At last, some more stupidity from the left. Mayoral candidates spending a homeless night in Nashville because they promised advocacy groups for the homeless that they would. I’m thinking they now will be able to solve the homeless problem?
By LUCAS L. JOHNSON II, Associated Press WriterWed Jun 20, 5:41 PM ET
One man tried in vain to sleep on a park bench. Two others swallowed their pride as they went into restaurants, broke but hungry. With no bathroom available, another one used the woods.
All four men agreed to be homeless for a night before returning Wednesday to their real lives —
as candidates for Nashville mayor.
The candidates promised advocates for the homeless that they would spend one night on the streets before the Aug. 2 election. The Nashville Homeless Power Project hopes the experience makes them more sensitive to the hundreds of people in the city with no place to live.
So it’s insensitivity that causes homelessness? I was under the strange impression that it’s related to alcohol / drug abuse mixed with a little laziness. (Of course there are always exceptions to the rules — so don’t get all self righteous and indignant:)
“I was struck by the number of people I saw sleeping in downtown Nashville,” said candidate Karl Dean, the city’s former law director. “There’s no simple answer, but we’ve got to do something.”
The National Coalition for the Homeless has been organizing similar experiences for college students and others for the past 25 years. But the group’s executive director, Michael Stoops, said it was the first time political candidates agreed to take part.
“I think all people who run for office should be in touch with people living in poverty,” Stoops said. “I think it should be a requirement.”
Really? Why? It’s funny because some politicians in Washington think they need to get in touch with prostitutes. What logic.
The participants, chaperoned by current and former homeless people, were supposed to find a legal place to stay the night, spend at least 20 minutes sleeping on a park bench and ask strangers for spare change.
As opposed to getting a job.
Much of that was more than the candidates could handle. Dean and David Briley, a city council member, didn’t panhandle, and all four men wandered the streets until Wednesday morning rather than attempt to find a shelter.
“I never really got a chance to rest,” said Buck Dozier, another council member. He tried sleeping on a slab of concrete.
Homeless people got a chance to ask the candidates questions about the experience Wednesday. The first question caught them a bit off guard: Where did you use the bathroom?
Isn’t that cute? Panels of homeless people.
Briley said he never got the urge. Dean and Dozier said they used the same restaurants where they asked for water and food. Howard Gentry, the city’s vice mayor, had a more typical experience: “I went one time in the grass and one time in the woods.”
More than 1,500 homeless people stay in the Nashville area on an average night, according to recent data from the National Coalition for the Homeless. Nationally that number is more than 744,000, the coalition says.
Other politicians around the country have done similar experiments to better understand issues surrounding poor and homeless people.
Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski and his wife recently took part in the “food stamp challenge” — spending just $3 a day each on their meals to match the amount spent by the average food stamp recipient in Oregon. A state senator from Connecticut also spent three weeks living on food stamp funds.
Former Nashville Mayor Bill Boner went undercover as a homeless person while he was a Democratic congressman in 1986, one year before he became mayor. He said the experience opened his eyes.
“The true value of a city is how we treat the homeless, those who aren’t as well off,” said Boner, who now teaches a high-school government class.
Two other Nashville mayoral candidates — former U.S. Rep. Bob Clement and businessman Kenneth Eaton — have agreed to spend a night homeless at a later date. A seventh candidate, Cheryl Lynn Tisdale, did not make the promise.
About two years ago, Nashville implemented a 10-year plan to set up 1,800 units of housing for chronically homeless people, and all the candidates say they support the plan.
Tommy Howard, who is homeless, said the experience was good for the candidates, even for just one night.
“It let them see what we go through,” Howard said. “It’s a struggle.”
Comment posted by wytammic
at 7/15/2007 9:05:50 AM
Hi Sasquatch,
I think your story is like the eagle’s eggs.
Comment posted by Sasquatch
at 7/15/2007 4:09:49 AM
To Sequoia 101. Have you ever heard of roommates? There are tens of thousands of illegal aliens who arrive in California every week. You don’t see many of them as homeless. They arrived with nothing but the clothes on their backs and they find work, below minimum wages, cash only, no benefits and they are actually living in houses and even buying them. If they can do it why can’t people like “thehomelessguy” do it? I think I know. Homeless people want to have the freedom to say “NO”, No to benefits, no to mental health treatment, and NO TO A PROSPECTIVE BOSS. ” How dare anyone tell me what to do—so I think I’ll go be homeless”. Yeah most of us at one time or another have bosses who are a$$holes, but we suck it up and deal with it. I have been “homeless” twice, no problems, I recently got laid off and will soon be collecting unemployment insurance, no problem. I live in an area which has a very high cost of living (California) and I live on less than $40/month for groceries which is only $1.33/day for food. Theoretically. If I were on food stamps at $3.00/day I could save $1.67/day for a savings account (around my area foodstamps are sold like cash so dopers and alcoholics can get their fixes). Lets see $1.67 x 365 days/year = $609.55 a year. Just saving this amount in ten years I know I could save at least $6,099.55 and adding interest would give me a nest egg of over $10,000! AND I AM A HOMELESS! Food: A McDonald Double cheesburger with no charge for tomato lettuce mayo is only $1.08. On the tough days when I want to save more I can spend $1.08 and save .59 for my savings account.
I have to say, NONE of this is a joke. Please don’t feel sorry for me, please. Nine years ago I lost EVERYTHING, HAD NO JOB—NOTHING but literally the clothes on my back and a change of underwear. Before this emergent situation I was paying off a monthly “nut” of about $7,000 month. I learned to no longer use plastic. I have not had ONE steady job in the last 9 years. I AM NOT COMPLAINING! I now have over $500,000 in liquid cash reserves and investments (combined). In my last job I was praying that I would be let go - WHY? I was making too much money. SO far this year I earned over $89,000 AS of last month. I HATE the idea of paying AMT - Alternative Minimum Tax, so the government can thow it away at homeless programs. I am on a temporary vacation until Jan 2008 when I can start making money again. Mr. Homeless Dude, why don’t you do the work I did? I don’t care, just a hint. If you ever want a REAL JOB, don’t go through Human Resources - Those people are the ones who should be homeless. Anyway, I have enjoyed two cross country vacations in the US nice HOTELS and three trips to Europe during my “homeless recovery period” of the past 9 years. I have NO references, and don’t play the HR game. My motto is DOers get paid, everyone else get out of my way. Right now I am relaxing, and NOT looking for shelter or food. BTW I am not a dumpster diver or a FREEGAN, or a salesman, I do however know the value of an aluminum can properly traded for coin. I forgot - I have full health insurance NOT AN HMO with COPAYS! I used the COBRA scam and make sure I can bridge the 18 months between REAL paying jobs. I would never trade my non-jobs for a regular 9-5 EVER, I am making too much money and having too much fun with my 6 months per year “vacations”. Why kiss butt all year for a measly 2-3 week vacation? NOT ME! BTW It is essential to hire a good accountant and financial advisor. I like to dabble in stocks and sold all my REITS, and am buying WALMART and getting ready to buy my first class A stock from Berkshire Hathaway. Its over $100,000 per share! Not many homeless have BERK A stock. My goal next year is to meet Warren Buffett. He is the second richest man in the world and only makes $100,000/year. He still lives in the first house he bought for under $60,000. He still drives an old clunke
Comment posted by wytammic
at 6/25/2007 8:32:54 PM
Hi sequoia,
There have been many instances in my life that I’ve worked 60 - 80 hours a week just to be able to make ends meet. It was well worth it to have a roof over my head.
You are commenting on someone’s blog that believes that compassion actually amounts to helping people be resourceful and do things for themselves. Giving someone something for nothing on a continual basis is very harmful to the person on the receiving end. It establishes a mentality of entitlement and the principle of stewardship is never gained.
Thanks for your input — though implying I am not compassionate is a bit out of line.
Comment posted by sequoia101
at 6/25/2007 8:42:36 AM
A little compassion is in order.
Homelessness is rooted in poverty and the lack of affordable housing options.
The housing wage here is currently $15.68 (the rate of pay one must obtain in order to afford a modest, non-luxury apartment.)
The top four employment industries in this county (the sectors employing the most people) compensate workers at less than this housing wage.
That means that most of our workers must put in greater than forty hours a week just to afford a place to live. The average renter will be required to work 55 hours per week to house themselves.
A minimum wage earner must work 86 hours per week, 52 weeks per year, to afford our typical rental unit.
Comment posted by wytammic
at 6/24/2007 9:12:02 AM
Hi puttysauce,
I really don’t think I have to experience homelessness in order to understand that it exists. And who says I’m from WY? Just because I live here now doesn’t mean I’ve been here all my life.
I honestly hope that there is help out there for the 60% of homeless that you say have serious mental issues — but read some of these other comments — you cannot force a person to get help. I guess the ACLU can be thanked for that 
. Then again, it seems like some on your side take issue with the idea of the homeless being mentally ill at all. For the drug addicts, you’re right, I don’t care much.
I’ll say it again, listen close, people are responsible for themselves and are not entitled to anything except for life. liberty and the pursuit of happiness. This doesn’t mean that the government is going to pursue your happiness, but you have the right to do so. Many people are gifted and enjoy helping others who are down on their luck. It’s just a matter of how many times they’re willing to help the same person over and over. If people want to help, I think that’s great. But, don’t be telling others that homeless people are their responsibility because it simply is not the case.
Comment posted by puttysauce
at 6/24/2007 7:51:34 AM
why do so many people think that the homeless enjoy being homeless, that they’re just too lazy to get up on their feet and want to take advantage of the government? i work at a homeless shelter, and nearly all the people who come to us do not collect the government “handouts” they’re entitled to. 60% of them have serious mental illness. about that same number have a substance abuse problem.
a small percentage of the people i encounter are comfortable with their situation vying for shelter beds or finding enough cardboard to get comfortable elsewhere. the rest want a normal life, and even the “clean” and “sane” ones scrub themselves to a shine, go to the gas station in their sunday best for a job interview, but have to take their belongings with them. the potential employers see their duffel and plastic bags and immediately reject them. but then miraculously some do find a job! they pay off outstanding debts and loans from friends, find a one-bedroom apartment in the ghetto but realize they cannot afford the giant security deposit (in new haven, ct, the average one bedroom apartment is $700/month, so the security deposit is $1050–would you be able to come up with that?).
i grew up in casper. there is no understanding homelessness in wyoming. “live and let live” is just a nice way to say “i don’t care about your story and you don’t have to care about mine.” so long as we don’t have to put a story to the faces, we don’t have to be responsible for the problems in our communities. not a way i want to live.
Comment posted by thehomelessguy
at 6/23/2007 9:53:29 AM
So Tieki,
You are a great expert on things homeless? You have a degree in psychology? sociology? You’ve been seriously studying homelessness for how long? Been working with the homeless for how long? Your opinion is qualified by what? Just your opinion? And you say I’m full of crap? Oh, and you know me? You know my mental and physical conditions, my life history, what actually motivates me? If you think that you understand me by reading my blog, you’re wrong. There is very little information about me on that website. Learn to be real - as in deal with reality as it is, not as you’d wish it to be.
Comment posted by tieki rae
at 6/22/2007 3:44:41 PM
Dear homeless guy,
No offense, but you are absolutely full of crap. I have no doubt that I could go anywhere in the country, take a crappy job, find a crappy room, and get off the street. So, stop being such a lazy leech off of society, get a hair cut and get a real job, and stop hanging around my mom’s awesome blog.
Seriously, I stand fast to my belief that unless a person is seriously mentally/physically ill, there is no excuse for long-term homelessness. If it’s your pride standing in your way, get over it. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t like in order to survive. It’s a fact of life.
Perhaps, at this point in your life, you should spend less time advocating for homeless people and more time getting yourself into a position where you are more capable of helping these homeless people.
Sincerely,
Tieki Rae
Comment posted by thehomelessguy
at 6/22/2007 3:14:37 PM
Well tieki, you really do prove a point of mine about conservative people. Look back at my sentence you quoted. I refer you to the part where I wrote “at least.” Even though it was there for you to read, and cut and paste it, you totally disregarded that bit of information so to justify your incorrect, and very negative slant towards homeless people.
You may claim your positions to be “fair and balanced” but you are a far far distance from actually achieving it.
As a homeless guy, I spend ‘at least’ 4 hours a day tracking down food and shelter. Add to that all the time I spend as a homeless advocate, and take on odd jobs for cash, and I come of with a total far exceeding 40 hours a week.
There are many homeless people who have full time jobs who in addition spend 4 hours or more a day trying to secure food and shelter - and all the other necessities of life.
Comment posted by wytammic
at 6/22/2007 11:44:47 AM
Thanks for the links TT. Of course they got hung up in that nasty moderation queue, but I have rescued them:)
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