Senator Spends Vacation Day With Homeless Man To Learn About The Challenges He Faces

[babylonsister]

I think we need a lot more people like this representing us.




Senator Spends Vacation Day With Homeless Man To Learn About The Challenges He Faces

By Scott Keyes on January 2, 2014 at 4:25 pm

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) speaks with constituents during a bus tour of Connecticut



Just another guy who I should avoid eye contact with and hope he doesn’t ask me for spare change, many residents likely thought as they walked by Chris Murphy on the streets of New Haven, CT Monday.

Few knew his day job: United States senator.

While most Americans were still on vacation celebrating the holidays, Sen. Murphy (D-CT) spent Monday shadowing “Nick,” a New Haven man who has been homeless for the past six months. Nick preferred that his real name not be printed.

The cards were stacked against Nick from the beginning. His father was a drug addict, and by 13 years old, Nick was hooked on crack as well. Two years later, Nick was a ward of the state.

The fact that he was able to overcome these odds, graduate from high school, and find work as a salesman is a testament to his resolve. But Nick, who had worked his entire life, lost his advertising sales job last year. Without an income, he lost his home soon thereafter. And last week, his jobless benefits expired. Nick lives on the streets now as he looks for new work.

more...

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/01/02/3110541/homeless-chris-murphy/

[madokie]

1. Its a sorry ass system we have that allows anyone to be homeless

simple as that.
too fucking many rich assholes is our problem. For the most part most rich people could care less about the less fortunate among us.

[Egalitarian Thug]

9. More than just the rich, though they deserve most of the blame, it is us and the idea of

living from the work of others while putting forth no effort of our own. You're old enough to remember when people were proud of what they did, now we just want our money to work for us, that parasitism has become the ideal in America.

Limitless unearned income is all that being an American means anymore. Whether we choose to recognize it or not, "I've got mine, fuck you" is our national motto.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Every Republican/teabagger Senator should be out there doing this.

Then maybe we'll get someplace with reforms.

K&R

[CrispyQ]

4. The dems too.

Taking public transportation woke me up to the incredible privilege I have. I'm a much less judgmental for my experience taking the bus.

[CrispyQ]

3. This country would be a kinder place if

every citizen were required to work retail for one year & take public transportation for one year. And if you get stuck doing both the same year, you get to pass Go & collect $200.

on edit: I'm writing to my three & asking when they are going to do this. Maybe they could pick a particularly cold day.

[Phentex]

6. I would add work in a school system to your list...

[Ilsa]

19. There are too many assholes that I wouldn't want

that close to my kids. And I'm not talking about pedophiles, just jerks who would verbally abuse them.

But I appreciate the reasoning for it.

[ctsnowman]

5. Watch this

guy. He is a true liberal. That's the highest praise I can give to anyone. BTW

[BlancheSplanchnik]

10. I agree--that is high praise indeed.

I'm totally impressed by this guy.

[Marie Marie]

25. I agree. I've seen him a couple of times on MSNBC.

He has a certain authentic quality about him. And yes, a liberal too.

[Blue Owl]

7. Very Pope-esque

[CTyankee]

8. I am proud to say that I voted for this man....

He and Dick Blumenthal, our senior senator from CT, are true blue progressives and proud colleagues of Elizabeth Warren.

It's good to feel proud of our state again. It took a long time after Newtown to try to get over the shame I felt that that should happen in our state. But I thank Chris and Dick every day for their service...

[Squinch]

13. I hope I get the chance to do the same someday!

[Betsy Ross]

11. I highly recommend this to all

Pick up something extra at the farmer's market and give it to a homeless person. Beware, it takes teeth to eat apples, something many homeless lack.

[nilesobek]

12. Went on to read the article...

Its a very good thing that this Senator considers the homeless as his constituents. Overall I support this effort. I could have used help like that in my scenario but now that PBO has the economy humming I'm working and no longer need the help.

It was disappointing for me to see that the person the Senator decided to spend the day with was referred to as a drug addict in the article. It makes it too easy to use the excuse that homeless are drug addicts, alcoholics or insane. I wish the Senator had picked someone else, or the article itself didn't have to ram the guys personal problems.

[Live and Learn]

22. of course, they aren't all addicts, alcoholics or insane.

But, homelessness is definitely a gateway to addiction, alcoholism and insanity. The stress of being homeless and jobless often leads people to seek solace in substances.

Of course, addiction, alcoholism and mental health issues also lead to homelessness which is why we need to offer better treatment.

[dmr]

14. Reminds me of Rep Leo Ryan

of California - a hands-on lawmaker. He did his own research and would go undercover in order to get a sense of what was really going on including as an inmate at Folsom prison.

He was tragically gunned down while on a fact finding mission at Jonestown in Guyana (1978).

I've always admired him, and wish we had more like him.


Edit: spell check error made by my Droid.

[louis-t]

15. Somehow, I knew there wouldn't be an 'R' behind his name.

[Aristus]

16. "Nick"'s story is pretty common in the homeless community.

It really sticks a pin in the right-wing 'why-don't-they-just-go-get-a-job?' balloon.

If right-wingers knew how many people in the homeless community have jobs and work on a regular basis, it would make their hair turn white. They would have a dark night of the soul asking themselves: "How is it people can have a job and work hard and still be homeless? That's not right! We need to fix that!"

But they won't, of course. The 1% have Fox News and Rush Limbaugh in their corner for a reason...

[niyad]

20. they KNOW, they just don't CARE.

[Stuart G]

17. k & r thanks for posting..... nt

[dickthegrouch]

18. Impressive

I wish all Senators would spend time with the "least of their brethren". It would do them good, especially the 'R' types.

Perhaps we could ask that it be made part of Orientation Week for new Senators (forced to walk the streets in January in DC is hell :evilgrin

They need to spend time with 50-somethings, like me, too who have been laid off yet again and are equally struggling with the drop from decent salary to no income without benefit of income averaging for tax purposes, or unemployment benefits.

[niyad]

21. too bad we cannot require that ALL pols do this--not for a day, for a month at the very least,

without their own safety net. not just shadowing, but actually having to live in the shelters, eat in the soup kitchens, etc, and try to make it without their salaries, or cars, or comfort.

[B Calm]

23. K&R

[Cha]

24. Good on Senator Chris Murphy bringing

attention to our country's Homeless.