27 Apr 2023, 3:22 am
27 Apr 2023, 9:17 am
SarahBea
Yellow-bellied Woodpecker
Joined: 10 Apr 2023
Age: 21
Gender: Female
Posts: 63
Location: St Albans
28 Apr 2023, 6:19 am
28 Apr 2023, 7:00 am
Lecia_Wynter wrote:
Its because Democrats aren't real communists, a lot of it is just about the rich and wealthy. Silicon valley, big tech etc is what California is, they don't care about the plebs. Large corporations sending loads of money to both the left and right wings.
Not my area of expertise, but I do wonder why the Democrats can't significantly improve the situation of the less fortunate.
When the Republicans are in government, it is because they are fascists who only want to look after the rich.
When the Democrats are in government, they get a free pass, by and large.
"Curious."
28 Apr 2023, 8:08 am
lil_hippie wrote:
Exactly, they should be embarrassed of the wealth inequality in big liberal cities.
But increasing taxes just chases away the big earners who pay most of the city's services anyways, leaving behind a smaller pool of people to tax, and more homeless to take care of.
But increasing taxes just chases away the big earners who pay most of the city's services anyways, leaving behind a smaller pool of people to tax, and more homeless to take care of.
Yes, because the Republicans are doing such a great job of dealing with it.
There's a reason why most Republican run states have a massive poverty problem. Not to mention the poor access to health care services and in many cases little ability to move from the area. Louisiana is particularly bad as they've got those refineries that don't pay any taxes even as the people living next door have to breathe in the fumes and suffer from crushing poverty.
This whole bit of blaming one side or the other misses the point. Neither side is particularly interested in solving the problem, but at least the Democrats are willng to pretend like they care and the voters actually do. You really can't honestly say the same of the GOP and their supporters.
28 Apr 2023, 8:10 am
Pepe wrote:
Lecia_Wynter wrote:
Its because Democrats aren't real communists, a lot of it is just about the rich and wealthy. Silicon valley, big tech etc is what California is, they don't care about the plebs. Large corporations sending loads of money to both the left and right wings.
Not my area of expertise, but I do wonder why the Democrats can't significantly improve the situation of the less fortunate.
When the Republicans are in government, it is because they are fascists who only want to look after the rich.
When the Democrats are in government, they get a free pass, by and large.
"Curious."
It's less about can't and more about the donors not being interested. Neither party should be expecting to take any victory laps in the near future, but at least the Democrats aren't actively trying to turn the country into a failed state.
But really, both parties are pretty corrupt and probably the only realistic way of getting change is to get a viable 3rd party that can shake them both up. Having a bunch of areas under what is effectively one party rule isn't good.
28 Apr 2023, 8:17 am
MatchboxVagabond wrote:
Pepe wrote:
Lecia_Wynter wrote:
Its because Democrats aren't real communists, a lot of it is just about the rich and wealthy. Silicon valley, big tech etc is what California is, they don't care about the plebs. Large corporations sending loads of money to both the left and right wings.
Not my area of expertise, but I do wonder why the Democrats can't significantly improve the situation of the less fortunate.
When the Republicans are in government, it is because they are fascists who only want to look after the rich.
When the Democrats are in government, they get a free pass, by and large.
"Curious."
It's less about can't and more about the donors not being interested. Neither party should be expecting to take any victory laps in the near future, but at least the Democrats aren't actively trying to turn the country into a failed state.
Not everyone agrees with your statement.
MatchboxVagabond wrote:
But really, both parties are pretty corrupt and probably the only realistic way of getting change is to get a viable 3rd party that can shake them both up. Having a bunch of areas under what is effectively one party rule isn't good.
Despairingly, some on this website reject this self-evident FACT!! !
28 Apr 2023, 9:53 am
Pepe wrote:
MatchboxVagabond wrote:
Pepe wrote:
Lecia_Wynter wrote:
Its because Democrats aren't real communists, a lot of it is just about the rich and wealthy. Silicon valley, big tech etc is what California is, they don't care about the plebs. Large corporations sending loads of money to both the left and right wings.
Not my area of expertise, but I do wonder why the Democrats can't significantly improve the situation of the less fortunate.
When the Republicans are in government, it is because they are fascists who only want to look after the rich.
When the Democrats are in government, they get a free pass, by and large.
"Curious."
It's less about can't and more about the donors not being interested. Neither party should be expecting to take any victory laps in the near future, but at least the Democrats aren't actively trying to turn the country into a failed state.
Not everyone agrees with your statement.
They won't, but it's difficult to buy that they do anything much on purpose given how incompetent they are at even just basic things like not allowing the other party to engineer an electoral advantage over them, or the connection between rigging the primaries for a less popular candidate won't generally end well.
Pepe wrote:
MatchboxVagabond wrote:
But really, both parties are pretty corrupt and probably the only realistic way of getting change is to get a viable 3rd party that can shake them both up. Having a bunch of areas under what is effectively one party rule isn't good.
Despairingly, some on this website reject this self-evident FACT!! !
If only it was just this website, things might actually change. This corner of the country is a bit better as we have a top two primary system where the top two vote getters advance even if they're in the same party. It tends to push things a bit towards the middle in terms of discouraging extreme candidates. We also haven't allowed the winners to district the state in decades and over time it's become harder and harder for anybody to gerrymander districts other than to exclude 3rd parties. (Hey it's a start) And this year, the city is switching to a rank choice voting system to hopefully allow people to vote for candidates they like, ones that might actually address homelessness and crime in some sort of reasonable way.
So, I do think that change is possible, but it's going to be extremely slow in areas where the people aren't able to directly pass their own legislation.
20 May 2023, 7:39 am
Quote:
The cause of homelessness is lack of UBI and unfair wages.
Add health care to that.
Lecia_Wynter wrote:
Except for junkies, they are homeless because of too many drugs, but also lack of UBI and unfair wages.
A percentage of those end up junkies via self medication as a result of lack of health care and/or mental health care.
Lack of that care can sometimes be, true, refusal to make use of it, and certain conservatives seem to enjoy painting the whole population with that brush, and a more common reason can be either the non-existence of care providers in the immediate vicinity, or, more commonly, the lack of the means to pay for the health care.
I myself have wound up homeless, Twice, as a result of health crash, resultant job loss, and the lack of means to pay for health care which could restore my ability to work before running out of funds sufficient to pay for both health care and housing.
goldfish21
Veteran
Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 21,555
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
20 May 2023, 12:42 pm
kitesandtrainsandcats wrote:
Quote:
The cause of homelessness is lack of UBI and unfair wages.
Add health care to that.
Lecia_Wynter wrote:
Except for junkies, they are homeless because of too many drugs, but also lack of UBI and unfair wages.
A percentage of those end up junkies via self medication as a result of lack of health care and/or mental health care.
Lack of that care can sometimes be, true, refusal to make use of it, and certain conservatives seem to enjoy painting the whole population with that brush, and a more common reason can be either the non-existence of care providers in the immediate vicinity, or, more commonly, the lack of the means to pay for the health care.
I myself have wound up homeless, Twice, as a result of health crash, resultant job loss, and the lack of means to pay for health care which could restore my ability to work before running out of funds sufficient to pay for both health care and housing.
It's so crazy how common that is in the USA. :/
It's not non-existent in Canada and I'm sure it's becoming a more regular thing because housing costs are so exorbitantly high that if someone goes from able bodied to injured/disabled and they don't have family supports, it's real easy to go from just being able to float the bills to homeless - even with no medical costs/debt. If someone's working full time+ and taking home $4-6K/month, they can pay rent and bills etc.. but if they become disabled, and qualify for disability income And it's approved quickly after employment insurance runs out etc and their income drops to $1358/mo, that doesn't go very far in a city where a one bedroom apartment costs twice that to rent. IF people can find a room to rent they can afford the room and very basic survival food, maybe a bus pass and not much else. There are few respectable rooms for rent that people can live an Ok life when their income is that low anymore. Possible, but not easy nor fun. So, ever more people are likely to end up homeless even with no medical costs ever directly billed to them.
I am curious how you got yourself back out of that situation each time ? I have a number of homeless friends.. and am very aware that once homeless it's exceedingly difficult to get out of that situation. There are ever more people here having to figure it out - plenty of people with jobs and money that simply cannot find another place to rent so sleep in their vehicles while they continue to try to find anything. etc etc.
I was Almost homeless before. If I had been back then, I'd have been proper f****d and maybe died. Now, though, my health and strength is so much better than I'd be able to be resourceful enough to survive and work my way back to life & society if I had to. It would be HARD, but I know I could do it. 11 years ago, though.. maybe not so much.
_________________
No
for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.Last edited by goldfish21 on 20 May 2023, 12:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
20 May 2023, 12:49 pm
goldfish21
Veteran
Joined: 17 Feb 2013
Age: 41
Gender: Male
Posts: 21,555
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
20 May 2023, 12:58 pm
Nades wrote:
Homelessness is mainly a substance abuse problem it seems. It's rare that homes just disappear unless outbid pure bad luck.
Not everywhere.
Plenty of sober people who work full time can't find or afford a home now. They live in cars, or park their cars and sleep in a forest. etc. Hundreds, maybe Thousands of people here like that. Either can't find/afford a place, or can't justify spending MOST of their income on rent and choose the van life, or are just sick of being evicted from every affordable place every few months etc. Housing costs are WILDLY unaffordable compared to regular working class wage earners' incomes.
Plenty of people evicted over and over again as properties change hands and new owners want to knock the place down and build something else, or renovate and charge twice the rent etc. Working class families with kids living in RV's down by the river or tents in someone's back yard while the apply for every rental property they can find and possibly stretch to afford. It's crazy.
As for the ones that are substance abusers, some of them are caused by accident or injury and then doctors prescribed opiates that were highly addictive and then they're screwed. Many others turned to drugs for escapism from traumas. Very few consciously chose a lifestyle of hardcore addiction.
_________________
No
for supporting trump. Because doing so is deplorable.20 May 2023, 1:20 pm
goldfish21 wrote:
I am curious how you got yourself back out of that situation each time ?
Hey there. Am out after having lunch after having creative writers group this morning.
So this will be short on the cafe's wifi.
The getting back involved perhaps even more receiving help from others than being by my own efforts.
Eventually ... is a key word in the thing.
Eventually, after I was homeless, not before, AFTER, there were a couple community programs available.
Eventually, my parents sent some money to deposit on a subsidized apartment.
Kansas City's vocational rehab was a bit questionable.
Before my health went far enough down that I lost my job at AT&T my physician said No More Telephone Or Computer Jobs Of Any Kind Ever.
(where I screwed up was saying, "Oh, I can beat this by just doing the right things!")
Hahahahahahaha! Oh, Really???
Voc Rehab's "lowest stress" trial job was receptionist at the homeless shelter.
Seriously?
What a bunch of trained-monkey s**t for brains ableists.
I gave it my best try, figuring that playing by their rules was my best chance.
To the total non-surprise of Dr. Foster, that did not go well.
The Voc-Rehab brainiacs were all, "Wow, we've not seen that happen before."
If THEY are The Help, God help us.
20 May 2023, 2:10 pm
20 May 2023, 2:33 pm
20 May 2023, 3:02 pm
