Homeless in California , wheres the dream?

a reply to: anonentity

There is alot of homeless in California because its always 80 degrees.

If I were ever homeless I would hitch to San Diego.

Stopped watching after Dude says "it looks something like a 3rd World Country."

I live in a 3rd world country.....trust me...those tents/that street is good living conditions compared...

a reply to: Tucket

It's not good living either way.

a reply to: starwarsisreal


Well Reagan emptied out all the mental institutions seeing the people trying to get help from the dysfunctional dream as a drain on state resources. Having no where to go for their problems many were left to homeless so crime and drug use etc as coping to stress grew. Then of course the solution to that came from Bush which meant locking everyone up in a prison state.

Concidering that each inmate is at about a sum of 30k per year in cost that sort of system fails economically as well. From one ideological system to the next trying to slap yet another patch on an old inner tube. Clinton had the idea of workfare child hits five years of age they are in the system and in those hours they are in the system? WORK!

Of course that meant jobs must be available for all those that need them... Romney during the last debate said the government doesn't create jobs and lol Obama agreed with him... like being president or a politician or forest ranger military personnel etc is not a government job lol.

This is what we are up against empty rhetoric thoughtless mindless abandon just to keep a status quo of buck passing.

Each dollar being someones debt? A price on their head? Of course it needs to be constantly fluid or else the entire system is going to be locked up.

originally posted by: Tucket
Stopped watching after Dude says "it looks something like a 3rd World Country."

I live in a 3rd world country.....trust me...those tents/that street is good living conditions compared...

I have a friend from Nigeria. I love talking with him because of his perspective on life in general. He has parables and sayings that are novel to me, and carry a large amount of wisdom in just a few words.

He marvels at what we call "poverty". Poor people with cell phones is an oxymoron. When I was poor I didn't have cable TV, i struggled to pay the basics. I ate bologna frequently, and ramen just as frequently. In fact, the only reason I know how to cook was because I didn't want my kids going without small treats when we couldn't afford to buy them. So I would make them.

ETA: in fact, when i was poor, being poor meant boredom. You couldn't afford to do anything. You didn't have any entertainment other than movies you'd seen 300 times, or the radio. Or broadcast TV with reruns and low quality programming. My grandma used to tell me when you are broke the only place you can go is to work. Nowadays, you can just forget about it and immerse yourself in a world of free entertainment. Just pay your $50/mo phone bill.

I don't know one person who's left California who honestly entertains the idea of ever stepping foot in that state again. once they left they realized how poorly managed and run that state was and just how badly they were getting ripped off from all angles and how deeply that effected the quality of their lives. bad policies create bad outcomes.

I've left California and don't ever want to step foot in that state unless it's due to a layover at the airport.

the homeless problem there will accelerate and in ten years if things don't change drastically it will seem like Detroit in the large cities like los angeles.

California is a society that fiscally rapes and abuses it's slav....uh i mean citizens..

a reply to: NthOther

Wow first dozen or so comments are full of love and caring for their fellow man. Not all of the homeless in the world are through drugs. Some people can't help their circumstances, as someone who went from earning a good wage to having to spend all his savings before moving home with the parents again and having to rebuild I can tell you that it doesn't always start with drugs (although it can in some cases).

Well as long as they have wi-fi... I was born in Ca. and after being medically retired and knowing that I'd need to get another job just to live, I packed up My gear and moved to Flori-Duh... One side of My family goes back to when the Mexicans "owned" it but only when there weren't any Miwok or Coastal tribes about, long time but it is now ruined. It'll continue to circle the drain as long as the same folks get elected and the people who built those areas are able to continue living there. Look what happened to San Francisco, who can afford to live there?

I bet someone w/some frugality could go through that campground and find a bunch of "wants" how many video consoles do You think You could find? How many cell phones? How much is cell phone maintenance a month?

How many fresh tattoos? Folks burning cigarettes while sucking beer?


Now... How many smoking cigs, drinking beers, playing video games and then yelling when their cell phone rings w/someone offering them a job?

originally posted by: ketsuko
Why are they living in California?

You don't see that problem to that magnitude in other states.

I won't tell you that there are no homeless people in Kansas City, but I will tell we do not have tent cities like that.

So why is California so blessed? What's the problem with California might be a better question? Why does it generate so many homeless people?

A large majority of homeless live in Ca because of the weather. It's easier to be homeless in Cali than in Buffalo NY.

Having a extremely high cost of living coupled with a saturated job market and mediocre pay is a recipe for tent city. I lived in LA for many years and the amount of people that were one or two checks from being homeless is staggering. Illegal immigrates have also taken away millions of jobs in Ca alone, especially in the construction and manufacturing trades.

For the most part you're either poor, living check to check or you got money, not much in between.

a reply to: mtnshredder

decimated the trades out there everyone wants $10 an hour workers it's crazy if your not putting up the capital for bonding or materials

a reply to: NthOther

Not true

I get what you are saying though.

I do wonder why California hasnt been able to overcome the problems due to large swaths of people living under the poverty line /desolation.

They are so wealthy after all.

It seems that wherever there is great concentrations of wealth that there is a great normalization of poverty. They may go hand in hand thanks to the system used. Its the common denominator.

Its not natural since great wealth should cast away the problems of poverty.

Poor people in a wealthy country. Its ironic.

a reply to: mtnshredder

Which again begs the question of why they live there?

If you know you are so close to disaster, why no move away from that to where you can make a more realistic go of things with what you do.

Sure, we all love 80 degree weather, but not if it puts you on the streets.

a reply to: ketsuko

honestly, if we look at it objectively

these people have it fricken great compared to the rest of the world so screw them, I also need to go to Best Buy and check out the latest Samsung 180* PC screen.

originally posted by: NthOther
The problem lies with the individual. Save your money, don't buy stupid s# you don't need, keep your nose clean, and you will never be homeless.

I was in California during the dot com boom. Some of the engineers would sink themselves into debt with a jumbo mortgage for a condo purchase, car loans for a 4x4 truck, and other credit card purchases. While a property might sell for over $500K, a single mortgage loan maxes out at $250K, so they end up taking out multiple mortgages from different companies and then hoping that all those monthly cheque payments make it on time.

Cost of living is high due to the high salaries of various professions. Then there is so much competition for the little housing that is close to work that rentals and salaries skyrocket. That's true in many cities where there are high-rise office blocks but no high-rise apartment blocks.

originally posted by: toysforadults
a reply to: Tucket

It's not good living either way.

I spent a few years on the road, essentially being homeless. To be honest, for the most part it was some of the happiest & healthiest years of my life.

In the winter I'd drive up north to the tropics, then in the summer when the wet season came I'd just drive back down south, so it was nearly always warm and dry. I'd basically just hunt out awesome spots by a river or creek, then set up camp. Then after a week or 2, just drive to nearest town to pick up supplies, check into a caravan park so I could could wash my clothes and catch a nice warm shower, then just drive somewhere else.

Had my laptop, which I charged on my car battery, so I could always mess around on the internet, or watch tv shows & movies or whatever. Basically just spent my days exercising, bushwalking, fishing, cooking up healthy meals and just generally relaxing out in the wild.

Beats the endless bs rat race I'm living now, tbh... 8 hours of stress, busting my arse and dealing with morons every single weekday just to pay the never ending mortgage payments and bills that just never stop! If it wasn't for that overwhelming ego trip of always needing more than what you've already got, I'd probably still be out there.

With out trying to being judgemental, that's the one thing I don't understand about a lot of homeless people. Why live in slum on the streets of some city, when you could just travel around and make your whole life one big stress free camping trip?

Here is more for Y'all...

I was a Ca. cop who made $110k/yr. When I was retired out I'd make roughly 75% of My salary. My Wife was a mailman and made right around $38k so NOT enough to LIVE there, survive? sure.

In 1994, I bought a 1292 sq ft. home in Cotati, Sonoma County. I paid $168,999.00
In 2004, I sold this same house for $445k the very first day I had it on the market. "Timing" is very important. In 2007 I took out $200k and invested that w/My brother. Folks who didn't diversify got screwed in 2008.

"They" will still try and separate You from Your $$. Since "Affordable Healthcare" I've had $1307/month taken out of My retirement for someone's healthcare...

All I have to say is MK Ultra program success. Blame US for inviting the Nazis over.

originally posted by: toysforadults
a reply to: NthOther

seriously. we should put stupid people in slavery so we can work less

I'll let you decide who's stupid and who's not

Wow!

You know, I once thought that way decades ago until life taught me a lesson the hard way.

Due to a messy divorce with my alcoholic ex wife and me paying off all the bills, being between industrial construction or oil rig jobs (which paid very, very well) and me leaving all my money behind and walking out the door, I became homeless for a time. I had even sold my car to pay bills my ex ran up. I had no place to go (parents deceased) and have supported myself since age 16, including working my way through college working full time.

I was in a large west coast city at the time. I walked all night long the first night I was so troubled at the time. Then an acquaintance who knew the situation told me where I could get help to get on my feet. I went and talked to a man who become like a second family to me. I had help while I found a job and help getting housing. In exchange I helped out the charity by donating labor. I ended up learning a new profession and worked for them for a while.

While there I got to know over a fifty people off the street and about how they got to be homeless and learned how wrong I was. In most cases it was people had fallen on hard times do to no fault of their own. Most people just go home to their parents or move in with a sibling and are not looked down on. Most of these people had nowhere to go. They were the same people, but the ones who could live off family are not looked down on even though they are in the same position for the same reasons.

Imagine trying to find a job with no address, no phone, no car and no way to do laundry or even get a haircut for an interview.

That's when I woke up to the reality many homeless are good people who deserve help, but are scorned by people out pure bigotry.

If anyone thinks they are all addicts or drunks, think again as that has never been true. It's a lie people tell themselves to ease their own consciences for not helping. They see the drunk on the corner and assume all the homeless are the same which is sad and the product of bigotry.

Even here in Anchorage, AK we have families living in their cars and they have jobs, but can't qualify for, or afford the very high rent here. Some, both parents have jobs and yet they end up homeless.

a reply to: toysforadults
Im a trained electrician who has no tools or money for tools... Its not about being lazy. While ive been homeless i have seen many lazy and addicted people. But many just have no one to help and no place to go. And once the cops take everything you own and you are left with one change of clothes and panhandling is an arrestable offence you get over your head quick. Not to mention it takes transportation and (usually) a license to use your skill. I know i cant get mine because i have no place to send it or the money to pay the fees

a reply to: NthOther
That is simply not true. One missed bill snowballs faster than you think. Lots of other reasons people end up here

a reply to: Blaine91555

What a fantastic post, and fantastic point.

At the end of the day, even the most messed up person is still a human. We should be kinder than necessary....other people are fighting battles that we don't know anything about.