Gov. Doug Ducey signed three bills into law Wednesday that will continue to make homeless people’s lives (really, the lives of anyone who is having a hard time making a living) harder.
Two pieces of legislation involve panhandling and the other prohibits a city or county from forcing contractors to build affordable housing—”Also illegal would be requiring any particular housing units ‘be designed for sale or lease to any particular class or group of residents,'” an article on the Arizona Daily Star by Howard Fischer of the Capitol Media Services said.
Back to the panhandling issue: these new laws criminalize so-called “aggressive” panhandling (described as begging for money too close to an ATM, repeatedly asking for money or touching someone while asking for money). Area you ready for this one? The other measure makes it a class 3 misdemeanor to “intentionally push a button at a cross walk for the purpose of stopping traffic and asking for money,” according to The Associated Press.
Why does the state continue to think that the best way to “get rid” of homelessness is by creating these prohibitions that do absolutely nothing to combat the problem from its roots? Investing in education leads to job creation leads to getting people off the streets. Let’s pass legislation that follows that trend and then maybe there won’t be “scary” people begging for money or food outside grocery stores, banks, at a stoplight.
Last week, there was a homeless outreach event at Trinity Church on University Boulevard where I met a lot of Tucson’s houseless residents. They all had different backgrounds, different reasons for ending up where they are at in their lives at the moment. What most of them have in common is, regardless of their past (felonies, drug addiction, whatever) they’re trying to move forward—finish school, find a job, find an apartment they can afford.
(By the way, a U.S. Rep. Martha McSally representative was there, and he couldn’t have looked more bored and “get me the fuck out of here” if he had tried. Homeless advocate Michele Ream brought up the issue of shelters requiring an ID to get a bed, and he didn’t even know what she was talking about).
Food stamps, shelters, low-income housing—all of these are crutches while they get off their feet. But, for instance, homeless people with felonies don’t get food stamps, so how are they supposed to eat? Yes, Tucson has the Soup Patrol and a lot of other angels doing what the city should be doing, but for the times homeless people aren’t able to get that help, well they are going to ask you or myself for a couple bucks.
At the event I talked about earlier, I met Steve. He’s 60 years old and has been homeless for more than a decade, or maybe longer. He said he had lost track of time. He’s been on a low-income housing waiting list for more than one year (with this new law, the low-income housing options could drop even more). He’s tried making a living with construction gigs, but those always fall through, he says. When we spoke, he said he was going to try to have a friend buy him landscaping equipment. He gets food stamps, but he doesn’t get Social Security. He was denied a check even though he is SMI, or has a “serious mental illness,” which stems from hardcore, incestuous sexual abuse he endured as a child.
“In a perfect world, I would have a little trailer,” he told me. “I’m 60 years old, I feel dirty. It’s embarrassing. All I have is my bike and my backpack. I’m a good person, I’ve just been handed down a pile of shit.”
He’s trying. He lost his job years ago, lost his home and hasn’t been able to see the light, yet.
So, how can our “leaders” help with all of this? They should take the time to speak to these people. There’s something called REALITY, and poverty and homelessness are part of that reality, so deal with it in a useful manner.
This article appears in Apr 2-8, 2015.
“Also illegal would be requiring any particular housing units ‘be designed for sale or lease to any particular class or group of residents,’ This is to protect against gentrification ,but go ahead and read way into it until you can create your hate
It is NOT the States problem to “foment homelessness” by NOT holding these people accountable, like the REST OF US. 99% of them wont get a job, wont live indoors, WILL SMOKE, DRINK, PANHANDLE and DO DRUGS.. So we should reward them?? NOPE Sorry… Move them OUTTA HERE OR hold them ACCOUNTABLE for their Actions, JUST like WE have to be.
I guess the one consolation is those who ignore the poor, hate on the poor will rue the day they did, since repentance requires guilt, and most folks whom I see hate on the poor have no capacity for guilt, their self righteousness is to deeply ingrained into their natures, hence they will be the proverbial blind goats whom Jesus will not know, and God will not even look upon come judgment day, folks whom are homeless here on this old earth might be looked down on, deemed as less than, but the eternity waiting on the banks of that lake of fire is going to make the homeless and their short stay on earth pale in comparison!
Let the homeless sleep in all the churches here. If not, strip them of their Charity IRS designation and make them pay taxes.
Problem solved.
There is a difference between working class poor and the drug addicted/mentally ill homeless. Please do not lump them together.
People are homeless for a variety of reasons. Some have mental illness, some are vets that never recovered, some lost everything because of the crash. If we were really a healthy society, we would not just feed them and help them with their health but also help them with goals and outline a path to get there. I heard today that a county program which reunited 9 out of 10 children with their parent(s) because the parent had substance abuse problems(now well on their way to a solid recovery) would more than likely be cut because of all the budget cuts and costs that fell to the county. So now the possibility arises that the parents will not get the help they need, and the children will stay in the foster care system which for those of you who only care about money is very expensive. We need to look at the big picture and what really will help us not spend so much on prisons. There are programs for non-violent offenders in other states that cost less than prisons and are very successful. However, then of course the private prisons won’t be making so much money.
Some are homeless by choice. You cannot help a person if they don’t want to help themselves as as long as you keep handing everything to them they won’t even try to help themselves.
A person is ineligible for food stamps if he has a drug felony conviction. Other felony convictions do not ban a person from receiving food stamps.
Why can’t these people just go die? How dare they inconvenience a State Senator on his commute?
Why do the Republicans hate the non-wealthy so much?
The person that said “why can’t these people just go die? What is wrong with you? Woe to the day person that you might fall on hardship and need help, and when you hold your hand out someone slaps it away. I feel sad for people that are so shallow like yourself, that hasn’t really had hard times fall on them and have nobody to turn to for help.
Ldonya, may I please, pretty please have some of whatever it is your smoking? Based on your comments it’s got to be really, really good.
First off Martha McSally is a SHE. so have your paper editor do their job right. Also, as our Congresswomen, she flies to and from AZ to DC EVERY WEEK to represent the people, and the fact that she showed up to the church event is amazing on her part considering the people there don’t even want to get jobs and are just looking for hand outs. Her expressions were not, “I dot give a fuck” they could have been, “Man I’m tired and I don’t understand why these people cant understand whats going on.” Although it really isn’t either of our jobs to try and inform the readers of this paper what we THINK someone is saying with their face, only leading to false character assassination of an amazing women. You have no idea what that women is FINALLY doing for this town and you should be grateful she works so hard to try and rebuild TUCSON.
Second it is not the states job to give hand outs to people who REFUSE to better themselves. You give homeless drug addicts a place to live and you think they will just clean up their act and go right to work and get clean?
Third, Republicans are conservatives who believe in WORKING for what you have, and would feel ashamed to EVER beg for money. Working and EARNING things builds character and self respect, and the conservative party wants people to GIVE A FUCK ABOUT THEMSELVES! Getting things for free builds nothing and only enables the people to stay sick and stuck. Take away the hand outs and you force the homeless to get their shit together. Unless you feel they are complete helpless ADULTS, in which why should we be helping them anyways.
Fourth, the homeless are a VERY VERY sick class of people, ranging from sever addiction to mental disorders. Simply giving them a home is not going to solve the problem, nor will allowing them to beg for money. If the city and state can clean up the streets it can bring in more tourism allowing the state to have money to fund programs to AID IN THEIR REHABILITATION. If you are so damn concerned with the the well being of the homeless what are YOU DOING ABOUT IT? Other then making snarky remarks about our state officials, why don’t you charge city hall and work on something ti help them get well? Maybe it is people like you who are part of the problem?!
It’s said a rep from McSally’s office, I was there he was a HE. He did look like he hated being there and was not trying to engage with anyone. He packed his shit up and ran out the door just before the event ended. Why bother even showing up at events if this is how you feel?
People who pass these laws have obviously never been in that position. Is it true that starting at midnight tonight, that you can’t give food to a homeless person unless you have a permit? If that is true, then what’s next? Kick a homeless person when he’s down, only $5 per kick!!
I have never experienced hard times in my life till I moved to arizona seven years ago I came from good family in Minnesota we actually lived in a house near lake vermilion very popular place for tourists I came here it was good for awhile now I’m homeless well I’m a hotel four months now and can not seem to get out have lost everything have two kids a blind elderly father with other medical issues and husband in one room my oldest child is with friend so she can get to school due to having to sell out vehicle to pay hotel so anyone on here who says bad things about people in this situation don’t give a shit what out then in situation a big f you karma is a bastard and who are you to judge only the man up stairs is gonna judge if you were in one day of homeless persons shoes you wouldn’t make it obviously I was a spoiled rotten girl who never wanted for anything and let me tell ya it’s been a rough road I have shaved my long blonde hair to protect family I’ve become not afraid of anything and realized how we need to treat all equal I was someone who never would have helped homeless give to shit’s if they were suffering till now and the comments from those who have never been there makes me laugh I was that aweful person till now I don’t know who you think you are but you just never know let me tell ya COULD YOU CHANGE FROM A PRINCESS HIGH MAINTANCE BITCH TO A BALD WATCHING YOUR BACK NOT AFRAID TO DO WHAT SHE NEEDS TO PROTECT HERSELF AND ELDERLY FATHER KIDS HUSBAND COULD YOU I HAVE IN MY ROCK STAR JEANS TILL YOU EXPERIENCE THE SITUATION KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT NEVER JUDGE ONLY GOD JUDGES IT MAY BE YOUR TURN IN HARD TIMES TODAY YOU DON’T KNOW YOUR PATH YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES
The way to hold people accountable is by retroactively sueing them for molesting, neglecting and/or abusing their latchkey children and making these narcissistic self-indulgent “parents” hand over half their inflated pensions to their now adult children who have wound up homeless due to the psychological damage caused since they are unable to hold a job and pay rent.
I think most of the people who run down the less fortunate But don’t realize that even if there were no poverty it would not effect their taxes they pay whether it’s the state,county or federal government takes…ask yourself this where does all that money go? Someone is living off of it…alot of so called city,county and state workers including your mayor, police. Officers, governors or you name them are not really working like you or me and yet you climb all over the homeless… Soneone may as well get use of that tax money.. .so keep complaining….your taxes will only go up never down…homeless or not…think about it…
Alot of people who work are simply overpaid and who picks up the TAB? The working class (you and me) its time we reunite and stand our ground…they either put actual work into their job or FIRE them….they are the ones who are taking a free ride….getting overpaid and most dont do their jobs…come on people wise up!! Taxes are a joke…paying too much to those in offices…