City didn't shoo them away, but when the sidewalks are full with other people, the homeless don't stand out.

[Ocklawaha]

So you guys REALLY think that Jacksonville's homeless problem is worse then South America? HA! HA! HA! Yet the cities in South America teem with vibrant life. South America also has suburbs, malls, and strip centers, yet downtown is where it's at. We need to study WHY. I did note that about sunset the "good people" tend to clear out, but after dark they come back. The city belongs to everyone all night long. Interesting.

Jacksonville could use it's new relationship with Curitiba Brasil for more then a BRT study, let's see why the downtown is the heartbeat of a city roughly twice our size.

For the first time in my life I find myself cheering Peyton and Hollingsworth on to victory, "Streetcars and Victory". Adam, you know where I'm at so let's talk, we'll make a legacy that will last for centurys.

OCKLAWAHA

[comncense]

Yeah I live downtown also and I can say that it's very rare that I ever get bugged by homeless people. Actually I've noticed that spots that used to be 'hang out's' for homeless people (i.e. the park in front of the Florida Theater), I haven't seen any in those spots in a while. However majority of the time that I'm walking thru downtown is at night time if that makes a difference.

[civil42806]

So you guys REALLY think that Jacksonville's homeless problem is worse then South America? HA! HA! HA! Yet the cities in South America teem with vibrant life. South America also has suburbs, malls, and strip centers, yet downtown is where it's at. We need to study WHY. I did note that about sunset the "good people" tend to clear out, but after dark they come back. The city belongs to everyone all night long. Interesting.

Jacksonville could use it's new relationship with Curitiba Brasil for more then a BRT study, let's see why the downtown is the heartbeat of a city roughly twice our size.

For the first time in my life I find myself cheering Peyton and Hollingsworth on to victory, "Streetcars and Victory". Adam, you know where I'm at so let's talk, we'll make a legacy that will last for centurys.

OCKLAWAHA

Visit Brazil and venture out of the tourist area if you dare, I wouldn't recommend it without some very savy and armed friends.  The homeless situation is NOTHING like SA and other areas.

[fsu813]

I think Jax's problem is on par with ATL.....and, of course, ATL is a much larger city with far much more going on downtown. It will be hard to get off the ground with ATL's homeless and few of thier downtown draws.

[heights unknown]

Steven,

First there is a difference between being "jobless" and the people we have milling around downtown. I know a lot of jobless people, non of whom are sitting on a street corner asking for money. I know a lot of jobless people non of whom using are using main library for their personal showering facilities.

I don't think it's a simple as creating a volunteer corps to give the homeless a job. I know first hand there is a church on the Westside that gets requests from homeless people for food. The churches policy (which I agree with 100%) is that if you work for 1 hour helping the yard and janitorial crew you get a meal. Hardly anyone ever takes them up on their offer. Why would they when they can get downtown and get a meal for free?

The toughest problem with this issue is not the homeless.

The homeless are 65% of the reason I don't live downtown. Why would I want to live downtown and have to be asked "hey you, do you have a dollar" everytime I want to go to the Library, park or any other place downtown?  I've said this before on another thread. One time when I went to visit my husband's office on the Southbank, in the one city block it took for me to walk there, I was stopped THREE times with someone asking for money. As a woman I'd rather live in the 'burbs and almost never be asked for money then live downtown and be asked for money repeatedly.

You are right "CrysG," there is a difference; but don't forget that the jobless can quickly turn into the homeless, and quickly be privy and exposed to the problems that cause homelessness if depression sets in (drug abuse, alcohol abuse, etc.).

Not to beat a dead horse or continue to stray off track from the thread topic, but the possible cure for homelessness, if the person that is homeless chooses it, is to attack the root cause of the problem that have made that person homeless (i.e., no job, disabled, drugs, alcohol, financial problems, unemployment, etc.).

If our society built more facilities to give these people (the homeless) more hope and choice, if they choose, to help them eliminate their social ills that helped them to become homeless, we would have less homeless people out on the streets; and lastly, remember the trillions we spend on other useless things in this country that haven't worked or don't work.  We could use a ton of that money to build transitional facilities for the homeless and others who are in need in every major city and/or town in the nation to help the homeless with their social ills and problems that have helped them to become homeless.

Heights Unknown

[Ocklawaha]

So you guys REALLY think that Jacksonville's homeless problem is worse then South America? HA! HA! HA! Yet the cities in South America teem with vibrant life. South America also has suburbs, malls, and strip centers, yet downtown is where it's at. We need to study WHY. I did note that about sunset the "good people" tend to clear out, but after dark they come back. The city belongs to everyone all night long. Interesting.

Jacksonville could use it's new relationship with Curitiba Brasil for more then a BRT study, let's see why the downtown is the heartbeat of a city roughly twice our size.

For the first time in my life I find myself cheering Peyton and Hollingsworth on to victory, "Streetcars and Victory". Adam, you know where I'm at so let's talk, we'll make a legacy that will last for centurys.

OCKLAWAHA

Visit Brazil and venture out of the tourist area if you dare, I wouldn't recommend it without some very savy and armed friends.  The homeless situation is NOTHING like SA and other areas.

Civil, I've got great friends in Brasil, in fact they were with us all this long weekend! I've NEVER had a problem with violence there. My dad bought 1,000+ acres north of Brasilia. The only City where it didn't look like a good idea to "wander" was Rio. It's like New Orleans, tourism in a bathtub and 4 Million beggers living all around it wanting the Yankee Dollar.

The most I witnessed was back in Bogota, 1982... Uh but THAT was in the middle of a Civil War. I stood at my hi rise hotel window and watched the M-19 fire artillery into the capitol complex. They didn't aim anything my way as I made SURE that Communist headquarters was next door. BTW, looking down into their courtyard, they hade the biggest red flag I've EVER seen! I don't miss those days.

Your right, Jacksonville is NOTHING like S.A., in fact today in Colombia, Medellin "The Worlds Most Dangerous City", has a violent crime rate in the whole urban area that is 1/5 TH of Jacksonvilles.

OCKLAWAHA

[mtraininjax]

While on a fishing trip to Guatamala a few years ago, I saw poverty like I have never seen in the US. People at the airport, begging for money everywhere, then over their shoulders were armed guards with automatic weapons. Poverty and homeless in the US, while sad, have it very good compared to other countries.

I agree with Stephen, if we had public places for them to shower and use the restrooms, we would have less issues. They are after all human beings and we should treat them as such.

If the mayor wants to spend 100 million on the fountain, he is dumber than I can remember. Give the school system that 100 million and let it be used to fund the future of the city. The fountain is fine the way it is, our city educational system is not. Fix what is broken.

[BridgeTroll]

The fountain is fine the way it is, our city educational system is not. Fix what is broken.

Both are broken and need to be repaired.