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11-10-2011, 07:20 AM
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#81
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Chicago
Posts: 13,183
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MichaelB
In South Florida there is a network of people at busy intersections that solicit funds. They have printed handouts (newsletters?) and carry large colored ids around their necks. They also wear t-shirts with the name of an organization that supports homeless.
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I love to watch the turf wars when folks from Organization #1 bump into folks from Organizaion #2 on the same corner..........
Fortunately, streetside "begging turf" bounds are usually worked out between either organized crime or gang leaders preventing constant violence at the best spots.......
Independent "workers," such as a lone individual doing the homeless gig, aren't part of this and try to slip in and out quickly without getting their heads bashed by the organized folks.
I'm speaking of the Chicago area.
__________________
"I wasn't born blue blood. I was born blue-collar." John Wort Hannam
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11-10-2011, 07:48 AM
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#82
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 514
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NW-Bound
Many if not most of the homeless street beggars have mental problems.
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If you smoked $200 worth of meth every day for 2 years, your brain would start to get a little fried, too.
I see it as a chicken/egg problem. How many of these "mentally ill" homeless people were mentally ill when they started? How many were actually relatively normal people who started doing drugs, then consequently lost everything and developed mental illnesses?
I give nothing, ever. The vast majority of them are where they are because of drugs. Moreover, the majority of crime is drug-related. People don't rob liquor stores to pay the rent. They do it to buy drugs. People don't rip the copper wiring out of half-built homes and pawn it for money to buy groceries. They do it for drugs. People don't get into fights in front of bars over political differences. They fight because they're drunk/high.
Imagine how much better the world would be without these taxing drains on society, consuming our resources at every level (legal, medical, commercial, penal) while contributing nothing in return. Such a waste.
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11-10-2011, 09:29 AM
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#83
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,049
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kombat
I see it as a chicken/egg problem. How many of these "mentally ill" homeless people were mentally ill when they started? How many were actually relatively normal people who started doing drugs, then consequently lost everything and developed mental illnesses?
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I don't know. How many?
When mental health was handed over to the states in the 1980s via block grants (and cut 25%), it led to many mentally ill people being kicked out of hospitals due to lack of funding. This has continued to this day.
Someone with schizophrenia isn't put into a hospital unless they are a threat to themselves or others. When they are no longer a threat, they're released. Consequently, if they don't have the money to cover treatment at a private facility, they will never get treatment. Unable to hold a job, they end up on the streets.
Quote:
Imagine how much better the world would be without these taxing drains on society, consuming our resources at every level (legal, medical, commercial, penal) while contributing nothing in return. Such a waste.
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A lot of people, even those with jobs or ERed, contribute far less than they receive. Some are on this board. Such a waste.
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11-10-2011, 09:40 AM
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#84
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Full time employment: Posting here.
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 514
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eridanus
A lot of people, even those with jobs or ERed, contribute far less than they receive. Some are on this board. Such a waste.
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You know as well as I do that there's an enormous difference between someone who was a productive member of society, contributing taxes and labor into an economy for 4 or 5 decades, and is simply collecting a few hundred dollars in SS every month, and a 25-year old serial drug abuser who's never held a steady job, paid any taxes, and goes from hospital to police car to courtroom to jail, over and over and over again.
The latter costs far, far more per month than the former.
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11-10-2011, 09:59 AM
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#85
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 2,049
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kombat
You know as well as I do that there's an enormous difference between someone who was a productive member of society, contributing taxes and labor into an economy for 4 or 5 decades, and is simply collecting a few hundred dollars in SS every month, and a 25-year old serial drug abuser who's never held a steady job, paid any taxes, and goes from hospital to police car to courtroom to jail, over and over and over again.
The latter costs far, far more per month than the former.
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Financially, perhaps, but morally and ethically? Sometimes it's a wash.
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11-10-2011, 10:42 AM
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#86
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,239
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kombat
You know as well as I do that there's an enormous difference between someone who was a productive member of society, contributing taxes and labor into an economy for 4 or 5 decades, and is simply collecting a few hundred dollars in SS every month, and a 25-year old serial drug abuser who's never held a steady job, paid any taxes, and goes from hospital to police car to courtroom to jail, over and over and over again.
The latter costs far, far more per month than the former.
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Just want to point out that the former make it up in volume...
(Just pulling your leg... not dissing you).....
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11-10-2011, 10:43 AM
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#87
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,610
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Quote:
Originally Posted by eridanus
A lot of people, even those with jobs or ERed, contribute far less than they receive. Some are on this board. Such a waste.
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Could you expand on that a bit? I'm curious where/what you define as "waste."
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11-10-2011, 11:42 AM
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#88
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Northern Illinois
Posts: 16,599
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Yesterday I walked the streets in jeans, a jean jacket, and several days of stubble on my face. I noticed that there were far fewer beggars asking me for money. I think they thought I was one of them.
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11-10-2011, 11:50 AM
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#89
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,610
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ronstar
Yesterday I walked the streets in jeans, a jean jacket, and several days of stubble on my face. I noticed that there were far fewer beggars asking me for money. I think they thought I was one of them.
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That will usually get you a better price on a new car also..
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11-10-2011, 03:59 PM
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#90
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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Quote:
The reason I did the brass Noo Yawker thing with this guy was based on something I learned from a retired cop who taught a self defense class.
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Admit it, you just like playing the brash Noo Yawker. It is your inner freebird.
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11-10-2011, 04:44 PM
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#91
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,657
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Quote:
Financially, perhaps, but morally and ethically? Sometimes it's a wash.
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You are kidding or being ironic? How can you possibly consider the moral or ethical situations to be even remotely comparable. A responsible member of society for decades made contributions and paid taxes, then needs some financial support when they are older is no where close to the ethical and moral waste of a long-term drug user who never held a steady job, never paid taxes, and will be supported directly or indirectly with expenses for police, prisons and drug treatment programs their entire life.
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11-10-2011, 09:08 PM
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#92
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Portland
Posts: 4,946
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Quote:
Originally Posted by growing_older
You are kidding or being ironic? How can you possibly consider the moral or ethical situations to be even remotely comparable. A responsible member of society for decades made contributions and paid taxes, then needs some financial support when they are older is no where close to the ethical and moral waste of a long-term drug user who never held a steady job, never paid taxes, and will be supported directly or indirectly with expenses for police, prisons and drug treatment programs their entire life.
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All too true. Consider poor Alisa Rosenbaum, who was a popular author and quite the woman about town in her day. Alas, in spite of being objectively a very responsible person (as she'd tell you at the drop of a hat), in her later years she fell ill with a form of cancer, and had to rely on Medicare to cover the bills.
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11-11-2011, 12:05 AM
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#93
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,860
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
Maybe there should be a certification program for panhandlers. They have an interview and if they can show that have a legitimate reason for begging, they get a card that they can wear around their neck. I'm half serious.
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The sign would say "Will play jazz keyboard for food!"
I'm half joking...
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11-11-2011, 05:08 AM
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#94
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,408
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TromboneAl
I remember a black guy running the "I need money for gas" scam. His trick was that the first thing he'd ask is "Are you prejudiced?" It put people on the defensive, and made them eager to prove that they weren't prejudiced by giving some money.
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That would be an easy one to deal with. Just say YES!
Cheers!
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11-11-2011, 07:16 AM
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#95
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Columbia, SC
Posts: 1,132
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I think we will be seeing more panhandlers in the future with the economy as bad as it is.
I think panhandling would be a good sideline for the ER types on this board. Sort of like going fishing or surfing...good exercise, meeting people, fresh air, tax free money, better deals on getting cars...and you go home at the end of the day, take a shower, watch TV, and post on this forum...
__________________
"I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it." Ashleigh Brilliant
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11-11-2011, 08:05 AM
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#96
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 3,408
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I made a list with copies to hand out of all the places in the city that provide shelter and a meal for those in need. If they really need some help (and is not a scam) then this would be better than handing them a dollar.
Cheers!
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11-11-2011, 10:38 AM
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#97
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5,214
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Redbugdave
I think we will be seeing more panhandlers in the future with the economy as bad as it is.
I think panhandling would be a good sideline for the ER types on this board. Sort of like going fishing or surfing...good exercise, meeting people, fresh air, tax free money, better deals on getting cars...and you go home at the end of the day, take a shower, watch TV, and post on this forum...
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I think some of us should volunteer from our forum to do a little experiment. Try out this panhandling thing and see how much we could make (unless some of us here are already doing it like Dave says...) Then we can take a poll on the average "panhandling income".
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11-11-2011, 10:39 AM
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#98
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 5,214
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Badger
I made a list with copies to hand out of all the places in the city that provide shelter and a meal for those in need. If they really need some help (and is not a scam) then this would be better than handing them a dollar.
Cheers!
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That's a great idea. And add all government assistance programs to it.
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11-11-2011, 11:51 AM
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#99
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Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
Join Date: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,880
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nords
the sign would say "will play jazz keyboard for food!"
i'm half joking...
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subwaysmaller.jpg
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11-11-2011, 12:40 PM
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#100
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Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,154
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Quote:
Originally Posted by grasshopper
I almost always give a buck or two when asked. I can afford it and it makes me feel good.
WWJGD, what would jerry garcia do.
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I agree, grasshopper. Who cares what they do with it. It usually makes both parties happy. I had a guy come up to me once and he asked me if I had a buck so he could get a drink because he really needed it. I gladly handed him a couple dollars and boy did he have a grin. Made my day.
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