Tent Slums Spring Up in L.A.

jeffrey-feldman.typepad.com...

Quote from source:
A recent BBC report interviews American families forced by economic hardship to move into tent slums in California.

Concentrations of homeless people are nothing new in America, but recent BBC and Los Angeles Times reports depict a rising trend of shanty slums, such as a "city" of newly homeless people living in tents near the Ontario airport in Los Angeles.

If you recall your Steinbeck, the residents of the 20c Hoovervilles were largely tenant farmers thrown off their farms by the owners, who in turn tried mechanized farming to bring down costs and break even. These displaced farmers migrated West where they became agricultural day laborers and settled into shanty camps.

The California tent slum depicted in the BBC report is quite different, because they are not migrant workers, so much as locals who have lost their homes. It is hard to tell if the newly dispossessed are all the victims of the subprime market. More likely, the tent slum population is a mix of new and old homelessness -- perhaps with a few migrant workers in the mix.

I had to post this because there was really no coverage of it for quite a while. I thought it was interesting because these are local people that are having to live in tents because of their money troubles.

Absolutely disgusting that the banks would rather have an empty house then have someone living in it rather than on the streets, just because of money. Disgusting what the world is coming too.

Any thoughts?

Pred...

3rd world country style. America gives 15 billion in foreign aid every year. Too bad they don't give a rats ass about their own citizens. Yeah it is all about money, and the sad thing is it is the greed not the actual money that is the real problem. This country makes me more pissed off daily.

reply to post by predator0187


Predator, it is a sad thing that most cannot help homeless people. Churches could provide jobs to people but it would be against the law (because of labor laws and wage requirements). If I owned land and had a bunch of money I would let homeless people camp on it (but then I would become liable for accidents and the security of the camp). If I owned a restaurant I would give excess food to charity and the homeless (but I would be liable for the quality of that food, although I could still sell the food).

We need laws to protect people that give food, housing, or a job that pays less than minimum wage. There is a story about farmers plowing under food crops because it is too expensive to harvest. Here is an idea...get the homeless to come pick the crop in exchange for as much food as they can carry and the excess going back to the farmer so he can sell it at profit.

abcnews.go.com...

reply to post by ExPostFacto


There's a long history of that in Europe -- here's the documentary on it "Gleaners and I"

www.youtube.com...

reply to post by drew hempel


In America "gleaning" would be illegal. #1 You would have to trespass to glean; #2 Americans wouldn't want homeless people going on their land and would probably shoot them; #3 Americans could be held liable for allowing this to occur on their property.

Originally posted by drew hempel
reply to post by ExPostFacto

 

There's a long history of that in Europe -- here's the documentary on it "Gleaners and I"

www.youtube.com...

This isn't Europe.

In America- anything to help someone out is illegal- because there's only room in the American Dream for the rich.

The big wealthy business interests that control everything and make all the decisions.

reply to post by BlubberyConspiracy


Here there's Second Harvest

www.startribune.com...

It's not much nor is it gleaning.

Originally posted by Kaytagg

The big wealthy business interests that control everything and make all the decisions.

APPLAUSE

The best way to sum it all up..ever.

reply to post by AccessDenied


I want to shake that mans hand. How true that is. Eighteen years ago they had a whole lot of tents in L.A. I walked thru it and saw it all for myself. It is all true.

reply to post by Kaytagg


Absolutely love Carlin. He was a man that knew what was going on. I dislike that fact that he was so down about it. if he used his comedy to make us wake up maybe that would have been better than making people clap about our slavery.

Awesome video and thanks for sharing.

Pred...

[edit on 4-4-2010 by predator0187]