As you know, we've all had ideas on how to solve this growing problem however, it appears that we had an answer all along. There are laws in Florida against vagrancy. This clipping is from the Florida Times-Union and really sheds some new light on this (Sorry for the copy quality, but newsprint doesn't reproduce well):
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F-T-U 7/6/1906
Isn't this what the times union does with the sellers on the street corners? Are there other things we can employee these people with that isn't dangerous? I've heard maintaining the parks before, but what about expanding that to the streets and parking lots downtown which can be overrun with detritus and scrub oak leaves/pollen/acrons?
The problem with the ever-growing homeless population in Jacksonville is...Jacksonville. We keep creating new shelters, soup kitchens and programs for them so not only do they stay, but word gets out and vagrants make their way to Jacksonville. Apparently Jacksonville welcomes the homeless.
Now, I am not referring to people/families who have lost their homes and fell on hard times...there should be programs for them; I am referring to the vagrants who leech off of the tails of the programs designed to help. The vagrants who just move from city block to city block, shouting, urinating and defecating whereever they feel like it. With a large population of vagrants, that will keep people out of downtown and that will stunt growth.
Want to get rid of the downtown vagrants? Close the shelters or change the admission requirements to them and buy the vagrants a bus ticket to their home cities.
Just my opinion, of course.
The problem with homelessness in America is that we refuse to institutionalize people now. The vast majority of homeless have mental problems and they should be confined to mental hospitals for their own safety. Unfortunately, past practices of this in the US has led to reluctance to even try to do it correctly even though similar programs are in place all over Western Europe, where you have to go out of your way to find a 'bum', and if you do find one they appear to be a recent immigrant.
The key to this article some seem to have missed is the date, JULY 6, 1906. I posted it merely to point out that this isn't a new phenomena but as old as mankind itself.
To Jaxjagsfan69 I would reply that I had MUCH rather live in a city that celebrates people of every class and distinction then a city such as Orlando, Tampa, Miami or Fort Lauderdale, which have been proved to be giving the homeless a 'free bus ticket to Jacksonville.' One doesn't have to be a Christian to see merit in the Bible verse that states in MATT 25:40 "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
Let's feed them, let's clothe them, let's be the city that makes them warm, gives them medical, drug and alcohol rehabilitation and mental care (plenty of Federal programs to fund this). Most of all let us be the city that trains them, educates them and then the city to provide them with jobs and a way up. Sure we'll lose some, but we'll gain many. Short of the Grace of God, many of us would be among them.
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As an aside, the little town of Britt, Iowa celebrates the homeless in the international hobo convention. There is a vote for the most authentic hobo in both appearance and story. The winners are crowned with old coffee can lids cut into a crown shape and proclaimed "King & Queen of the Road, and Emperor's of the North Pole," by actual decree from the Queen of England. This was also a part of the movie staring Lee Marvin by the same name, Emperor of The North, 1973.
http://www.youtube.com/v/5jn-ZS7g8xs?hl=en_US
No worries. The vagrants referred to in the newpaper article are all dead now
Just move the services they use to another location. For example the shelters, clara white and so forth as soon as their avenues for food and shelter go somewhere else so will they.
Now a better way to battle it would be raise the standards for assistance. Have some of the able bodied men help. Kind of like the prison system you could say. Have these missions in exchange for food and shelter have some of the homeless people participate in park cleanings and general trash pickup or something.
I believe that we could easily all live in the same area just so long as the serious stuff stays controlled. (like the story i heard of some lady stabbing someone with a screw driver) Certain people need to be taken to a facility where they can receive the help they need.
In Historic Springfield, there was a five house ACLF on Laura ST. The residents were mainly the poor who had mental health issues of one sort or another. As the economy got better and better and housing values were driven up, the place was closed and sold. The residents were transferred to other locations well outside of Historic Springfield. Today, you can often still see several of them here on the streets. They get picked up, put in a new facility and then find their way back Home. Yes, Home. The belief that moving all of the shelters, services, ETC. out of the urban core will somehow magically eliminate those groups of people you don't like to see away from their home is just a fairy tale and will not do anything but waste millions of tax payer dollars. The idea that by making it more difficult to get back downtown by dumping them in some kind of release center twenty miles out of town just makes them work up more of a sweat to get back Home.
By using, actually using Downtown, by having lots of people around, the presence of the homeless is lessened, at least the feeling of them being less is there. Eventually, they are less but is happens organically rather than being force because forced doesn't work.
Quote from: AuditoreEnterprise on April 29, 2014, 11:42:58 AM
Just move the services they use to another location. For example the shelters, clara white and so forth as soon as their avenues for food and shelter go somewhere else so will they.
Now a better way to battle it would be raise the standards for assistance. Have some of the able bodied men help. Kind of like the prison system you could say. Have these missions in exchange for food and shelter have some of the homeless people participate in park cleanings and general trash pickup or something.
I believe that we could easily all live in the same area just so long as the serious stuff stays controlled. (like the story i heard of some lady stabbing someone with a screw driver) Certain people need to be taken to a facility where they can receive the help they need.
This is an idea long discussed and debated. Like so much else in this city, it never gets beyond talk much less to a real discussion about valid options regarding anything other than a day care center and putting more activities in the park. I guess we will see what the impact is, but events cannot run all day, everyday.
Speaking of the day facility? It was opened with much fanfare. I am pretty sure the mayor even had his picture taken at its opening!!! :). Just seems with the importance that was associated with it we should be receiving some updates on its usage, etc.
Quote from: edjax on April 29, 2014, 04:05:07 PM
Speaking of the day facility? It was opened with much fanfare. I am pretty sure the mayor even had his picture taken at its opening!!! :). Just seems with the importance that was associated with it we should be receiving some updates on its usage, etc.
no way the mayor had his picture taken at the opening.... 8)