South Carolina approves plan to exile its homeless

[doggie]

this is fucking crazy and illegal and makes them look like monsters.

I wonder how many Christians voted for this.

The initiative, which was started by Councilman Cameron Runyan, will consist of police officers -- who patrol the city center -- enforcing the city's "quality of life" laws, including bans on loitering, public urination and other violations.

In addition, officers will be instructed to keep homeless people out of the city's center. If the homeless refuse to leave, they could be arrested.

The city will partner with a local charity to keep an emergency shelter located on the outskirts of the city open 24 hours a day. The shelter in question has the capacity to hold up to 240 guests at a time. Once at the shelter homeless people won't be allowed to leave the premises.

Officials plan to post an officer on the road leading downtown to ensure homeless people don't walk towards the area. To leave the shelter, visitors need to set an appointment and be shuttled by a van.

"[This is the] most comprehensive anti-homeless measure that [he had] 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.â€

The program's scope is nowhere near large enough to deal with the 1,518 homeless people currently living in the Columbia area. That is six times the capacity of the shelter.

Homeless advocates are looking to overturn the plan claiming it violates people's rights to equal treatment under the law and their freedom of assembly.

"The underlying design is that they want the homeless not to be visible in downtown Columbia,†Susan Dunn, South Carolina ACLU’s legal director said. “You can shuttle them somewhere or you can go to jail. That’s, in fact, an abuse of power.â€

http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/Blog/2013/0 ... z2cnu86mPC

[formergothardite]

So it is basically a prison for poor people? It doesn't seem like you should be able to legally stop a person from leaving a homeless shelter.

[rward]

Gee, I'm so glad theft, assault, rape and murder have reached zero, allowing the police department to act as bouncers for the downtown.

Surely they wouldn't enact this plan if there were actually real crimes to deal with, right? Wait, is this what a handbasket looks like? And why are we plummeting downward in it?

[Anny Nym]

So, as "inferior" deemed human beings will be prohibited to enter public places and placed in a concentrated number at a ..shelter (yes, let´s call it shelter for now...) which they must not leave until permission is given. Oh, and it will be guarded by legal officers, probably weapon-carrying ones ...

I think we had a similar iniative once. Was abolished in 1945, turned out to be a rather bad idea.

[AtroposHeart]

It's just a prison in the end. This is just punishment for being poor and falling on hard circumstances. I wonder how many veterans these wonderful Republicans have kicked out.

This is why I hate conservatism so much, it is all about punishment when it comes down to it. Punishment for being poor, Punishment for being a woman, punishment for having sex, punishment for falling on hard times, punishment for being gay, punishment for being sick.

It's know wonder why conservatives love religious values so much.

[Mary C Doates]

I think Atlanta may have done something similar (although probably without official ordinances) to run homeless people out of town "relocate" homeless people during the 1996 Olympics.

[August]

The other day as I watched a cop approach a brown skinned guy in a ripped T shirt lying down in a park I thought that if the person lying in the sun were white, with a backpack and shorts on they'd be assumed to be a student and it would be fine for them to sunbathe.

[curlytoes79]

this is fucking crazy and illegal and makes them look like monsters.

I wonder how many Christians voted for this.

Good question. You know, the Columbia City Council used to start their meetings with a prayer, but I think that was declared illegal so they had to stop. It was in the papers about 4 or 5 years ago.

Anyway, demanding to start their meetings with a show-offy prayer and then throwing homeless people out of their city is about what I expect from "Christian" politicians these days.

[linnea27]

The other day as I watched a cop approach a brown skinned guy in a ripped T shirt lying down in a park I thought that if the person lying in the sun were white, with a backpack and shorts on they'd be assumed to be a student and it would be fine for them to sunbathe.

ugh, I was rollerblading through a park once and had a woman stop me to tell me there was a "drunk, homeless man passed out on the trail ahead." She implied that he might rape me. It was a sunny day and the park was full of people and the path was quite wide. Not that rapes can't happen in broad daylight, but I decided I felt safe, especially as I felt I had an asset in outrunning someone on my rollerblades. When I came upon the 'drunk homeless rapist' I found he was a man lying on a the grass with an orange hard hat on his face, an open lunch box on the ground beside him, work boots kicked off. Directly across from him was a large construction site. This man was clearly lying in the sun on his lunch break and did not appear to pose any threat to anyone. His only 'crime,' that I could see, was being Aboriginal while in public.

[doggie]

the only good thing about this is it will die from stupidity and lack of planning and money like these things always do.

[slickcat79]

What, they can't just bus them to California? :roll:

When real life starts resembling an episode of South Park, it may be a cause for concern. That said, I feel like similar programs have been proposed in any number of cities before and have been largely unsuccessful.

[noni alabaster]

Doggie, i kinda like you, but you should stop trolling.

[formergothardite]

Did I miss the trolling?

[doggie]

Trolling ? I posted this because it is pretty bad and pisse. Me off

[PennySycamore]

Trolling ? I posted this because it is pretty bad and pisse. Me off

Thanks for posting this, doggie. There's a guy who comes to my door for handouts occasionally and while I do wish he'd go downtown to Triune Mercy Center for help which is run by by terrific Methodist woman pastor, I understand why he doesn't. Reverend Deb and her team could help this man in ways that I cannot and maybe help him get off the streets for good.

[laura oz]

I have to hang my head and just say WTH about my home state. It shouldn't be a crime to be homeless. In a country as rich a ours it should be criminal that we have homeless and hungry people. When they elected Mark Sanford - who shouldn't hold the post of dog catcher btw- I thought the stupid couldn't possibly hurt any more than it did at that moment. Most Americans live paycheck to paycheck. There but for the grace of God, could go I or any of us. That shouldn't be a reason to basically imprison us because we may make some people feel uncomfortable. Homelessness should make ALL of us feel uncomfortable, and hiding their heads in the sand is not going to change Columbia's homeless problem.

[Peas n carrots]

Most of the homeless I deal with on a daily basis are people who have serious mental health issues and/or addiction issues. Many of them would have been institutionalized 50 years ago. But with the cuts to mental health services, they roam the streets. I'm not sure if any of them get any kind of disability support or not, but in a city like Chicago housing is expensive and I can't imagine a disability check being able to cover the cost of living.

No fucking compassion...America, this is the new Christianity, only without the "Christ"

[Coconut Flan]

I've never understood why it became an either or choice of locked mental hospitals or life on the street. I remember the law suits that lead to releasing so many mentally ill patients. Neither locked away or cast away seem like good solutions.

[doggie]

it costs money for solutions and who wants to spend money on a homeless person?

[lovemygsp]

There are a lot of cities that pull similar shady things to hide the homeless. One of which is giving them a one way bus ticket somewhere else. I know Charlotte nc did this at one point, don't know if its still going on but would be surprised if it wasn't.

Goes back to how most of these people value life, until birth. :doh:

[Lillybee]

People in my lovely city of Teabagistan have the same attitude. There is a small group led by a wonderful minister that is trying to establish a day center for our homeless. She may have a vested interest because she was allowing a homeless man to sleep on church property but the police made him leave. She is a good woman. At the city council meeting where this need was addressed, our Tea Party mayor compared providing services to the homeless is like feeding the bears. If you feed them, more will come. There will be no city help in starting this center.

The city claims that all homeless needs are served by our local mission. This homeless shelter is run by fundies.

They do have a program for addicts and they take in out of county parolees. (they are well paid for this). The population of this area is about 100k. The mission provides only 100 beds for the local homeless including only eight beds for women and children. Also, there is a 30 day in, 30 day out policy. So what, if it is winter and you have a baby, after 30 days you are on your own.

We also get a lot of parolees from a nearby prison. These guys are released with 200.00 gate money but by the time they pay for bus fare, clothing and meals during the trip, they arrive in town with less than ten dollars. Some have been in prison for many years and they have no chance of getting a job in a city that has over 11 percent unemployment.

The city has started a Handouts don't Help campaign. I don't have a clue what this will cure since most panhandlers are not homeless but whatever. There were posters given to merchants. One owner who had the poster in her window had said window broken by someone who threw a rock through it. She claimed that it was a homeless panhandler who threw the rock, nevermind that this city has a mentally ill woman who has thrown rocks at many other businesses because the voices in her head told her to.

Our local newsrag ran a story that supported her theory.

Teabagistan is no longer a fun place to live.

I am sorry for my rant but this is a subject that really pisses me off.

[doggie]

Feel free to rant sounds like you need it.

[Vex]

Oh, god. This is just despicable.

[moodygirl86]

We used to have these in England in Victorian times. What were they called again? Oh yeah, I believe they were called workhouses. Look how well that turned out...

[Becket70]

What is the legal justification for keeping homeless people from leaving the shelter? If they haven't been arrested, how can they be detained? I am not naïve enough to realize there is no problem with homelessness. There are so many reasons a person is homeless. Mental illness plays a large part. Some are made homeless due to the economy. Some are drug addicts and alcoholics. And, yes, some are lazy and want that lifestyle. The mentally ill and addicts need treatment. The economic homeless need support. Even the ones that choose to be homeless deserve shelter from a storm. It's a complicated issue that cannot be solved by ghettoizing the homeless.