Sunday, September 16, 2007
Richie Sheridan calls for a Dallas homeless budget amendment
Updated 05:32 p.m., September 16, 2007
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DALLAS — Like every media outlet, politician and person with a publicly available email addy, we get a lot of correspondence from former mayoral candidate Richie Sheridan.
I know that he means well, but his diatribes are generally filled with such over-the-top conspiracy theory vitriol, spelled out in SCREAMING ALL CAPS, that they generally get a chuckle and a hasty delete.
But today's missive bears a listen (all links mine):
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In the Dallas Morning News this week there was a picture of a homeless man in handcuffs which was part of Dallas New “Operation Rescue”.
Rev. Bruce Buchanan, executive director with The Stewpot, a man who is very knowledgable about the condition of Dallas homeless situation, a man who was asked to run the new Homeless Assistance Center stated, “…I think the city has to come to grips with the fact that homelessness is a social service issue, and not a criminalization issue.”
Rev. Joseph Clifford, the new pastor of First Presbyterian Church, who financially runs The Stewpot, had this to say in a June Dallas Morning News Op Ed piece entitled, PANHANDLING ORDINANCE IS A TRAVESTY, “Ordinances against begging contribute nothing to the safety of the affluent but certainly take away from the safety of the poor who are scapegoats for the challenges facing downtown Dallas. Perpetuation of the myth of a threat posed by the homeless puts the poor - and all who serve them - in jeopardy. Once we name them as a threat to our safety, we can justify any activity to oppress them in the name of security. That is a tragedy.”
God bless Rev Buchanan and Rev. Clifford.
I was arrested in City Council chambers about 2 year ago, the day after we voted for the new homeless assistance center, because I attempted to expose the hypocrisy of the new assistance center, to expose the billboard nature of this facility which, at a cost of about $23 million, will have about 100 beds. The group that opposed the Assistance center, THE HEART (LESS) OF DALLAS, out spending the “For” group by about $160,000 to $40,000, stated that building this center would be like throwing our tax money down a toilet, actually showing a toilet with money in it in their campaign brochure.
Dallas was called out nationally as being amongst the meanest toward the homeless two years ago, and its current actions, or inaction further confirm this reputation. HAS THE CITY’S BUDGET CHANGED THIS YEAR FOR THE HOMELESS? NO! DALLAS STILL GIVES, EACH AND EVERY CITIZEN IN DALLAS STILL GIVES ABOUT 1 CENT PER PERSON PER DAY, COMPARED TO NEW YORK’S 25 CENTS, AND SAN FRANCISCO’S 50 CENTS. DO THE CITIZENS KNOW THIS COMPARISON? NO! IT IS BEING PURPOSELY KEPT FROM THE PEOPLE BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. IF WE KNEW, THE BUDGET WOULD BE IMMEDIATELY CHANGED.
After 6 or more years of debating, lying, and delaying the creation of a facility to provide a safe haven for Dallas approximate 1200 street sleeping homeless…A FACILITY NOW BEING BUILT WHICH WILL DO VERY LITTLE TO SOLVE THE SHELTER PROBLEM BECAUSE IT’S NOT A SHELTER…We, Dallas still provides virtually nothing for the street sleepers. Dallas, the Mayor and City Council, continue to criminalize the homeless, our Mayor and City Council continue to call for the arrest of the homeless, sending them to the county jail which has just been sued by the U.S. Dept. of Justice for UNHEALTHLY JAIL CONDITIONS. THIS IS INSANITY! THIS IS EVIL!
More on the homeless
DALLAS, THE MAYOR’S AND CITY COUNCIL’S ACTIONS AGAINST THE STREET SLEEPING HOMELESS HAS BEEN, AND CONTINUES TO BE AN ABOMINATION IN THE EYES OF GOD, AND JUSTICE WILL BE COMING FROM GOD TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS UNGODLY CONDITION, FOR THIS DISGRACE TO THE CITIZENS OF DALLAS.
THIS IS A CALL FOR AN AMENDMENT TO THE CITY OF DALLAS PROPOSED BUDGET IN THE AMOUNT OF $5 MILLION FOR THE HOMELESS (ANOTHER 1 CENT PER PERSON PER DAY!), WHICH WILL CREATE A TEMPORARY FACILITY TO PROVIDE SHELTER AND FOOD, AND THE ABILITY FOR THE STREET SLEEPERS TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR BASIC PERSONAL HYGIENE. A TENT CITY IN THE DALLAS FLOODWAY IS FAR BETTER THAN WHAT DALLAS IS NOT DOING. SEATTLE HAS EFFECTIVELY USED TENTS TO TEMPORARILY SHELTER THEIR HOMELESS. THERE ARE VACANT BUILDINGS ALL OVER TOWN. THE UNDERGROUND GARAGES AT THE CONVENTION CENTER SITS EMPTY.
DALLAS WOULD RATHER SPEND MONEY ON THE GLITTER, ON THE “SHOW”, TO SHOW THE COUNTRY WHAT A GREAT CITY WE ARE. THE FANCY CALATRAVA BRIDGE. THE BILLBOARD TRINITY PARK. THE WOODALL PARK. THE FOREST CITY MERCANTILE BUILDING WHERE WE GAVE AWAY, WHAT, $65 MILLION?! THE ARTS DISRICT, COSMETIC SURGERY, AND THE GLITTER GOES ON, AND ON, AD NAUSEUM!
Note: The new Mayor Leppert, and the majority of the New City Council is now the new Heart-less of Dallas group!
Richie Sheridan
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Comments
Rick Yost Verified
I can't think of a nice way to say the author of this piece is an idiot, so I just won't say anything like that.
I'm sure the residents of both NYC, and San Fran are ecstatic to not have a homeless problem anymore- Oh, you say they still have a problem- even with the amount of tax dollars that are thrown at it?
Don't ask the residents of Dallas, especially those who own business downtown, to pay more taxes or vote to shuffle ANY of the city budget to the problem. You can feed 'em all day long, even give 'em somewhere to sleep, but in the morning they will go right back out into the street- by choice- full and well rested.
Next time you see a homeless person, put your intentions on the line. Buy the poor-unfortunate some lunch, buy him a set of clothes, and then find him a job. Get back to me about how well that goes.
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Clay213 Anonymous
I'm not sure if it's the high priced drinks, or the owner's constant vitriol and misanthropy toward homeless people that keeps me from going to Pearl..
But it's one of them
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
Way to stick it to the man, Clay!
Someone who's just a lazy chump that's fine not having a place to sleep & shower is one thing...peeps who are homeless due to mental issues are another. Seattle takes care of their homeless pretty well and seem to have minimal issues as a result, btw.
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Susan Thornton Verified
And we have services here also to help people break out of the cycle of homelessness, both public and private. I'm with Yost - handouts to the chronic homeless are futile and only add fuel to the fire. I sure as heck don't have an answer, but I know better than to just throw tax dollars at them. My pet peeve (I live in N. Oak Cliff and have a definite interest in the welfare of downtown) is that businesses downtown are caught in the crossfire between the homeless population and politicians who decided to place the new shelter there!
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified
And who will be responsible for passing out meds to these people on a daily basis?
Many of the people I witness seem more mental than anything. I think it might be more appropriate to have MHMR intervene.
Something to think about.
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Pavel Lishin Verified
I'm all for the owner's hatred of the homeless, especially when a shirtless hobo tries to bounce into the bar while I'm trying to not get shivved inside over a drink. He can - and did - dance outside the window all he wants, but I don't want to step over a corpse when I have to pee.
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Clay213 Anonymous
Pavel.. you are also afraid of being caught in Deep Ellum without an armoured vehicle.. maybe you should just stick to the burbs if city life terrifies you so greatly?
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
Actually, pretty sure it was Oak Cliff clay.
Disliking the homeless isn't the issue here; it's whether we should help those who can't help themselves. I'm under the assumption that if someone has a place to sleep and food to eat, he's less likely to shiv me for my wallet. Emphasis on less likely - not saying it wouldn't happen, simply less often.
And obviously some would take advantage of the opportunity, but me thinks most would utilize it to better their situation if possible. I'd sooner help the homeless than fund a superhighway built in the trench of a river - seems to me it could just as easily be an issue of fund allocation rather than an increase.
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
"I'm not sure if it's the high priced drinks, or the owner's constant vitriol and misanthropy toward homeless people that keeps me from going to Pearl.." Gee, I'm not sure either Clay, but whatever it is, I'm just glad it's working.
It seems to me that all of the money that is put forth by the city, churches, community outreach programs, and other homeless charities could be put to the best use, if teams of social workers just went out into the street and asked every individual homeless person they encounter, "Why are you in the street? What is your situation? How can we help?" Sound silly? It's not much sillier than the way things have worked for countless years with little or no good result. If you could separate the 20% or so really needy folks from those with other- more criminal reasons for being there, you'd be really doing something worthwhile. But alas, we seem doomed to the knee-jerk of just feeding any lazy, trouble-making, sad-faced, foot-shuffling street-bum that comes along. And they don't seem to be decreasing in number.
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Mike Orren Staff
If you're interested in what San Francisco is doing, Larry James has a good overview today:
http://larryjamesurbandaily.blogspot....
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Bill Holston Verified
Like many issues, it's more complex than anyone likes to say. Certainly, Rick you don't believe that every homeless person is: a "lazy, trouble-making, sad-faced, foot-shuffling street-bum." Many are mentally ill. Some are chronic alcoholics. Some are one lay off away from a life on the streets.
I certainly don't believe that throwing money at the problem will solve it. I was blown away at the sheer number of homeless people on the streets of San Francisco. I also think that panhandling ordinances don't really work. I mean, does a homeless person really care about a ticket?
It would be good to have a thoughtful discussion of solutions, not the typical blame game, hopeless futility, or bleeding heart knee jerk feel goodness that seems to fill up the debate.
I don't know enough to have a solution. I do respect someone like Larry James who is actually doing something about it.
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified
I used to travel to San Francisco a lot and wonder how many of you who comment on the SF homeless issue have actually been there to see it for yourselves?
SF may claim they're doing all sorts of stuff but I know what I've witnessed I couldn't tell anyone was doing anything at all. I know there's a large soup kitchen program but that's about it.
We are,after all, talking about a city that actually cares more about it's ordinance governing apartment size and dog ownership than it's homeless and panhandlers.
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
ch0 Anonymous
Don't forget - there are plenty of mentally ill chronic alcoholics who pay their taxes and mortgages like everyone else!
Maybe if I type in all caps, someone will entertain my idea of a "Homeless Island" permanent reality show. Those who win "challenges" get a ticket off the island, and money to start a new life!
Me for Mayor!
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Mike Orren Staff
tingthing, while I'm providing info links and not really making an argument thusfar, I will say that I do have some secondhand knowledge of the homeless problem in SF. My former company had an office in UN Plaza in downtown SF. To my untrained eye, great progress was made in that area between my visits in 2004-ish and a few months ago. Now maybe folks just got moved, but it went from a place where I was scared to walk in broad daylight to one where I felt comfortable sitting outside and checking email on my laptop.
Whether the folks there before had been shuffled off to another building or had found real help, I don't know...
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Bill Holston Verified
I was in the financial district of SF a couple of months ago, there were lots of people sleeping on the downtown streets. they were tucked into overhangs on buildings and in doorways. Some of these people seemed to have really serious mental issues. Now, they might have thought that about me, but that's a different matter. I thought to myself, 'i thought this was a progressive city.' A friend who is very knowledgeable in this area told me they did have alot of sros. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_R...
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
Yes, I've been there. My wife and I took a walking excursion halfway across the city of SF in 2005. Among other areas, we passed through China town and downtown. We saw some homeless folk but no more than we usually see here.
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
And no Bill H- I don't think that all of the homeless are lazy. But I believe a distinction should be made between the sick and the lazy.
If you are an addict, an alcoholic, or any number of other afflictions, then you are sick and you should be given assistance, care, and treatment.
If you are of sound body, but have a mental problem that keeps you from functioning with society, then you deserve treatment. If you are handicapped or in some way physically challenged, then you should get assistance as well.
If you're in the streets because you've lost it all- your job, your family, everything- take some time to lick your wounds and then there are folks that will help you put a life back together. If you are a U.S. veteran suffering from PTSD, then it is this country's obligation to tend to your needs.
I do not hate the homeless- I don't hate anyone. I have either experienced myself, been married to, had family members, or have had friends who have gone through all of these trials and more.
However, most of the homeless I see out at night, bumming money, working scams, and breaking into cars seem to be of sound body and mind. You can't tell about some afflictions from outer appearance obviously. But I'll argue with anyone all day that the majority of those in the street are just hiding from life, and yeah- being lazy.
Every dime they get from the poor guilt-ridden slobs in this city just keeps them there a bit longer. "The War on Poverty"?? One of those stupid 'Americanisms' that helps nothing. The homeless aren't an enemy's army to attack as a whole, they are individuals and should be 'rescued' individually.
If they weren't at times a threat to the residents of this city, we wouldn't be discussing them at all.
When was the last time you smiled or felt happy to meet an approaching homeless person?
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified
Union Square in SF isn't really so bad. Wanna know where they shoved the Un- wanteds? Try going through the "Tenderloin District". (Yeah, I walked through and lived to tell..)
I keep saying it's more mental illness issue than anything and MHMR should take more of a lead.
I also rather refer to most of the people we're discussing as Street People because I don't know whether they're homeless are not.
LLM
10 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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