Sacramento's Tent City Could Be Closed- "I don't like having a third world country inside the city,"

[The Straight Story]

Sacramento's Tent City Could Be Closed

SACRAMENTO, CA - Time could be running out for more than 1,200 residents of a now famous tent city north of downtown Sacramento.

Some have compared it to shanty towns, which cropped up after the Great Depression.

But after it was featured on several national TV shows, Sacramento is looking to shut the tent city down.

"I don't like having a third world country inside the city," said Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Johnson wants to close the homeless camp and possibly open a city-sanctioned homeless safe zone with running water and toilets.

The mayor said city leaders were still looking into a possible location for the potential encampment.

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=56175&catid=2

[rcrush]

1. We have all these empty houses from foreclosure

And all these people without homes living in a tent city.

[Kittycat]

4. Don't even think about speaking common sense.

That's socialism. Those houses deserve to rot, and reduce the values of all the other homes around them.

[rcrush]

11. Sorry it must have been the devil weed I smoke.

I know weed is for commies but you know its like crack and makes me think evil socialist thoughts. I'm gonna put myself in Jesus camp.

[LeftyMom]

18. Yeah, but the neighbors moved to the suburbs so they could avoid poor people.

Besides, most of the foreclosures are not in the city proper, but in the county, and the mayor has as much jurisdiction over them as he does on Mars.

[aquart]

21. Or the city could eminent domain them and raffle them off.

Just a suggestion.

[Kittycat]

2. "Encampment"

I wonder if they'll be given ID cards for entry, or just branded?

[TahitiNut]

17. Barcode tattoos.

:puke:

[tom_paine]

3. Get used to it, everybody. The inevitable consequences of Bushonomics

with a side of Bushiganda to make swallowing the impossible, possible.

[babylonsister]

5. Jeeze. How 'bout some compassion? What an idiot. Open a

safe zone first, dingbat.

[Ikonoklast]

6. Find them a safer, clean place to camp.

All well and good, but it looks like the good mayor thinks his city's image is suffering more than the people living in tents.

If no one was looking, they'd be rousted out in the middle of the night.

[imdjh]

9. That's pretty much what St Pete did

They closed the camp under the freeway. A church set up a camp for homeless people about a mile north of the illegal campground, but many of the homeless wouldn't go there because it had rules which designated quiet time and no alcohol or drugs.

[imdjh]

7. meth

Meth and crack are a big part of the homeless problem here in Florida. Of course, warm weather attracts homeless people as well as people on the edge who come to Florida figuring that if they are going to be miserable, they might as well have good weather.

I'm against the War ON Drugs, but I also hate drugs and the damage they have done and are doing. This includes alcohol, because as we all know drug addicts who live usually end up as winos. ALl the compassion in the world can't help some of these folks, the ones who are too far gone. I wish I knew the solution.

[sallylou666]

10. Inaccurate Stereotype

That's a inaccurate stereotype of the newly homeless. People who lost their homes and who are wiped out by medical expenses are out there now.

[imdjh]

13. It actually wasn't a stereotype at all

I said that drugs and alcohol are a big part of the homeless problem here, and they are. I didn't say that it was the entirety of the homeless problem. Your characterization of the recently homeless, presumably in such representation as to render my observation an "inaccurate stereotype", is not supported by my observation. Those whom I would suspect of falling into the description you put forth are probably not yet homeless here, because we have very inexpensive housing available. I see many people I suspect of being in that situation living in residential motels, rental trailer parks, and old resort cabins. You can rent a private dwelling (room, trailer, cabin) starting at about $400/mo here.

[sallylou666]

22. Sacremento tent city was on my mind

You statement is probably true in Florida. I was thinking of the tent city in Sacramento. I'm glad to hear that a tent city has not made it to Florida yet.

[rvablue]

8. This was my first thought of what could happen after CNN did the report on the camp

I think it was important to cover it.

But while watching, I also thought, especially when they talked about the "campers" tapping into the electric grid, that the city would end up cracking down on them or evicting them.

[Bennyboy]

12. I live in sacramento.....And some facts....

For one, this area has been known as a homeless camp for decades. It is on private property and that is what the fuss is about, the mayor and others are getting pressured to close it down due to liability problems. It wasn't so bad when there were a few but now that there are hundreds and more coming each day, it is getting to be a real problem. Come summer, in that area, with open fires it will be a disaster waiting to happen. And a lawsuit or twenty to be filed on behalf of the campers against the owners who did nothing to move them out and the city who were compliant by not moving them out.

And move them into foreclosures? yeah that ain't gonna happen. DUMB too, people are trying to sell their houses and to have homeless people in the hood would see to it those homes would be on the market for a lot longer. Not to mention the insurance problems.

They have tried different shelter situations here but they are sorestricitve nobody wants to take advantage of them. Be in by 5 PM and out by 8 AM. Can't bring you carts, only a small bag, No drugs, dogs, alcohol, sobriety, Jesus, the whole deal. And they are awy from the other services that offer meals and stuff (Loaves And Fishes most notably).

I am glad that this issue is raising it's head again and Johnson (whom I cannot stand)seems to be making an effort. All I know is today i drove around a lot of town and saw people with signs everywhere. From orangevale to SouthSac. Arden area to Natomas. every corner (and on a few more than one)there was someone with a sign.

I don't know the solution, but I know tht criminalizing it is not going to work. These peopl eneed much more than charity can give them. they need a safe place to stay, showers and access to phones and 21st century items that we all take for granted. But we can't just say, here you go, do what you want eitehr. there are way too many off balance people to believe that a self policing situation would work. That would only invite trouble.

[LeftyMom]

19. This is all true.

People have camped out there for longer than I can remember. Adding shelter beds or whatever won't move them all indoors, because honestly a lot of them figure that a tent and some degree of self-sufficiency sucks less than a cot and paternalistic rules. Can't really say I'd disagree, in the same circumstances.

[malaise]

14. There will be more

tent cities.

[tularetom]

15. It's never a good idea to elect a jock to any responsible office

Johnson was one of the best high school basketball players this area ever produced. How that qualifies him to be mayor of a city of half a million people I'm not sure.

[mike_c]

16. they'll try to locate it miles outside of town...

...away from public transportation and other services, no doubt. Out of sight, out of mind.

[LeftyMom]

20. Meanwhile the outlying communities will keep moving their homeless into town

Either passively by neglecting to provide services, or by actively hinting where services are or even loading people up in the back of a cruiser and dumping them in Alkalai Flat. Wouldn't be the first time, or the hundred and first.

[Lost in CT]

24. That is the big unsung problem... I doubt the majority of these homeless are

even from Sacramento proper.

[Blue_Tires]

23. we are ALL members of the Joad family these days....