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whitedevil1
hiding from the govt.



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Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote
#18988104 - 10/16/13 08:33 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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I can't beleive your choice if your homeless is go to jail or go to a "camp" you can't leave!! WTF is happening we are moments away from fema camps[gradient:#DB0D0D,#][/gradient]
City council members in Columbia, S.C., recently voted unanimously to criminalize homelessness.
Concerned that Columbia has become a “magnet for homeless people,” and that businesses and the area’s safety are suffering as a result, council members agreed on Aug. 14 to give people on the streets the option to either relocate, or get arrested, according to the city’s “Emergency Homeless Response” report.
Cooperative homeless people will be given the option to go to a remote 240-person bed emergency shelter, which will be open from September to March. The shelter will also be used as a drop-off for people recently released from prison and jail, too.
A hotline will be set up for passersby to “report” a homeless person that needs to be removed, additional police will be dispensed to monitor the streets and vans will escort the homeless to the shelter.
While some advocates have decried the decision, council members say it’s a “temporary” solution that will eventually lead to a more sound resolution.
"This is stopgap," Councilman Cameron Runyan told WISTV. "This is going to open up a window of opportunity for us to come together as a community to develop a long-term response to this problem. This problem has plagued us for a generation and a half at least."
But even this “temporary fix” presents some unaddressed issues.
For one, there are an estimated 1,621 homeless people living in Columbia and the surrounding area, 25 percent of whom are members of families with children, a figure that could overwhelm the designated shelter.
Advocates are also concerned about the fact that these homeless people will, in essence, be “locked up” upon arrival.
According to ThinkProgress, clients at the shelter will not be allowed to leave the premises without permission and a police officer will stand guard at the road leading to the building.
“[This is the] most comprehensive anti-homeless measure that [I have] ever seen proposed in any city in the last 30 years,” Michael Stoops, Director of Community Organizing at the National Coalition for the Homeless, told ThinkProgress. “Using one massive shelter on the outskirts to house all a city’s homeless is something that has never worked anywhere in the country.”
Wayne Fields, CEO of the Oliver Gospel Mission in Columbia, told The Huffington Post that a lot of people are “unhappy” about the decision and whether they intended to or not, the council members are giving off an alarming message to the homeless community.
“The impression this gives is that they don’t want homeless people in Columbia at all,” said Fields who was away when the decision was handed down, but said the organization that’s been serving the community for 25 years has gotten a number of calls from concerned donors.
Fields also noted that while such a drastic decision may be directed to homeless people who aren’t open to getting help, it may actually drive away clients who are trying to get their lives back on track and will interfere with agencies, like his, that are making a difference.
But a number of other cities have taken such punitive measures as of late.
Just last month, Tampa Bay, Fla., passed an ordinance, which will allow police to arrest people sleeping on the streets and put them behind bars.
There, many argued that such a measure both punishes the taxpayers and the homelessness.
"It costs roughly $50 a day to incarcerate one homeless person for one day. And during the last homeless count that took place, we had 356 homeless people in jail," Amanda Mole, editor of the Tampa Epoch, told HuffPost Live. "With those numbers we spent about 6.6 million dollars a year in Hillsborough County alone just on incarcerating the homeless."
Columbia will likely also face some financial struggles as a result of its decision to criminalize homelessness.
According to the homelessness report, running the shelter 24 hours a day, seven days a week for seven months straight will cost the city $1.7 million. But the emergency plan has so far budgeted only $500,000.
However, some downtown business owners say that it’s time to pour more money into tackling the problem, since homelessness advocates have been "wasting" their resources.
“As small business owners on Main Street we see first hand how the homeless crisis is affecting the city,” Jessica and Joe Kastner, owners of Paradise Ice, said according to the report. “Unfortunately it seems the people who make their living off of caring for the homeless are the ones making all the noise at these meetings. They've had 20 years to fix the problem and it has only gotten worse thus ensuring their paychecks stay safe. Please think about the everyday citizens, the revitalization of Columbia and the safety of everyone.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/22/columbia-south-carolina-criminalizes-homelessness_n_3795397.html
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tothemoon
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: whitedevil1]
#18988205 - 10/16/13 08:53 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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This shit is pretty scary.
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Camwritesgonzo
The Unflushable Stool



Registered: 06/09/12
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: whitedevil1] 1
#18988221 - 10/16/13 08:55 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Instead of making more criminals out of members of society, why doesn't the government look into building low-rent housing and finding more jobs to put people to work in this country? Hell, you could put people to work helping build their homes. Sure you'll need a place for those people to stay during the process, where they have access to a bed and food, but at least it would help people get their lives back on track. Those few who would opt not to pay rent and would remain homeless, well, give them a tent and wish them luck, but when there's an opportunity to help people without further fucking up the economy, why not go for it? Just my
-------------------- "I've always maintained that reality is for those who can't face drugs."-Tom Waits "I feel the same way about disco as I feel about herpes."-Hunter S. Thompson A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous, got me?
 
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Konyap

Registered: 06/30/07
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: Camwritesgonzo]
#18988356 - 10/16/13 09:23 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
According to ThinkProgress, clients at the shelter will not be allowed to leave the premises without permission and a police officer will stand guard at the road leading to the building.
People with money are like that basically they don't want any low rent housing and they don't want freedom.
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ChinChiller



Registered: 07/03/10
Posts: 3,270
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: Konyap]
#18988366 - 10/16/13 09:25 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Gentrification is a pretty scary concept.
Edited by ChinChiller (10/16/13 09:26 PM)
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SnowDaze
Probably Relapsing on Heroin


Registered: 02/24/13
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: ChinChiller] 1
#18988397 - 10/16/13 09:31 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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wow that is really terrible
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If you get confused, listen to the music play
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: whitedevil1]
#18988601 - 10/16/13 10:04 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
whitedevil1 said: WTF is happening we are moments away from fema camps

Quote:
City council members in Columbia, S.C., recently voted unanimously to criminalize homelessness.
Great, just great.
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bloodsheen
ChemChaplin



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Posts: 7,659
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: Repertoire89] 1
#18988695 - 10/16/13 10:19 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Incidentally this is in the wrong place, not mushroom or drug news.
However that aside, shit is fucked up. I honestly do not understand how its possible to make it illegal to be homeless. Literally its a crime to be too poor to make it on your own. Thats real fucked up
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A cautious young fellow named Lodge / Had seat belts installed in his Dodge. / When his date was strapped in / He committed a sin / Without even leaving the garage. That's clever, isn't it?-A boy and his dog
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whitedevil1
hiding from the govt.



Registered: 03/31/10
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: bloodsheen]
#18988714 - 10/16/13 10:23 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Sorry, I guess it's not drug or mushroom news, my apologies I was just so up in arms over this report I wanted to share it.
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LuSiD enthusiast
Stranger

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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: Repertoire89] 1
#18988722 - 10/16/13 10:24 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Next step, forced sterilization, i mean these homeless people should't be allowed to breed and make more homeless people right? And while we're at it let's put them to work on something simple, oh let's see what's something these people can do to help south carolina raise the local economy?
And how exactly is putting all these "dangerous" homeless people into one camp supposed to make it any safer for them? Oh that's right they meant the people living in their homes, with all the necessities of 21st century living need this to feel safe, because apparantley the cops aren't protecting them enough.
-------------------- I'm addicted to coke, weed, booze, ludes and speed. Not LSD, you can't get addicted to LSD, it was built by scientists. I ain't got no demons that gonna get woke. In erowid we trust. Just take your damn pills and don't ask any questions, you'll be fine.
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Repertoire89
Cat



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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: bloodsheen]
#18988736 - 10/16/13 10:27 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
bloodsheen said: I honestly do not understand how its possible to make it illegal to be homeless. Literally its a crime to be too poor to make it on your own. Thats real fucked up
Insane shit but these laws have been around for a long time, its not just one town or another. Additionally in many places it is illegal to use a vehicle as your domicile, so if you're too poor to live in a house and have to live in a vehicle you'll get arrested and towed, kicked out on the street from jail to be homeless - on top of homelessness being either literally illegal or practically.

Can you feel the love?
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bloodsheen
ChemChaplin



Registered: 09/24/08
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: LuSiD enthusiast] 1
#18988755 - 10/16/13 10:32 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Just the language these people are using is fucking sick. The "homeless problem." Like these people love to be homeless and chose it so they could interfere with the lives of regular working Americans.
Its kind of like the issue this country is having with pedophiles, except for the opposite reason. Nobody wants pedophiles living in their area, so many states and towns pass ridiculous laws about how close a pedophile can be to a school/playground/whatever. So the stricter the laws, the fewer pedophiles have the option to live there. Which is good, except the whole point of the criminal justice system is to let people out of prison with the assumption that they have paid their debt and do not need further watching. But by creating "no pedo zones" you effectively infringe on these people's rights as free citizens.
However, doing that with homeless people adds another element of fuckedupness. Not only are they infringing on these people's rights, but these people didn't even do anything wrong to get where they are! Nobody to love them, nobody to care for them, and they obviously have extraneous problems or they wouldn't be in the mess they are in. So effectively this measure is saying "GTFO homeless people, our your ass is in prison"
So insane
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A cautious young fellow named Lodge / Had seat belts installed in his Dodge. / When his date was strapped in / He committed a sin / Without even leaving the garage. That's clever, isn't it?-A boy and his dog
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whitedevil1
hiding from the govt.



Registered: 03/31/10
Posts: 262
Loc: eastern wa
Last seen: 2 years, 5 months
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: Repertoire89]
#18988825 - 10/16/13 10:44 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Repertoire89 said:
Quote:
bloodsheen said: I honestly do not understand how its possible to make it illegal to be homeless. Literally its a crime to be too poor to make it on your own. Thats real fucked up
Insane shit but these laws have been around for a long time, its not just one town or another. Additionally in many places it is illegal to use a vehicle as your domicile, so if you're too poor to live in a house and have to live in a vehicle you'll get arrested and towed, kicked out on the street from jail to be homeless - on top of homelessness being either literally illegal or practically.

Can you feel the love? 
Your absolutley right there is laws about it all over but they are making more and cracking down more then ever right now from seattle to tampa. where I live they passed a law that people can't stand on the corner asking traffic for money/food. penalty is $100 fine.
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LSDreams
Contemplative Stoner



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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: Camwritesgonzo] 1
#18988828 - 10/16/13 10:45 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Camwritesgonzo said: Instead of making more criminals out of members of society, why doesn't the government look into building low-rent housing and finding more jobs to put people to work in this country? Hell, you could put people to work helping build their homes. Sure you'll need a place for those people to stay during the process, where they have access to a bed and food, but at least it would help people get their lives back on track. Those few who would opt not to pay rent and would remain homeless, well, give them a tent and wish them luck, but when there's an opportunity to help people without further fucking up the economy, why not go for it? Just my 
That would be the logical solution... but that would also require some effort from the government. So I guess its just easier to make people who are already suffering, feel worse about themselves because theyre "in the way" of the rest of society.
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Repertoire89
Cat



Registered: 11/15/12
Posts: 21,773
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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: LSDreams]
#18988837 - 10/16/13 10:47 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Apparently its cheaper to throw someone in jail than give them a job
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whitedevil1
hiding from the govt.



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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: Repertoire89] 2
#18988854 - 10/16/13 10:52 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Well prisons are going privately owned so if we can get them all in there people will make a lot of money off them just being prisoners.
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bloodsheen
ChemChaplin



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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: Repertoire89]
#18988855 - 10/16/13 10:52 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
Repertoire89 said: Apparently its cheaper to throw someone in jail than give them a job
Yea, but whos the one to take the risk of giving them a job? Why should private businesses take such a risk? And the state sure as hell doesn't want to do it. How about just leaving them the fuck alone? There are already measures out there to help them out, if they don't want to take those measures then just keep them from freezing or starving to death and leave it alone
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A cautious young fellow named Lodge / Had seat belts installed in his Dodge. / When his date was strapped in / He committed a sin / Without even leaving the garage. That's clever, isn't it?-A boy and his dog
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Repertoire89
Cat



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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: bloodsheen] 1
#18988912 - 10/16/13 11:01 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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Quote:
bloodsheen said:
Quote:
Repertoire89 said: Apparently its cheaper to throw someone in jail than give them a job
Yea, but whos the one to take the risk of giving them a job? Why should private businesses take such a risk? And the state sure as hell doesn't want to do it. How about just leaving them the fuck alone? There are already measures out there to help them out, if they don't want to take those measures then just keep them from freezing or starving to death and leave it alone
A lot of them don't want jobs, others do. Instead of arbitrarily throwing them in jail that money could be funneled into menial shit work they can do - voluntarily.
Otherwise yeah leave em alone
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shivas.wisdom
בּ



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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote [Re: bloodsheen]
#18988953 - 10/16/13 11:10 PM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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It's a fuckin' class war--this calls for a good ol' fashioned wobblies style protest--every goddamn "footloose" person in a thousand square kilometers make their way to Columbia, South Carolina and break this ordinance--flood the jails and hit'em where it hurts--the taxpayers.
Why don't you work like other folks do? How the hell can I work when there's no work to do?
Refrain Hallelujah, I'm a bum, Hallelujah, bum again, Hallelujah, give us a handout To revive us again.
Oh, why don't you save all the money you earn? If I didn't eat, I'd have money to burn.
Whenever I get all the money I earn, The boss will be broke, and to work he must turn.
Oh, I like my boss, he's a good friend of mine, That's why I am starving out on the bread line.
When springtime it comes, oh, won't we have fun; We'll throw off our jobs, and go on the bum.
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Alan Rockefeller
Mycologist

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Re: Columbia, South Carolina Criminalizes Homelessness In Unanimous Vote (moved) [Re: whitedevil1]
#18989268 - 10/17/13 12:51 AM (10 years, 4 months ago) |
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This thread was moved from Shroomery News Service.
Reason: Not drug or mushroom related
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