Recently, two members of the Ventura County Board of Supervisors have begun discussions to put county funds into a program to ease the plight of homeless people in Ventura County.
(NOTE: County governments are organized local governments authorized in state constitutions and statutes and established to provide general government in an area generally defined as a first-tier geographic division of a state. There are 58 counties in the state of California. The Board of Supervisors is the governmental unit for the county. In Ventura County, there are five Supervisors, each Supervisor is elected from a different area of the county.)
Because of its mild weather, open fields and extensive coastline, Ventura County has attracted a number of homeless people. Naturally, the influx of a homeless population has created a great deal of controversy. While many people support government plans to help ease the problems that homeless individuals face, there is an equal number of people who strongly oppose any plans by the government to help the homeless.
In the past, Ventura County has undertaken several initiatives to help the homeless. Funding for the initiatives, however, has always been, and continues to be, a major source of debate. Two County Supervisors have taken the lead in finding funding for these programs.
As a long-time advocate on behalf of the homeless, I applaud the two Supervisors for taking steps towards ending the suffering of homeless people. It is a disgrace of epic proportions that one of the richest countries in the world should do so little to help its own people. It is equally a shame that Ventura County, one of the richest counties in California (and the entire nation) should stand idly by while the least amongst us suffers the indignities of living without a roof over their heads.
It should be noted, however, that government action is not the ONLY solution to the homeless crisis. We as individuals can, and should, take steps to help eradicate this problem. Governments, private businesses and individuals must all work together to make sure that no man, woman or child should have to sleep on our cities’ sidewalks while struggling to eke out a living.
To read the entire article, please click here: Ventura County Supervisors Propose Investing $3M to Help The Homeless
Finally, as it is usually the case, the article about county spending on the homeless triggered a number of responses from the newspaper’s readers. Many of the responses were in opposition to the spending plan. That is to be expected; many of the people who read the online version of the newspaper are part of a small, but vocal, crowd that opposes any type of government spending if they think it will raise their taxes.
One response and the reply to that response, however, bear noting. Here, for your reading pleasure, are some of those “enlightened” responses. I have omitted the names of the writers, but if you click the link above and read the full article, you will see their screen names.
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FIRST COMMENT:
No more taxes for homeless! Can we just agree to send them to Canada? I believe that Igloos are cheaper than a one bedroom home in Oxnard. I feel this is a more compassionate solution.
REPLY TO COMMENT:
In response to B….C….:
No more taxes for homeless! Can we just agree to send them to Canada? I believe that Igloos are cheaper than a one bedroom home in Oxnard. I feel this is a more compassionate solution.
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Why pick on Canada?
Why don't we send them to Mexico, along with their citizens that are here illegally and taking advantage of our tax paid social programs?
Our state budget deficit will probably disappear after we send back one quarter of the illegal immigrants in the U.S., that have chosen California as the land of opportunity for free services, food and health care.
REPLY TO RESPONSE:
>>Why pick on Canada?<<
Why don't we send them to Mexico, along with their citizens that are here illegally and taking advantage of our tax paid social programs?
Well if they came here from Mexico, and you send them back to Mexico, they'll just return to the US. It will be like a yoyo, an eternal string where Mexicans will zip up, go back down, zip up, go back down. Didn't you see "Up In Smoke"?
I think they will stay put in Canada. I believe they would have a better chance, what with so many moose running around as a food source.
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These comments reflect: (1) a deep ignorance (Canadians do not live in igloos), (2) a racist mentality ( suggesting that Mexican immigration, legal or otherwise, is the cause of homelessness in the U.S.), and (3) still more ignorance (moose don’t roam around all over Canada, you just can’t shoot a moose out on the streets of a Canadian city and make moose burgers out of it).
My apologies to all Canadians who do not live in igloos.
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