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A Bit of Cash Can Keep Someone Off the Streets For 2 Years or More (sciencemag.org)
An anonymous reader writes: If someone is about to become homeless, giving them a single cash infusion, averaging about $1000, may be enough to keep them off the streets for at least 2 years. That's the conclusion of a new study, which finds that programs that proactively assist those in need don't just help the victims -- they may benefit society as a whole. "I think this is a really important study, and it's really well done," says Beth Shinn, a community psychologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville who specializes in homelessness but was not involved in the work. Homelessness isn't just bad for its sufferers -- it shortens life span and hurts kids in school -- it's a burden on everyone else. Previous studies have concluded that a single period of homelessness can cost taxpayers $20,000 or more, in the form of welfare, policing, health care, maintaining homeless shelters, and other expenses. To combat homelessness, philanthropic organizations have either tried to prevent people from losing their homes in the first place or help them regain housing after they are already destitute. But there aren't many data on whether giving cash to people on the brink of becoming homeless actually prevents them from living on the street.
That's about a dozen doses of meth.
How about food and/or housing vouchers? Clean clothes, etc. But no. The hobos just want the money so they can scurry off to buy meth/heroin/booze. And then it's back to the tent under I-5.
Have gnu, will travel.
I'd rather see poor farms brought back. Housing, medical and teaching one to work for a living all in one place. Money for nothing teaches people to slack. Yes, there is the mental health issue for some which would need special attention.
So tolls then.
Roads do not need a lot of maintenance if they are built correctly.
Union labor tends to build roads in such a way that maintenance requirements on the roads are high enough to require them to remain employed in perpetuity. In other words, the roads are a jobs program first, and actually function as roads, second.
Hire Germans or Romans to build your roads, and this ends up not being a big problem. In Germany, the road goes up for public bid, and the bidder who offers the longest warranty wins. They do not need to resurface them every 3 years after that, like you have to do with roads built by CDOT or whatever they call the state roads commission in other states.
I have seen "professional homeless people"
They put on their 'work clothes', go to work... on the sweet spot in town, return to a big house.
They make 6 figures a year.
How do permanent residents not have a buy in? We are not H1B's. I pay the same taxes as you, I pay in to SSI, I contribute to all local, state and federal taxes. I own a house here with my wife (who was born in the USA) and child. I own two cars. I hunt. I support local wildlife habitats. I am paying in to a 401K and IRA in addition to personal investments. I pay for goods and services here. I plan to retire here, I have just not gotten around to naturalizing. How is that not buying in?
So you openly profess to being an "economic citizen", no?
So you openly profess to being too lazy to "go all the way" with the naturalization process, no?
Actual US citizens do the following:
- vote in elections and other public matters (well, we should vote...)
- hold political office and other positions that require "citizenship" as a prerequisite
- serve jury duty (we generally hate it but we do it rather than go to jail for not doing it)
- fight for this country as part of the military (if we don't defend it we lose it)
So I think you are here because it is "useful to you" ... but by your own statements you are not useful to the USA other than being a tax revenue source.
magic word: optimism