Letter: Governance at its worst
Letter to the editor
Helplessness/homelessness is a revolving door perpetuated by the Socialist Democrats to use the vulnerable to extract taxes from the hard-working taxpayer, thus helping to increase taxes, then making the cost of living here in Gainesville, Florida and Alachua County, Florida unaffordable for the working poor.
This scheme is detrimental, and the human costs are enormous. It looks like a war on the working poor rather than a war on poverty. One cannot build up the weak by destroying the strong. There’s a reason why the Socialist Democrats never say homelessness is an epidemic because they helped to create it here in Gainesville, Florida and Alachua County, Florida.
Telfred Cartwright, Gainesville
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The homeless population everywhere in America is made up of the mentally ill who are much harder to instituionalize against their will – a legal change with mixed results – drug addicts, alcoholics, and the old and infirm. Many are vets, and some of them damaged from their service. No one created them, these types exist in every human society since being a successful fully functional member is not easy and a certain number can’t do it. The writer of this column is delusional.
The mentally ill is but a subset of the homeless population, as is the number of veterans.
Somehow in identifying those groups, you fail to mention those who have the ability to work but lack the desire. You also seem to be careful not to mention those who may have become homeless due to the high cost of living – whether taxes, mortgage rates, rental costs or just utility costs impacted the ability to maintain a home.
Those who choose not to acknowledge those groups may not be delusional, but they sure want to find something or someone else to blame.
Most of those living on the streets are unable to maintain a home and for various reasons including the high cost of housing as you note. For those able but just lazy, that’s a hard road to travel, and sticking with it implies some level of additional disability I think. Unless we think that just being lazy is what makes most of the homeless that way, some level of societal support is reasonable and civilized and even Florida’s new law on homelessness recognizes that obligation. Police cannot remove those camping on public property unless they provide an optional space.
HUD estimated an 18% jump in homelessness from 2023 to 2024. This isn’t an “awe shucks” problem and it does seem to be worse in single-party controlled areas like Alachua County.
Cartwright is right. You are wrong and delusional.
There is plenty of “optional space” in Miami or Atlanta. I’ll buy the first bus ticket. One-way, of course.
Facts
Hang in there for a minute. I’m going to cut straight to the point. And make many points. One I am a Republican and yes saying what I am going to say. You cannot put all homeless in the same basket. There are those that are homeless because one crisis led to that. These are usually families, and those that have had medical issues, lost a job, any combination of things. These are the ones that work to get out of homelessness. Then there are those that are there due to choice whether it be, drugs, alcohol, any addiction that has removed them from being productive in society. There are those that make the conscious choice to be homeless because it costs less in their mind (and before I get backlash from anyone I know people like this). There are those that are making the choice due to being criminals so they stay off the radar. And lastly there are those with mental health issues other than addictions. Things such as schizophrenia, or PTSD.
With that being said the focus on where the city is sending the funding to is what needs to be done. I’ve pulled public record many times to see exactly this and other things. Grace Marketplace gets millions a year from the city alone. That is the place that has outrageous criminal activity in violent nature. Cops there nearly every day. Families are not able to stay there because it is not safe. While Saint Francis house struggles with funding to help families and those that aim to get back on their feet. They require a blue card (background clearance), because families are there with kids. They only have 9 rooms, and are doing their best to make it work. The city does not even send them a fraction of what Grace receives. And to be honest that is who should be funded first and for most. For theses reasons, they provide social work to help get back to life as it should be, the clients are held accountable and must participate in their own case not leave it up to the workers. Active work search if that is the issue active home/aparment searches, etc.
our family was homeless in early 2020, one child in the NICU the other was with a family member until we could obtain shelter. Once we secured a place at the shelter, we went and picked him up. Once February 28, 2020 our youngest was cleared for home and so Saint Francis was his home. Until April of 2020 when we were housed. We have since been secure and remain so. What led to our homeless stint. I would say God placed us right where he wanted us, near death due to pre-eclampsia, emergency c-section 11 weeks early. My husband couldn’t work because my other son needed him at home that was before we lost our place. That is a story in and of itself self, and a huge lesson learned while likely being the exact reason my body became toxic. But that is off topic. I believe whole heartedly that funding should happen, but only to help those who intend on getting back to society and show it.
“I believe whole heartedly that funding should happen, but only to help those who intend on getting back to society and show it.”
I totally agree. Grace shouldn’t be a commune, it should be an academy. It should be safe for people who need some help to get going again without having to worry about being attacked. There used to be a police substation at Grace, it needs to return. It should also require going through a metal detector to get in. None of these things are hard to do.
This comment makes a really good point: the people receiving services should have to demonstrate that they are willing to change, including adherence to mental health and drug treatment.
GRACE’s model is known as “low-barrier,” and that’s why Alachua County attracts so many people who have no intention of making changes but want meals and a place to sleep. The whole idea is to make no demands on the people who receive services. Many places around the country are moving away from this model, recognizing that it attracts drifters but does not put them on a path to self-sufficiency. Alachua County, of course, will be one of the last to recognize this.
Maybe if Trump taxed the 1% fairly, the working poor wouldn’t have to help fund services?
Putting the federal government and a bunch of DC bureaucrats in charge of homeless services is probably the worst possible idea.
Alachua Moderate,
Biden had 4 years to do just that..why didn’t he?
Grace Marketplace is nothing but a shell game, many have profited and benefited from the millions of dollars donated, but not the real ones in need.
The homeless problem is even worse in Texas, which is controlled by Republicans.
Texas does have a much larger population than Gainesville.
It’s even worse in California which is run by democrats…
So true…