Comments on: It’s not complicated: No one should have to sleep in the street http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street Toronto's new weekly city magazine Wed, 22 May 2013 13:47:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: Gene Landrum http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45394 Gene Landrum Wed, 27 Feb 2013 05:51:54 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45394 John B. If the number 400 plus or minus and you take 10% away, that means 360 people, wants shelter, maybe not a 'fixed' house, but shelter from the weather! Using numbers are a 'opt out' that are increased, when governance's need more money to fight any Social Concerns/problems not covered by 'which ever' agencies is asking more funding! Using numbers other 'opt out' is to 'decrease' the numbers, when the governance's don't want to do anything, about concerns/problems! Put them together, and what do you get? Politics 'as usual' and what ever gives Great Press, like photo ops at car shows! Then again, setting in a Vehicle, is a far call from driving one, as an official vehicle! Gene l. Landrum, PhQ Quantum Theory and founder of Quantum Cafe' Coos County, Oregon 97420 John B. If the number 400 plus or minus and you take 10% away, that means 360 people, wants shelter, maybe not a ‘fixed’ house, but shelter from the weather!

Using numbers are a ‘opt out’ that are increased, when governance’s need more money to fight any Social Concerns/problems not covered by ‘which ever’ agencies is asking more funding!

Using numbers other ‘opt out’ is to ‘decrease’ the numbers, when the governance’s don’t want to do anything, about concerns/problems!

Put them together, and what do you get? Politics ‘as usual’ and what ever gives Great Press, like photo ops at car shows! Then again, setting in a Vehicle, is a far call from driving one, as an official vehicle!

Gene l. Landrum, PhQ Quantum Theory and founder of Quantum Cafe’ Coos County, Oregon 97420

Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: Toronto Girl http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45388 Toronto Girl Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:30:29 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45388 Stop with the idiotic societal division already. I am not trying to take a stab at the LEFT. It seems all conservatives like to complain about "Liberals ruining this and that". what are the conservatives doing? oh right, fearing social issues and progress and hiding from the big scary homeless people...the left created the homeless right? I'm so sick of this idiotic claim that it is the liberals who cause homelessness because they believe in social programs which they think "waste" money. Social programs do work, but ALL people need to be equally involved. Homelessness, mental health issues affect ALL people, not just liberals or conservatives or religious people or atheists. It has been my experience that the LEFT are more compassionate and hard-working than the "glorious conservatives" who bring the "not my problem" attitude to life....just spend spend spend, shop shop shop in the capitalist minded conservative world! Proud to be on the LEFT! Stop with the idiotic societal division already.
I am not trying to take a stab at the LEFT. It seems all conservatives like to complain about “Liberals ruining this and that”. what are the conservatives doing? oh right, fearing social issues and progress and hiding from the big scary homeless people…the left created the homeless right?

I’m so sick of this idiotic claim that it is the liberals who cause homelessness because they believe in social programs which they think “waste” money. Social programs do work, but ALL people need to be equally involved. Homelessness, mental health issues affect ALL people, not just liberals or conservatives or religious people or atheists.

It has been my experience that the LEFT are more compassionate and hard-working than the “glorious conservatives” who bring the “not my problem” attitude to life….just spend spend spend, shop shop shop in the capitalist minded conservative world!

Proud to be on the LEFT!

Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1

]]> By: Look in the mirror http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45387 Look in the mirror Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:27:58 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45387 Dave is right problem with the left is that it wants to spend money it does NOT have in your personal life you don't to this unless you want to flirt with bankruptcy then if the left spend money it has it tends to be OTHER PEOPLE's money to which they are entitled Dave is right

problem with the left is that it wants to spend money it does NOT have

in your personal life you don’t to this unless you want to flirt with bankruptcy

then if the left spend money it has it tends to be OTHER PEOPLE’s money to which they are entitled

Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0

]]> By: Look in the mirror http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45386 Look in the mirror Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:21:41 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45386 Leftist rags love to talk the talk rather than walk the walk on homelessness The mouth is everywhere but there is no money in it Leftist rags love to talk the talk rather than walk the walk on homelessness

The mouth is everywhere but there is no money in it

Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: Look in the mirror http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45385 Look in the mirror Wed, 27 Feb 2013 00:19:29 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45385 Toronto Girl is right and please if i may add, don't strut around with a halo of "compassion" because you TALK about homelessness advice aimed at the do-gooders of the LEFT Toronto Girl is right

and please if i may add, don’t strut around with a halo of “compassion” because you TALK about homelessness

advice aimed at the do-gooders of the LEFT

Thumb up 0 Thumb down 1

]]> By: Yet another Dave http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45323 Yet another Dave Mon, 25 Feb 2013 17:53:13 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45323 The thing to remember in all this is that Toronto is broke. We spend $400 million a year just carrying our debt burden, not paying it down. Imagine all the good that couold be done if paying interest on our enormous debt wasn't the third largest item in the city's budget. Sadly, those on the left don't seem to be good at math and never consider the fact Toronto is hurdling towards bankrupcty, just like San Bernandino, CA. At a provincial level we are spending over a MILLION DOLLARS an HOUR more than we bring in, 24/7. I have a lot of lefty friends in the arts community and whenever the topic of politics comes up, I start by asking them if they know how much we owe and what our debt burden is. I have yet to have even one offer up so much as a guess. They have no idea. Their entire socialist position only works as long as they keep their heads buried deep in the sand when it comes to debt and borrowing costs. Personally, I don't believe the solution here is to throw more money at the problem; however, even if it was, we don't have any more to throw at it. And raising taxes isn't a solution either. Over half of every dollar we earn goes to taxes already. Think of the mess we are leaving our kids and their kids. As for OCAP, consider their name: The Ont. Coalition AGAINST poverty. It's easy to be against something since you don't have to do anything but bitch, moan and drip about it. Now, if the name was Ont. Coalition FOR Helping Homeless Get Off The Streets, then that might iimply action is necessary. How many homeless people do you think that wingnut John Clarke had sleeping on his couch or in his basement during the cold snap? My guess is NONE. OCAP is a business like any other and relies on the perpetuation of this problem. They are also somewhat irrelevant shit disturbers who bring nothing to the table. The thing to remember in all this is that Toronto is broke. We spend $400 million a year just carrying our debt burden, not paying it down. Imagine all the good that couold be done if paying interest on our enormous debt wasn’t the third largest item in the city’s budget.

Sadly, those on the left don’t seem to be good at math and never consider the fact Toronto is hurdling towards bankrupcty, just like San Bernandino, CA.

At a provincial level we are spending over a MILLION DOLLARS an HOUR more than we bring in, 24/7.

I have a lot of lefty friends in the arts community and whenever the topic of politics comes up, I start by asking them if they know how much we owe and what our debt burden is. I have yet to have even one offer up so much as a guess. They have no idea. Their entire socialist position only works as long as they keep their heads buried deep in the sand when it comes to debt and borrowing costs.

Personally, I don’t believe the solution here is to throw more money at the problem; however, even if it was, we don’t have any more to throw at it. And raising taxes isn’t a solution either. Over half of every dollar we earn goes to taxes already. Think of the mess we are leaving our kids and their kids.

As for OCAP, consider their name: The Ont. Coalition AGAINST poverty. It’s easy to be against something since you don’t have to do anything but bitch, moan and drip about it. Now, if the name was Ont. Coalition FOR Helping Homeless Get Off The Streets, then that might iimply action is necessary.

How many homeless people do you think that wingnut John Clarke had sleeping on his couch or in his basement during the cold snap? My guess is NONE.

OCAP is a business like any other and relies on the perpetuation of this problem. They are also somewhat irrelevant shit disturbers who bring nothing to the table.

Thumb up 5 Thumb down 0

]]> By: edge http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45306 edge Mon, 25 Feb 2013 00:55:34 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45306 So why does the Netherlands have a National Association for the Homeless? Why do they have about 8 Homeless Newspapers (including one actually called the Homeless Newspaper?) So why does the Netherlands have a National Association for the Homeless?
Why do they have about 8 Homeless Newspapers (including one actually called the Homeless Newspaper?)

Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0

]]> By: John B. http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45300 John B. Sun, 24 Feb 2013 11:53:26 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45300 There is one clear problem this article does not mention. Many of the homeless people are sick and don´t want to change their current life situation. Anyone who wants to have a real and unbiased opinion should go and check some relevant studies about this topic. As Torontogirl says, there are many ways how to get involved and help those who really need it (and appreciate it). It is not about giving anything for free, it is about helping your community. We all have something to offer to people who have been marginalized. Sometimes saying a kind word to them on the street is enough. We are not supposed to buy them <a href="http://juliekinnear.com/blogs/earthship-green-homes.html" rel="nofollow">Eartship Green Homes</a> just because we feel sorry for their situation. We are supposed to be there when they really need it! There is one clear problem this article does not mention. Many of the homeless people are sick and don´t want to change their current life situation. Anyone who wants to have a real and unbiased opinion should go and check some relevant studies about this topic.

As Torontogirl says, there are many ways how to get involved and help those who really need it (and appreciate it). It is not about giving anything for free, it is about helping your community. We all have something to offer to people who have been marginalized. Sometimes saying a kind word to them on the street is enough. We are not supposed to buy them Eartship Green Homes just because we feel sorry for their situation. We are supposed to be there when they really need it!

Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0

]]> By: TorontoGirl http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45294 TorontoGirl Sat, 23 Feb 2013 20:48:12 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45294 What is the point of debating all this stuff anyway? Homelessness and mental health exist. We get it. What is the point of sitting on your butt all day "protesting"? Do people really expect someone else (esp someone like Rob Ford) to "do something about it"? Is that what you do in your daily life? When you have a problem at work or in your personal life you sit yourself down on your butt, hold a poster and "protest" until someone else fixes your problem? Actions speak louder than words. Maybe it's just me, but I believe if you want to change something, you go and DO IT, you don't sit on your butt complaining, you don't sit at a coffee shop with all your "do gooder" buddies and debate it for hours as if that will change something. You get up and do the dirty work. I work full-time and manage to spend X number of hours a month actually volunteering to "do something" to improve my community. I know MANY people who like to complain and "talk" about how they wish something could be improved, but noone does anything. You would be surprised to know how few people actually commit to volunteer a couple hours a month...yet find time to complain and write essays about it online. Get off your computer and go to do something. Want homelessness to go away? Go volunteer at a shelter, put in free hours to clean it up, to help it function better, so that the government can save money and not have to hire so many people to do it. Go be a big brother/big sister; go help with a program in adult literacy. There are hundreds of ways to get involved in this city. Action works. It shows that people care about their community and are actively trying to change it. Sitting around "protesting" shows a bunch of whiners awaiting for someone else to do it. Good luck! What is the point of debating all this stuff anyway? Homelessness and mental health exist. We get it.
What is the point of sitting on your butt all day “protesting”?
Do people really expect someone else (esp someone like Rob Ford) to “do something about it”?
Is that what you do in your daily life? When you have a problem at work or in your personal life you sit yourself down on your butt, hold a poster and “protest” until someone else fixes your problem?
Actions speak louder than words.
Maybe it’s just me, but I believe if you want to change something, you go and DO IT, you don’t sit on your butt complaining, you don’t sit at a coffee shop with all your “do gooder” buddies and debate it for hours as if that will change something. You get up and do the dirty work.

I work full-time and manage to spend X number of hours a month actually volunteering to “do something” to improve my community. I know MANY people who like to complain and “talk” about how they wish something could be improved, but noone does anything. You would be surprised to know how few people actually commit to volunteer a couple hours a month…yet find time to complain and write essays about it online.

Get off your computer and go to do something.

Want homelessness to go away? Go volunteer at a shelter, put in free hours to clean it up, to help it function better, so that the government can save money and not have to hire so many people to do it.
Go be a big brother/big sister; go help with a program in adult literacy. There are hundreds of ways to get involved in this city.

Action works. It shows that people care about their community and are actively trying to change it. Sitting around “protesting” shows a bunch of whiners awaiting for someone else to do it.

Good luck!

Thumb up 9 Thumb down 4

]]> By: MsTruNorth http://www.thegridto.com/city/politics/its-not-complicated-no-one-should-have-to-sleep-in-the-street/#comment-45287 MsTruNorth Sat, 23 Feb 2013 14:54:47 +0000 http://www.thegridto.com/?p=124473#comment-45287 I think perhaps the Mayor earned his callous reputation after he attempted to cut funding for free breakfasts at school for children whose parents are living in poverty. Council stopped his proposed disgusted cut. I think perhaps the Mayor earned his callous reputation after he attempted to cut funding for free breakfasts at school for children whose parents are living in poverty. Council stopped his proposed disgusted cut.

Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0

]]>