The Homeless Crisis

[LWW]

Social security is a pretty big hindrance on the American economy. It literally transfers wealth from younger less affluent workers who need capital to start businesses, and gives it to older more affluent individuals who just finished their peak earning years and should be winding down their savings and investments.

Social security payments are based on payments made. If people were too poor to contribute much to social security, they will hardly get anything from social security. And what little benefits that they do reap are far outweighed by the opportunity cost of private investment.

Social security beneficiaries literally get a worse return on their investment than simply investing in U.S. Treasury bills. In fact, the social security administration invests excess funds in Treasury bills. It honestly would be better to just have a law that says "citizens must invest 20% of their income in U.S. Treasury bills". The median American would be much better off and if the person dies, the Treasury bills could actually be passed on to the descendants family.

I knew you would throw that in.

I’m not talking about the current SS, as that absolutely sucks.

My vision is also, people would have a choice to use it when they wanted or needed it. If I can work, I’m gonna work and many people are like that, they don’t want nothing to do all day.

I would volunteerly contribute 50% of my pay for that type of security for everyone who has worked for 30years.

[mtpockets]

I work in downtown Los Angeles and take the train here every day so I see it all the time. It's like we are used to it already.

Los Angeles mayor works to tackle city's homelessness crisis as nation focuses on affordable housing



Across the United States, cities are bearing the brunt of homelessness, a problem fueled by a lack of affordable housing and issues like mental health and addiction that are worsened by poverty.

New York and Los Angeles alone account for around 40% of the country's unhoused population. Now, those cities are trying to find lasting solutions.

In California, which leads the nation in homelessness and home prices, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ran and won last year's election largely on a promise to house about a third of the city's 46,000 homeless people by the end of the year.


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/los-ang...nkId=254088817

[OldFartTom]

So far there's been a big focus on homeless crisis as only meaning people who are rough-sleepers (parks, doorways, disused ground in temporary shelters or tents) often single men and often drug use.

What's missing from this thread so far is recognition that there are also a lot of people, more than the number of rough sleepers, definitely in the UK and I'd be surprised if not in the US and Canada, where people are sleeping on friends couches or in charitable shelters or hostels.

These people often have low paid jobs and often families with young kids and just can't afford to rent or have the deposit to rent. My wife used to have a work colleague who was in that situation for a while after their landlord decided to sell the flat they were renting and they couldn't afford deposit on another place, they had an elementary (primary) school age daughter

How do you people opposed to social benefits feel about helping these people?
Both mother and father have jobs and a kid but are just dirt-poor. Would a small and temporary help for them be an inconvenient drain on those young affluent people mentioned - I mean they probably need the latest iPhone not wasting that money on someone else's kids (That iPhone probably contribute more to China's economy than any other)

In the UK, yes there are rough sleepers as we discussed. In the US like that documentary linked in earlier post there's the very visible side of the problem but let's not forget the less obvious side of this, where many people, sometimes working people with kids just don't have homes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67126160

[LWW]

So far there's been a big focus on homeless crisis as only meaning people who are rough-sleepers (parks, doorways, disused ground in temporary shelters or tents) often single men and often drug use.

What's missing from this thread so far is recognition that there are also a lot of people, more than the number of rough sleepers, definitely in the UK and I'd be surprised if not in the US and Canada, where people are sleeping on friends couches or in charitable shelters or hostels.

These people often have low paid jobs and often families with young kids and just can't afford to rent or have the deposit to rent. My wife used to have a work colleague who was in that situation for a while after their landlord decided to sell the flat they were renting and they couldn't afford deposit on another place, they had an elementary (primary) school age daughter

How do you people opposed to social benefits feel about helping these people?
Both mother and father have jobs and a kid but are just dirt-poor. Would a small and temporary help for them be an inconvenient drain on those young affluent people mentioned - I mean they probably need the latest iPhone not wasting that money on someone else's kids (That iPhone probably contribute more to China's economy than any other)

In the UK, yes there are rough sleepers as we discussed. In the US like that documentary linked in earlier post there's the very visible side of the problem but let's not forget the less obvious side of this, where many people, sometimes working people with kids just don't have homes

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-67126160

Tom, why do they need the latest iPhone? My phone is 14 years old. I can’t even download Uber or see Pockets silly MEMEs on it = a good thing.

Obama gave some people phones with a camera, you know what that was for right? It wasn’t to get ahead in life.

Also the library has devices to send resumes etc.

A lot of this stuff should be motivation to shoot for the stars in life.

I hope this next generation though wakes up and says fuk this and stops with the connected devices but it might not happen. Hopefully they will also look at thier tattooed parents and say, I don’t wanna look like that either.

[LWW]

Also my SS idea isn’t glamorous, your not going to able to afford to go on vacations and do all your hobbies.

If you want that stuff you should have tried harder in life.

But with my plan you will have food and access to medical needs.

After all, those are the important things.

[mtpockets]

Homeless disabled







Some homeless senior stories in here.







I would sooner tax payer dollars be used to help unfortunate fellow countrymen than funding some foreign wars and other projects.. Need to be cutting our own grass before cutting the neighbors imo

[mtpockets]

Hopefully they will also look at thier tattooed parents and say, I don’t wanna look like that either.

* Their

What is wrong with people having Tattoos?

What about piercings?

[LWW]

I would sooner tax payer dollars be used to help unfortunate fellow countrymen than funding some foreign wars and other projects.. Need to be cutting our own grass before cutting the neighbors imo

I do agree with this, I’m not a pro tax person but I’ve said I’m ok with a low tax across the board.


I’ll answer your tattoo question here. Tattoos look fricking nasty on old shriveled up people who don’t exercise. Hopefully these kids will think thier parents look stupid and stop this trend of tattoos.

I just think they look stupid and I think most get them to be cool. You can disagree all you want, no problem, I think it’s crazy to get ink on you that you must have forever.

As for piearchings, you can take them out if you realize you made a mistake, so I don’t have any opinions on them. It’s a lot harder to erase ink in your skin.

You don’t need to tell me your opinion either Pockets. Anyone can do what they want, but Ive never actually said or felt anyone’s tattoo was cool and oh I would ever want one since I was maybe age 14-15. I had my parents permission to get one too, and I was about to jump on it but didn’t know what I truly wanted. I damn glad I never got Bob Weirs “ACE” logo that I was really thinking about, fuk, I’d be thinking WTF did I do this for now.

But hey, if they are unique, more power, but so many don’t get any unique ones. I still never saw a unique one that would inspire me to have life long.

[mtpockets]

I hope this next generation though wakes up and says fuk this and stops with the connected devices but it might not happen. Hopefully they will also look at thier tattooed parents and say, I don’t wanna look like that either.

I’ll answer your tattoo question here. Tattoos look fricking nasty on old shriveled up people

Just look them in the eyes and see them for who they are. You shouldn't be looking at their shrivelled up parts anyway.

Tattoos bring a lot of people joy for many reasons some of which may be from memories or memorials of others.

Not that it matters but having a good artist and proper placement, in areas of the body less prone to aging will maintain their appearance longer.

You cried for 2 weeks over a covid shot, the OV35 couldn't handle you after getting a tattoo





It shouldn't bother you to the point where you wish it would disappear when obviously, so many love them.

[LWW]

It shouldn't bother you to the point where you wish it would disappear when obviously, so many love them.

It shouldn’t bother you that I said what I said, who cares.

I think trends are fricking stupid plane simple. Tats were cool in my eyes when only out-casts got them or musicans or other artists.

But who cares, I don’t care that much. You always give your opinion and this one is mine. If it makes a person happy good for them, I’ll never be fake about and say “l like your tat” just to be nice, in fact I won’t say anything positive or negative about someone’s tat, but I’ll certainly speak my opinion on tats in general.

I’m glad no one trains the way I do, if the way I train becomes trendy I’ll change it.

[OldFartTom]

Tom, why do they need the latest iPhone? My phone is 14 years old. I can’t even download Uber or see Pockets silly MEMEs on it = a good thing.

Obama gave some people phones with a camera, you know what that was for right? It wasn’t to get ahead in life.

Also the library has devices to send resumes etc.

A lot of this stuff should be motivation to shoot for the stars in life.

I hope this next generation though wakes up and says fuk this and stops with the connected devices but it might not happen. Hopefully they will also look at thier tattooed parents and say, I don’t wanna look like that either.

No, I was saying people don't need that iPhone, if some young and wealthy person didn't get an unnecessary iPhone because theirs was 12 months old, and some of that money went to the couple with the kid as a temporary help, that's what I meant

I know what you're saying about tattoos, they can often look bad later in life, but someone who is an old badass in good shape with badass tatts is still going to look badass. So it could go fine as well. Let's imagine bodyhard in another 20 years, we know he's still going to rock that look. But some scrawny old guy with giant moobs and something like black dolphin and a white dolphin together making a yin/Yang symbol (might have been a good idea to someone 30 years ago) is going to look bad, really bad.

At the end of the day tattoos are art, so it depends on what is drawn and the person. You get a dash line across your throat and the words cut here, or some stupid ****like that, that's never going to go well (in my opinion), even less so with age

I was only thinking the other day that I've never had any tattoos, I think great tattoos are great, but I never decided on one I really wanted enough to get as a first one, so I never did it, yeah procrastination and not making mind up is why I don't have any.

But as well as some comically bad ones, I've seen some really great ones that totally suit the person and should age well too

[LWW]

No, I was saying people don't need that iPhone, if some young and wealthy person didn't get an unnecessary iPhone because theirs was 12 months old, and some of that money went to the couple with the kid as a temporary help, that's what I meant

I know what you're saying about tattoos, they can often look bad later in life, but someone who is an old badass in good shape with badass tatts is still going to look badass. So it could go fine as well. Let's imagine bodyhard in another 20 years, we know he's still going to rock that look. But some scrawny old guy with giant moobs and something like black dolphin and a white dolphin together making a yin/Yang symbol (might have been a good idea to someone 30 years ago) is going to look bad, really bad.

At the end of the day tattoos are art, so it depends on what is drawn and the person. You get a dash line across your throat and the words cut here, or some stupid ****like that, that's never going to go well (in my opinion), even less so with age

I was only thinking the other day that I've never had any tattoos, I think great tattoos are great, but I never decided on one I really wanted enough to get as a first one, so I never did it, yeah procrastination and not making mind up is why I don't have any.

But as well as some comically bad ones, I've seen some really great ones that totally suit the person and should age well too

Here’s a good tattoo story, when I was 16 I was at the beach with my parents, I took a friend with me.

We bumped into a homeboy, old school guy, tough guy we knew from middle school but he was never there. This was a troubled kid, he was like 15 still in middle school, there was stories about him like Buddy Revel. Humor has it, he pissed in the trash can in class on the first day, the teacher said “who do you think you are?” He said “I’m Batman” and left. This was when the Batman with jack Nicholson came out.

So we bump into him, go to where he staying, I had a bunch of weed, they had beer and acid. I don’t touch acid.

They drank all day and I was rolling joints all day. These tattoo artists come up looking for business. So we all go to his parlor later that night. I’m just there for the ride.

Anyway they gave the artist acid while doing the tats. Ones guys tat was a big black blob and everyone was laughing at it. He was pissed.

Last I saw of this guy was when I was 25 at bar, then I heard he went to prison for at least a decade. He was always locked up.

Good thing we didn’t get in any trouble that night at the beach.

[mtpockets]

[Bando]

They drank all day and I was rolling joints all day. These tattoo artists come up looking for business. So we all go to his parlor later that night. I’m just there for the ride.

Anyway they gave the artist acid while doing the tats. Ones guys tat was a big black blob and everyone was laughing at it.

LMAO!

asdf

[LWW]

We bumped into a homeboy, old school guy, tough guy we knew from middle school but he was never there. This was a troubled kid, he was like 15 still in middle school,

This guy lived in a section of town that was isolated between two zones or school districts with heavy woods between, they are townhouses and apartments. This area was were the guys who had loads of drugs were and he was friends with them, he also had an older brother. I never used him to get me any weed because he was notorious for taking the money and buying crack with it for himself, he usually did this as a process of getting someone’s trust and then one day not showing up with the stuff.

These guys were a crew, and if you knew an under link from that area they could get you drugs from someone in the crew.

Two of my friends were developing a connection with the guy I knew, and one day they were going to meet him, I was looking for weed so I gave them some bucks for me and I told them “don’t give him the fuking money until you have access to the weed”. So hours go by and they aren’t back yet.

I saw my Buddy T and he was with someone who used to live in that area with that crew, he was a sorta underlink to them. I told them what was happening and he said “get in we’re going to go looking for them”.
He actually took me to his house and his older brother was out front, he said “were looking for for your bro”, he said “he just left with two fuking *******s (my friends lol). So we drove around and finally saw all three of them walking, pulled over and picked them up, they had my weed.

[OldFartTom]

We're really digressing and hijacking the homeless thread with these tattoo stories, I've a few stories but maybe another thread, the black blob story made me chuckle, good thing you didn't get one yourself that night!

[LWW]

We're really digressing and hijacking the homeless thread

Maybe not, these guys in that crew pretty much are homeless these days. They have bounced all around the country, I’ve seen a few of them on FB. It’s all fun and games when your young, bu some of these fellas from that area look rough and not so tough anymore, I’m sure they still might be dangerous dudes in some way, but they are like 10years older than me and look like they haven’t been eating. I saw on one of the FB posts one of them is in a TX county jail and will be there for sometime, he had multiple warrants in several counties. That guy used to date the girl who lived houses down from me when I was a kid, he was like 6’5” and always about fighting.

[LWW]

Tom, plus OP is the one who extended the tattoo coversation. The man with an opinion on everything wanted to know why I felt that way, lol.

Speaking of tats and homelessness, what do think your chances of getting a good job is with tattoos all over you anyway? Not good, even in this day in age.

[LWW]

Here’s a homeless story about TEE (T). T isn’t a white boy, he’s Spanish but with his long hair and tan pigment looks like a Native American.

He’s a Deadhead and 5 years older than me.

It was at the beach again, T always lived at the beach in summer, he didn’t have a residence or a job, but he was the partier and won class partier in high school.

So I walked down the hot party street early afternoon looking for T, I found him, he’s shirtless and wearing a tie dye skirt, yes skirt and sandles playing hackie sack. T never has any drugs he’s an alcoholic. He does drugs, but his goal is alcohol.

He said, let’s get money for our keg party tonight, I said I got money, he said no brother I know how to get money. He walks up and down the board walk asking people for money, buys a keg, charges 5 bucks a head, gets another keg or two and stays up all night till gets passed out.

He does that every single night.

[OldFartTom]

...what do think your chances of getting a good job is with tattoos all over you anyway? Not good, even in this day in age.

Depends, if you're a cool millennial in technology then lots of tattoos and dyed hair then probably it's an employment advantage. Unless it's something really problematic (facial tattoos, spiders web on the neck, 18, 88, Nazi wolf runes) then most jobs probably DGAS. I work with plenty of people with tattoos that you can see the edges of even though they're wearing a business shirt. Ordinary tattoos are socially acceptable in UK. Maybe the US is more conservative?

Also, I wouldn't link ordinary tattoos with homelessness, as discussed already, for most homeless - even the rough sleeper most visible part of homelessness, that's more normally about a catastrophic spiral of misfortune. Not people being the "wrong" sort of person. Sure some rough sleeping homeless maybe in that category, but it's going to be a minority.

Maybe we should start a bad tattoo story thread rather than hijack this more serious social one. There's a lot of stories out there, I'm inwardly chuckling thinking about a couple.

[LWW]

Depends, if you're a cool millennial in technology then lots of tattoos and dyed hair then probably it's an employment advantage.

That’s not really true, first the techie geek portion of IT is a skill, those are like mechanics and mechanic type jobs, those are generally the lowest position in IT, the exceptions are the ones who do thier own work, it they work for a company, they are tucked away fixing PCs and not making much. Corporate does not want those types leading projects mostly, in fact I can tell you personally that C level does not like that geek talk to the clients and most of those dudes can’t separate the geek talk with layman’s terms.

I also know of a smart IT guy who didn’t get the job because he had his hair green the day after st patties day and he worn jeans to the interview.

It’s just not the case Tom, dealing with the corporate pinheads.

[mtpockets]

Maybe we should start a bad tattoo story thread rather than hijack this more serious social one.

We're really digressing and hijacking the homeless thread with these tattoo stories,

Thanks for attempting to keep the thread on theme Tom

[LWW]

Thanks for attempting to keep the thread on theme Tom

Well, your the one who wanted to know more about the tattoos, figures you of all people are the one who once you see someone say something you don’t agree with you want to act “Zen Master” about it.

You are the one moving into the rabbit hole.

My buddy T probably asked you for money on the boardwalk saying he needed a bus ticket home and you fell for it, except he threw a keg party.

Rock on Zen!!!

[mtpockets]

......

You need to simmer down little man.

I was thanking Tom for a couple posts.

[LWW]

You need to simmer down little man.

Did you say sum thing?

The above is like calling my old buddy T a Pollack.

[mtpockets]

.

You had your little hissy fit over something that didn’t involve you at all so now stop your gibberish and let's get this thread back on topic.



Ok Back to it….

[mtpockets]

[mtpockets]

[Tommy W.]

LMAO, so much anger and hate

You should take all that Narcissistic hate you exude and toss it, put the energy from that into being a nicer person, I bet those around you and those who you come in contact with would appreciate it and think better of you.

You’ll be dead one day and it’s better to be remembered as a kind, considerate giving person than one that when people remember you say, fuk I am glad that miserable kunt is gone.

Not boasting. Just refuting your lies. My post wouldn't have existed had you not played Pinocchio.

LOL, have been off the forum for months. Doesn't look like I missed anything.

[Cantplankwell]

Cant speak for the States,

In Canada I would say that we (the 75% called "middle class") are all being pushed down a rung or two on the ladder due to globalization, and the transfer of wealth out of this country. Related to that more of the wealth that remains is being concentrated in fewer individuals. Growing up my mum did not work, her job was looking after us, we did not lack for anything...try that now. (unless dad is Real-estate magnate, or a prosperous lawyer or something similar)

We have the fastest population growth in the G7....mostly from immigration. It drives up the cost of housing...spawning a housing crises.

If you focus on the vulnerable population...these folks are getting kicked down the ladder a bit as well...same proportion.

Add a witches brew of stuff that we cant seem to get under control: declining education standards, affordable housing, drugs, broken families, mental health issues etc

Its no wonder I even see tents where I have never seen them before, people panhandling in a town of 40,000. I did not grow up with that.