I'm engaged in a small project in my community - sparked by the idea that many who are in poverty - if not outright homeless - may not have a stove. Trying to get a community kitchen going where they can cook, put in microwave containers - is daunting. And the idea is that someone can stop in while we are cooking to grab a hot meal. This is a relatively rural community - but at least now (after the elections) I have a Mayor who understands my vision.

I did well financially by myself as a single woman. I have never known a cold, hungry, shelter insecure day in my life. When I was laid off for a year after the tech bubble burst - I figured out I could maintain my lifestyle for 4 years as it was - or dial back and go ten years. I'm a very lucky person.

But there are people who will work their fingers to the bone all of their lives and still get the shaft. So - I married "well" 2.5 years ago and was lucky enough to find someone who "gets" that . . . We have all we need. If my husband is willing to support this then I'm going to do it.

I can't solve all of the problems of the world but I refuse to live in one of the wealthiest counties in America with people who can't eat. Not gonna do it. In 20 years I don't believe we will have solved the issue of poverty. But in rural areas around America I would like to see this "vision" spread.

If one is succesful - so can many. And if it makes me a communal socialist - so be it. If that's the "worst" someone can throw at me - I'll take the ignorant slur.

Thank you so much for your generosity, kindness and inspiration.

voting in all elections nomatter how small.

And we can have such a tremendous impact - those of us in small towns. My borough has just 4500 people - but the township uses us as the "seat". I can't solve the problems up in the Adirondacks or in a small burg in Mississippi - but I certainly can in horse country NJ.

the glitzy show of the top caged death matches to the actual work of running a foot race on a dirt road.

They are gaining widespread use in Third World areas where cooking fuel isn't always available. In addition to cooking, they can be used to sterilize drinking water. Granted, they do require a somewhat sunny day. The "Cookit" can be folded up when not in use.

We have used a similar device for several years and love it.

And making money off those who don't have any is especially brilliant. Sort of like derivatives.

I posted quite a long post several months back about the prison system and how it has become a business. Those who have gotten a contract with state or county governments have made it clear to those governments that they have to provide a steady stream of prisoners to keep them in business. When you have this type of agreement between a private organization and the powers in charge, you can smell the corruption and evil collusion.

to the death industry. Although obviously prisons have better long-term profitability potential.

Maybe they could build luxury prisons for the 1%? It would be even more profitable.

im pretty sure that stores and suppliers have nice incentives to donate EXPIRED food stuff.
the food banks are not in jeopardy from homeless activism repression. that arrangement is a whole other issue,
serving better class of clientele, and locally we saw the lead architect of the most brutal anti-homeless policies
move RIGHT INTO the head position of the large local food bank (out in the boonies. homeless cant get there)
so that should tell you where they stand.

the country to donate to the homeless and not make it a crime might be a longer range goal?

and money is speech.
I think you may have the issues/tactics confused
free speech essentially protects begging, while municipalities attempt to
cure their perceived problems with median prohibitions, shopping cart laws and general contempt
for the poor, they probably dont stand a snowball's chance in higher courts.
but thats not their concern, the short term advantage, trying to squash a nuisance that is bigger than
any solution they are willing to try is what they want.

these feeding bans and ordinances will not stand up, and those localities that practice this sort of repression
in difficult economic times?
they should be targeted for negative publicity and shamed. individual politicians should bear the brunt of their
personal policies, NOT be promoted by an elite political establishment.
we need to fight back.
harder.

Punishing the poor...for being poor.

You have to be a sick fuck to support these kinds of laws.

will continue. Apparently this is what many Americans want as evidenced by whom they elect into office. It is pathetic.

despise or on the edge. I've also read the total number is near about ~47% of Americans would be in that group if their paychecks were lost for about one month. They have no cash reserves. I am constantly amazed at how totally ignorant and DUH so many Americans are and it has nothing to do with how smart they are and/or education, they are simply stupid. As I've often said, US = United Stupidity.

I just spent 60 days in the jail house for the crime of having no dough, now here I am back out on the street for the crime of having no where to go.

If criminalizing the distribution of food to the poor and homeless becomes the norm, the inevitable result will be an assault on food banks and soup kitchens.

Many many more will suffer

"Meaning" as - BECOMING MORE MEAN!!!

Our country is rapidly turning into some mean-spirited, hard-hearted, angry, resentful, mercenary, coldly-calculating place. It's really sad. Our generosity of spirit seems to have gone off the deep end. I think if you're lucky you can find it on the Endangered Species list, but shit like this suggests it may already be extinct.

Know something? I'm gonna quote the fuckin' teabaggers here: I WANT MY AMERICA BACK!!!!!!!!!

Jesus would be so proud.

interest for people to die - especially in this baby boomer generation. People are not voting out social security and healthcare like the republicans want them to. It costs $$$ to keep people alive and healthy.

There's a "Ballston Commons" area, which looks a lot like the kind of commons space we tore down to build the mall it's in front of, that is owned by the developer. They have a creepy, creepy ban on "non-commercial expressive activity".

Thanks, xchrom.

Like foster care for the homeless. We have a list of homeowners who will "take in" a homeless person into their home for an extended period until they get back on their feet. Maybe the state can give the homeowner a stipen for doing so. It doesn't have to be just homeowner. It could be a person with an extra bedroom in their rented apartment. Anything. Sounds seriously out of the mainstreamed. But everything started somewhere.

because the extreme risk associated with even a small percentage of homeless (and the number isnt that small)
WILL lead to the deaths of innocent (I hate that qualifier) well meaning people.
who wants to be the reason a dangerous, dishonest person took advantage of an olderman and his wife's absolute
generosity?

http://abclocal.go.com/story?section=news/local&id=8738571

this is a problem so serious, that we must work together, WITH the government's unwilling support.
there are several key issues in emergency housing strategies that ususally do not get recognized.
maybe because the charade is the only plan we have?

(The charade is the services they would like to give veterans and NO ONE ELSE.
you should see the dozen people with clipboards roaming around an encampment of hundreds of people
in the process of being bulldozed from around the Poverello House, all calling out for any veterans? any veterans?
"well, there was one guy, but he left"
meanwhile you couldnt walk a straight line for all the desperate souls about to be chased all over town looking for
shelter. and all these folks with clipboards wasting their morning except as window dressing)


you CAN NOT safely or reasonably place people in homes.
you CAN expect the rudest of surprises from the most gentle
of acquaintances. brain chemistry is a bitch.

so please consider that, because not doing so is showing a lack of concern for the safety of the good hearted.

you CAN NOT force people into a confined space with people they do not trust or like.

and

you CAN NOT keep a very large group of people in these situations self sufficient.
By which I mean supportive services, food resources, all of that becomes exponentially more difficult,
expensive and inefficient.

numerous small camps of self ruled responsible campers is the elegant, servicable solution.

not that the local and county govenment couldnt do MUCH BETTER with existing programs and legal precedents.
they dont want to.
and thats how it becomes our problem to solve.
we simply have to make the government comply with its own laws and learn its proper place in society.
this is not that difficult,
once you abandon illusions about media and partisanship, and learn to work together being the real media and movers.
you gather a score of pissed off advocates in a city council chamber and those fuckers on the dais get real nervous.
the trick appears to be gathering the same score repeatedly. but cats will be cats.
the homeless vote. they probably vote Democrat in a huge way.
lot of good it does them in Blue California.