There's only 4.6 million people in NZ and SO MANY other reasons for the issues the US has. Are there any borders to NZ? Don't worry we are all coming over there when the shit hits the fan. I can be an immigrant to NZ

As for Canada, there are only 36 million people in that vast land of opportunity.

When you have 330 million people and have to allocate resources its a little different.

There are more people living in poverty in the USA, than NZ has citizens................10 times more.

There are more people living in poverty in the USA, than Canada has citizens (46 million).

I'd almost rather be homeless in New Zealand than spend the rest of my life here.

But I think there's someone there that might at least hook me up with a beach shack.

What's definition of "poverty"? Maybe Canada and NZ can offer more opportunity and entice some of our citizens?

The USA is a melting pot of people from all over, the countries referenced above are not.

Or i guess just a different mix of people.

"Canadian was followed by English, reported by 6,509,500 people; French (5,065,700); Scottish (4,715,000); Irish (4,544,900); and German (3,203,300). The other ethnic origins that surpassed the 1-million mark were: Italian, Chinese, First Nations (North American Indian), Ukrainian, East Indian, Dutch and Polish.Sep 15, 2016"

For every possible solution to homelessness (cargo container homes, tent cities, 3D printed structures, re-purposing unused buildings) they'll be 100 city, state and federal laws & zoning codes preventing it.

Housing is just too damn expensive and it's been compounded by all of the QE going on since 2008 that's re-inflated everything back as high as it was before the crash. All while wages stay stagnant. Great for the people who already had money in homes. Bad for the people who want in.

There's also a lot of NIMBY in the world - plenty of rich folks who care... as long as the solution isn't within sight of their homeowners associated gated community of McMansions. ("What if one of... *those people* walks by and drops a paper bag? OH MY HEAVENS!")

living in poverty is not homeless! There are 554000 people in the USA that are homeless in 2017. Thats approx half a million way less than both of your example countries populations.

You mean the folks who pay all the taxes to fund govt social programs?

That's exactly right, anyone who buys a home with hard earned $$ doesn't want to have to work harder to overcome a decrease in valuation due to a whole host of issues.

After all, the working class has to do more, the same people that buy pinball machines.

In the USA, it's families of 4 who earn less than $25k a year.

Huddled-Masses (resized).png
^ That's the invite on the statue of liberty, in case you've never seen it.

That certainly doesn't cover the cell phones and flat screen tv's.

It's a huge living in Mexico.

The US spend almost $4 trillion a year, much of it on social programs like SS and Medicare. We need NZ and Canada to spend the same amount right? Then no homelessness because more people would move there?

I'll say NZ, Canada and the US, per capita, are the most charitable people in the world.

Seriously??????

That's great material.

I've paid a ton of money into Social Security, are you saying I should not use it?

Are you saying people in poverty should not have phone service?

A cell phone is $25 a month with 2 gigs data & taxes included, that's cheaper than any landline (assuming you live in a city that still has copper service).

Of course you should. That's what its for.

It was meant to be a social safety net for people originally, not the primary income in retirement.

Our politicians are all POS. The day is coming when the books will have to balance and entitlement reform has to happen.

Poverty and food stamps increased substantially during the last administration, while home ownership decreased.

I wonder why its so hard for people to get the concept that lowering taxes, especially corporate taxes, increases job opportunities, bonuses, wage increases and ultimately more $$$ to pay for shit in the federal coffers.

The Dems hate it because their voting block is a direct beneficiary of what's happening right now, wage hikes and more job opportunity in particular.

BUT, if some are just such bleeding heart liberals then go ahead and feel free to put an EXTRA chunk of $$$ in your payment to the IRS for 2018. Don't take the tax cut.

If that's what you want to spend part of that $25k on then so be it. It's called a budget. I grew up without a cell phone. OMG

Is it a right? F no.

At minimum wage now of $15 an hour that's less than 2 hours. You want the phone in the budget, work and extra 2 hours a month.

If you are a high school secretary, take that $1.50 a week tax cut and buy a Costco membership.

I grew up without a phone in the house.

We'd have to walk 2 miles down the pub if we needed to call a doctor or report a death.

Well that would certainly help BUT that high school secretary is getting a $2k tax reduction. Just "crumbs" i know for the liberal elites.

I realize those are inconvenient FACTS for the media but those chickens are coming home to roost right now.

I can't wait to see who would like to take that reduction away. Ain't gonna happen.

A good reason to get in shape then. Run a 5 minute mile, be there in 10! If someone is dead it ain't gonna matter whether its 10 minutes or 10 hours?

If you live in the country with a cell phone, how do you think it would take for an ambulance to arrive?

It looks like it really is $1.50 a week:

DVIfdQ1VwAAT6NR.jpg large (resized).jpg

Just not true Vid. Facts are the facts and the tax cut "crumbs" are MUCH bigger.

It's illegal to move the body, but if a body sits more than a hour, the ghost has the legal right to stick around.

What's wrong with that?

If my boy Paul Ryan says it's true, it's true.

I would like to apologize for triggering Ice into turning this thread super political.

He's a politician. Can't believe a word he says

At least we are "having a conversation" about homelessness. Might as well have the conversation about racism too.

That happened long before. Everything is political

No one is talking politics.

We are having a completely civil conversation about poverty and homelessness.

-

20% of all housing in Denmark is public housing.

Can you imagine the radio callers going crazy if the USA had housing for all it's citizens?

"We're not talking politics... now here's a political statement about your country"

Was the irony intentional?

It does it's called section 8 it's free housing. I did a job in a large community were there was free housing, free food, free utilities, along with free child care. They complained about their power being out and that you can't smoke weed or do drugs or you could get kicked out. I love coming home from a long days work and go to the store to see everyone get their free food and free bags to take it home and jump into an escalade. The poor don't get charged for their plastic bags and use a lot. So the poor are filling up the land fills and it's up to the working folks to pay for everything and save the world. Poor people have plenty of children while the working man decides two is all they can afford. When will someone care about the person that works pays taxes follows the law gets drug tested to have a job and so on. While others do what they want and wait to be bailed out. People change when they want a change.

I would like to prevent Azmodeus' future homelessness by suggesting he not try too hard to end homelessness.

A few things to share.
When talking about homeless, I go back to addressing the cost of homes, and the availability and type of jobs.

For WWII at the end, circa 1950, an 18 year old might have volunteered and served, to return home and find himself getting married, and starting a family.

Levittown, as a prime example of this time, expanded the suburbs while offering a finished house for $7000, and $8000 with appliances.
Little to no money down.
In 2010 dollars, thats a no money down, $300 a month payment!!
There were plenty of factories and labor jobs, for those without a full college degree, and one parent could be home sharing their values
in raising their children.
The litmus to me, is the size of the master closet...I have had them in my past as I do today. 6 feet by 3 feet for 2 people.

A Person with a 40 hour shift, could raise a family.

Then my generation was advertised we needed more......bigger homes, more expensive cars, multiples on goods, more tvs, more cars, just more.

We are here today. That Levitt home is $400,000 and with Taxes is $2300 a month! With inflation, ignoring depreciation, same taxes it should be $650 a month now.

Certainly, with minimum wage, a family could afford $650 a month for a home and taxes today.

Instead, we go back to the closet, and we see closets for our stuff, the size of a bedroom.
The average home price is 3 times more than it was in the past, ++++.

Wealth disparity is a huge part of the problem. One cant live on minimum wage very well.

I think there are many ways to look at the causes, the variation between countries, and the variety of ideas for solutions.

Im just not sure how we change the moral compass from "I have mine...go get your own".........

And for Ice.....trickle down economics and tax cuts may work, and they may not.
Should we use Reagan as an example, and an almost 200% increase in the deficit when last done, as a reference?

Johnny Marr - Easy Money

So who's hyped for a new Elvira game?

nah just kidding. Someone came at me earlier today with the point that "Welfare has always proven to fail and only by being hungry will people succeed" and then you go to the stats for every developed country and have to stare and ponder what the heck these American patriots are smoking.

I think we can all come to an agreement though. Canada will take over the west coast states, Vermont, and NY State. red-blooded Americans can consolidate in the rest, build a wall, get rid of all taxes, and enact The Purge.

Here you go Art

https://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2017/05/04/reagans-tax-cuts-didnt-blow-out-the-deficit-and-the-debt-that-was-volcker-and-interest-rates/#6d913a724d6c

We certainly can't afford to add 10 trillion of new debt every 8 years like the last administration.

Entitlement reform is coming, just a matter of time.

It's a state by state issue.

California just needs to add another 5% to the state income tax. Boom boom, problem solved.

So the article states tax cuts alone don't harm the economy, in the case of Reagan, it was the overspending, and interest rate increases of Volcker, left in charge of Fed, by Reagan.
Aren't we seeing the same thing tonight?
A minimum projected Trillion dollar per year deficit, and a new Fed chair anticipated to raise rates?

Exactly. Outrageous spending by Congress, not much difference between either party and rates already rising, 10yr treasury on the way to 3%. I can't see how Fed can actually raise rates so we pay more interest to China on our debt.

Hence, entitlement reform coming, like it or not. Biggest driver of the debt and deficit. Need LESS federal govt spending, not higher taxes.

2.5 trillion of the 3.8 trillion budget goes to Entitlements, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Food and Housing etc.

For a nice picture of US budget look at Ballmer's https://usafacts.org/ . See where the guv $$$ come from and get spent.

I live in a beach town in CA, complete with a state campground with ready access to bathrooms and showers. This attracts transients in winter as the weather is fairly mild compared to everywhere else. Our city kept public bathrooms open 24/7 to prevent sanitation problems. Of course you can always pee in the ocean just like the surfers do...

Our local city/churches/charities help homeless families be safe but there's always a few loners who prefer their lifestyle. For example, the one guy who lives in an old Mercedes and walks around town keeping to himself.
The transients you don't want are the ones cursing at nobody, who then sit around tourist areas and scare people. The local sheriff deputies ask those folks to move along, and then help them move along.

What's interesting is that our local branch librarians also double as informal social workers as many transients hang out to use the internet and other library resources -- if there's any behavioral problems the librarian is first to respond.

San Diego city got a big scare recently when Hep A broke out -- not exactly good for a tourist destination. Big cities are realizing they have to improve managing transients better or bad things happen. (and the recent story about a city cleanup crew tossing a homeless person in a trash truck doesn't count as that was an accident -- "the scoops are coming!")

20 years ago I saw homeless folks in Ueno Park, Tokyo. My Japanese friend said it was no big deal.

Anyway, my 2 cents.
Back to editing Pin 102...

Those that are bound to be making money off it, I presume.

Sometimes I'll buy aspirins. When a homeless person comes to my window. They get aspirins.

Luckily we’re already armed for one!

I completely agree about our veterans. We send normal people to fight in places we don't need to be and they see stuff and are in constant situations that mess people up. I work with veterans in my trade and you have to deal with them differently. I have no problems with my tax dollars going to feed, house, or anything they need. It's the other part of society that takes advantage of the system while our own veterans slip through the cracks. My dad came back from Vietnam f'd up you couldn't just go wake him up without getting a right hook, plus the agent orange problems. If a veteran can't get back up on their feet I'm ok with holding them up.

Happy GA homeless day!

Sing along with Iggy

Neighborhood Threat
===================
Down where your paint is cracking
Look down your backstairs buddy
Somebodies living there and
He don't really feel the weather
And he don't share your pleasures
No, he don't share your pleasures
Did you see his eyes?
Did you see his crazy eyes?
And you're so surprised he doesn't run to catch your ash
Everybody always wants to kiss your trash
And you can't help him, no one can
And now that he knows
There's nothing to get
Will you still place your bet
Against the Neighbourhood Threat?

Somewhere a baby's feeding
Somewhere a mother's needing
Outside her boy is trying
But mostly he is crying
Did you see his eyes?
Did you see his crazy eyes?
And you're so surprised he doesn't run to catch your ash
Everybody always wants to kiss your trash
But you can't help him, no one can
And now that he knows
There's nothing to get
Not in this place
Not in your face
Will you still place your bet
Against the Neighbourhood Threat? [Repeat]