BQ78 said:This is just wrong. There are plenty of things that should be done and can be done but the people running the big cities either won't or more likely do not want to make the changesQuote:
NO ONE - people who identify as liberal, or people who identify as conservative, or people who identify as independent (the largest chunk of people) - know what to do about homelessness in large cities.
It would take both state and federal involvement to fix it. The majority of homeless are mentally sick with addiction issues. Those that are need to be institutionalized for their own good. You would need a radically different approach than what currently exists, and you would have to reopen the state and federal mental institutions that were mostly abandoned in the 60's and 70's.
I don't think it's a radically conservative or liberal idea to state that if you would rather do heroin and live under a bridge in Austin during 100 degree summers than get a job and provide for yourself, you need medical help.
Edit: just wanted to add that even in countries like Portugal with full decriminalization of drugs, they don't just let people use whatever drugs they want on the street. If you are caught using heroin in public, you are still sent to rehab for addiction therapy. We in the US are doing something radically different with the legalization agendas than what was originally being pointed to as the model, and it it's only making the addiction issues worse.
