No doubt you’ve seen headlines recently that warn breathlessly that the numbers of homeless people are skyrocketing. Of course, they are. There’s a Republican in the White House. That’s the only time homelessness exists. And now that the Republicans control Congress, I expect the problem to get worse.
Last night on NBC News, they did a story on San Francisco’s homeless population and how it jumped dramatically when the city started giving out $400 cash payments to them. Really, now why did that happen? You mean giving people the means to continue the destructive behaviors that put them on the street in the first place isn’t helping them to get better? I’m shocked. Now the city is thinking of cutting the payments from $400 to $60 per month. Of course, that’s got some liberals all in a lather. and we’re treated to the obligatory anecdotal story of a guy who can’t live without the money:
Reporter Chris Reid: “After decades of drug use, Mel Rodriguez is clean and sober now, but unemployable because of seizures, he says he’s terrified of having his monthly payment slashed.”
Mel Rodriguez: “I’d be forced to look at sleeping in an abandoned car again or in a box or in a doorway, and frankly, I thought I’d given that past up a long time ago.”
Excuse me, but isn’t San Francisco the most expensive place in the country to live? Where is this guy living now on $400 per month? He’s certainly not renting an apartment for that much. Perhaps he has other sources of income: SSI, Medicaid, disability pensions, and so on. And don’t tell there’s absolutely no job he can get. I’m sorry, but I don’t buy it.
So what is this heartless city going to do will all that extra cash? Spend it on schools and roads? God forbid, give it back to the taxpayers? No, it will instead spend it on housing and homeless services. Well, duh! Didn’t that make sense in the first place? “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and feed him for a lifetime.” Give a guy 400 smackers and he eats and drinks while living in a cardboard box. Help him get clean and sober and presentable and trained so that he can get a job, and he gets to live in a nice clean apartment. Maybe he won’t be able afford to live in San Francisco, but there’s all kinds of nice places to live in the US for a lot cheaper. At least it won’t be on the street.
