It has been 1½ years since I wrote a letter to the community of Tracy, expressing my concern about the homeless situation in Tracy and the need for people to get involved and find a solution. The response was gratifying, with many of us coming together and forming the Coalition of Tracy Citizens to Assist the Homeless.
With the community’s help, from individuals and organizations, the Coalition has accomplished much. We've helped more than 200 people find a place to live. We have a hot food and grocery network that gives the hungry one to three meals per day, every day of the week. We've developed a network of communication between the different churches and organizations, public and private, so that our relief efforts are coordinated, loopholes are closed and redundancy reduced.
With all that we have accomplished, I naively thought by now we'd have the problem of a shelter virtually licked. However, the foreclosures and continuing recession have made it impossible at this point to find enough housing for those with marginal incomes. In any given week, I have five to15 new people without shelter or who will be imminently without shelter contact me for help.
McHenry House Family Shelter does a great job finding shelter for those in need, but unfortunately they must turn away many people every month. With a few exceptions, the homeless shelters in Stockton are overcrowded and inadequate. It has come to the point that Tracy needs to act to greatly reduce the number of its homeless.
It is obvious to almost all of us who work with the homeless and poor that we need to have a couple of facilities right here in Tracy. These would provide temporary, transitional or permanent housing, as well as counseling and other tools to put people's lives back on track.
I know there are many of you who realize that citizens of Tracy, working together, can solve this problem. We just need to meet to discuss and brainstorm solutions. To that end, I have decided to call a meeting for everyone who is interested at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, at the City Hall council chambers. Let's show others that we are one of the first cities to solve our homeless problem without large government funding or interference.
It's going to take lots of good hearts and lots of smart thinking to get through this problem, but I know Tracy's is up to it.
I'm impressed. I didn't think you would know what a canon was if it was pointed at you. I'll give you that round. Btw, have you heard of the Septuagint?
"By th way, since yer so @#!*% smart, did ya know that Jesus was not a Christian but a Jew? Ta be a Christian means that yer a follower of Christ. Bein that Christ wasn't followin himself around all over th place means that he was a Jew."
Thank you, Ornery, for that particular insight. Yes, I do believe you are correct.
"Warnin, engage brain before makin stupid comments."
I'll start doing that when I see some evidence that you're following your own advice.
There is no script and there are no easy answers to homelessness. It takes a lot of work. If you have a "script" and that works in one city it may not work somewhere else. The McHenry house may work. A soup kitchen may work. It all depends on several factors. Veterans hospital went to French Camp. And they are closing other shelters down in San Joaquin County due to lack of funding. There are no easy answers or a "script".
If ex princess Diana of England was a Rothschild does that make her boy's part Jewish. Come on gang lets get some answers to the homeless problem and solve it. Lets stick to the script.
Tom's suggestion of using an empty building is a great idea, a small kitchen. a shower and a place for 6 to sleep would be so helpful.
Of course there should be a screening process and a limit to how long one can stay.
So, anyone who is interested in helping the homeless, please go to the meeting on Aug 11 at City Hall at 7pm. It has to start somewhere and I think this is a good place to begin.
Hate to break it ta ya ertion, but it's also canonized scripture contained in th Christian Bible. Had I had a notion Marvin is Jewish an or we have a large Jewish citizenry in Tracy I would have addressed it that way.
By th way, since yer so damn smart, did ya know that Jesus was not a Christian but a Jew? Ta be a Christian means that yer a follower of Christ. Bein that Christ wasn't followin himself around all over th place means that he was a Jew.
"Warnin, engage brain before makin stupid comments."
1. Do you expect high paying jobs to move to Tracy?
2. Do you expect the homeless to fill those high paying jobs?
3. Would you expect a company to be more interested in bringing jobs if people in a town...
A. Could come up with a solution that didn't involve tax dollars.
or ...
B. Could give a rats -
?
"As of now, there really aren't any jobs that pay enough."
In any market you are paid what you are worth.
"There are too many people and not enough jobs."
Thank current economic policy
"Our economy has taken a hit and will continue to take a hit."
Agreed
"There was so much money people became glutinous."
Private enterprise sees it as, "Whatever the market will bear"
"Now we have empty homes and broken lives. This is what happens when the economy grows too fast..."
Talk about the wrong conclusions.
We, the 53% having voted for our current Government, have been printing and electronically creating trillions of dollars out of thin air, allow 47% to pay no taxes, are giving away our children's future to undeserved entitlements, allow an unregulated Central Bank to set financial policy, allow undisciplined, uncapped spending, vote for career politicians, allow public employee unions to set negotiations while giving them ownership, allow laws to be broken without accountability, have no energy or education policy, allow unbridled EPA regulation... we are getting everything the voting majority voted for.
What part of socialism do you not find to your liking?
I remember someone who was in the white house ( a Democrat ) who had to be summoned to the Pope. My guess is that he asked her why she and her husband Bill supports abortion?
Regarding the article. If you build it they will come. Right? But where would you build it? As is customary, I have another idea.
Is that property still available on the right hand side of Eleventh street just after McArthur? It's the overpass, right there where one city councilwoman voted to build a sports park, but she said she had to ask Jerry Congressperson to fix the R/R crossings, first.
Also, I wanted to ask if she ever made that call to Jerry's office to get that fixed so we could perhaps move forward?
We have more than 1 problem.
As of now, there really aren't any jobs that pay enough.
There are too many people and not enough jobs.
Our economy has taken a hit and will continue to take a hit.
We are at a standstill. Leveled off. Flat. In a capitalist society, it must be moving UP. Constantly growing. Slowly. We grew during 2002-2006. Got 50 years of profits from home sales in just months.
There was so much money people became glutinous.
Now we have empty homes and broken lives. This is what happens when the economy grows too fast. Growing pains.
Interested Person
"I just suggested we have a place where these people can go and get some help. Marvin is heading up a campaign to do that, but he needs a place to start helping those in need."
If you are offering the use of your place, by State law you can have up to 6 people staying there. Awfully nice of you should you do that.
Before we get into a religous war on this matter. I just suggested we have a place where these people can go and get some help. Marvin is heading up a campaign to do that, but he needs a place to start helping those in need. That's should be his first priority.
Knowing that Marvin has espoused a strong Christian belief in th past, I choose ta frame my comments, concerning this article and the plight of the homeless, by using things I have found in the Christian Bible.
This is not done ta castigate Marvin fer th good work he does but ta help him an others discern th difference between a person truly in need frum th human parasite livin off what others give him, thangs that should be given ta someone more diservin an who, if they can, are willin ta work fer th thangs they need ta survive.
I also hope, but do not expect, this will help someone ta see th error of thair ways, reform an thus make this place a better place ta live fer everyone. But I admit, that is a hope that will probably remain unfulfilled, still I will make that attempt.
Proverbs 6:6-11 Look at the ants, you that are lazy and refuse to work for your own sustenance. Consider their ways, and learn from them in your observations. They have no guide, overseer, or government to provide them food in the summer, and they work for and gather their food as a harvest to sustain them throughout the year. How long will you sleep, you that are lazy and refuse to work for your sustenance? When will you awaken from your sleep? Yet you will sleep and laze around with your hands folded and not working. And as your reward you shall remain impoverished and you will fulfill your needs by stealing it away from others who lack the physical ability to work for it.
Proverbs 22:13 The lazy man makes excuses for why he doesn’t work. Things like, “It’s too hard,” “I can’t do it,” “If I don’t get help I shall freeze to death,”and even, “If I work the government will take away some of what I have earned in the form of taxes and I it shall be difficult for me.”
Proverbs 12:24 The hard worker will survive under those who rule over him: but the lazy man shall live under the rule of authority and, through the generosity those who sit in authority over him, see fit to bestow upon him.
Proverbs 12:27 The lazy man cooks and feeds himself with what has been given him by the generosity of others but the food of the working man is much better.
Proverbs 18:9 He that is lazy and refuses to work when he is able is brother to the person who wastes and throws away the good things that he has.
Proverbs 19:24 A lazy man puts his hands in his pockets when work is available and will not work to feed himself when he has the opportunity.
Proverbs 21:25, 26 The continual wants and desire of the lazy man are killing him because he refuses to labor for the things he needs in order to survive. He greedily expects others to provide his needs and desires and becomes angered when they do not meet his expectations. But those who work for their substance prosper and are able to give freely the fruits of their labors to sustain others who cannot do it for themselves.
Ephesians 4:28 Let him that robs steal no more. He that works with his hands earns the things that are good and he prospers so that he may be able to sustain himself an still give things to those that need it.
With th passage frum Ephisians, th person on th street, capable of doin some work ta sustain themselves, is literally robbin th food out of th mouths of those who cannot work to provide fer themselves through no fault of thair own.
Blind people work an can sustain themselves. Deaf people do th same. Many Paraplegics an Quadriplegics also do th same. Even those who have problems an mental conditions that are below what others consider to be normal can to some type of work and thereby contribute something in order ta sustain themselves.
Why then to we see a continuous stream of pan handlers, physically and mentally able to work for their sustenance, standing in our parking lots an street corners with thair hands out an havin th expectation they are some how entitled ta be fed an are resentful when they aren’t?
Th answer is actually pretty easy. We have become lazy ourselves an feel we are doin these people good when actually we are doin em harm an allowin their selfish laziness ta harm others, those who physically are unable ta help themselves through no fault of thair own.
I have no problems helping a family or an individual that has just lost a home or a job an needs help ta get back on thair feet. I got no problem feedin an clothin a person that is not physically or mentally capable of doin it fer themselves. An if I understand what I am reading in th Christian Bible, it’s apparent ta me that God feels th same way about it.
But I got big problems with helping someone who is physically able ta work fer what they need an instead steal it out of the mouths of those who rightfully deserve it. These people steal by th simple fact they are continually an selfishly standin out on th street corner or exit of th parkin lot usin th guilt trip to gain what ever they need ta continue th pattern of selfishly searchin fer a free handout when they could find employment ta earn th thangs they need.
As a result of thair selfish desires, society as a whole tends not ta give anythang an those who really need such assistance do without, makin matters much worse.
A home an shelter fer th homeless is a noble thang ta do. But if it’s simply a flop-house fer squatters, pan handlers, drug abusers, drunks, bums an parasites that have th physical ability ta help themselves, an yet are unwillin ta take th simple initiative ta do so, I propose we don’t need it cause it would probably cause more harm than th problems it resolves.
Helpin those who really need help is a good thang. Helpin those who are perfectly capable of helpin them selves, is called enabling an ultimately it hurts everyone.
One may just be down on his luck an needs a helping hand ta find employment in order ta sustain himself. Or he may be physically unable ta work an needs help in order ta survive. Th other is simply lazy an like a parasite, lives off of th generosity of others an is stealin th food an necessities out of th mouths of those who really deserve help through no fault of their own.
Many Christians an members of other religions who believe they should be helping thair fellow man through hardship are puzzled an don’t know how ta handle th situation when they are suddenly confronted by someone appearin ta be in need. They have trouble discernin th difference between those actually in need an those that are just too lazy ta work fer what they need.
cont.
There are homeless and there are bums. Do you have a screening process? Requirements to receive aide? You mention three meals a day? are you just enabling them or making them earn their food?
I have no problem helping someone willing to earn help, but why help the drunks, junkies, and lazy bums?
Instead of siging up more of those that are homeless, you should be petitioning doners to remodel one of theses old businesses downtown for the homeless. Sort of a unemployement office with showers and beds and food.
That way you can give some of them jobs while they stay to help others. It's called economic developement.
homeless families, that's different. but working for their keep ought to be involved somewhere.
not families? working should be involved, a LOT. It must be kept an undesirable place to end up, or more will end up accepting that instead of trying to make their own way in the world.
Also, I love that this organization appears to be trying to improve the homeless situation here in Tracy "without large government funding or interference". For those that want to help, and aside from the Aug 11 meeting, what can we do to help out?