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SHELLY

SoWal Insider
Jun 13, 2005
5,770
802
Why not look at the real issue, why are these people not prepared, and if they are unable, what has allowed them to get in that situation. You guys are really shallow thinkers on this issue. And I am probably not making my point very well. But from the responses their sure are a lot of assumptions being made about what I am saying. If this is any indication of Congress, no wonder we are in the world we are in.

There are a thousand different reasons people become homeless or need shelter for a night out of the cold. In addition to the "usual" suspects--the chronically lazy; the substance abusers; those with mental problems; undocumented workers; fugitives on the run... there are also the woman and her children on the run from an abusive spouse; the elderly with no money for heat; the newly unemployed; a family bankrupted by medical bills.

There is no "one-size-fits-all" solution to fix homelessness. But one thing is for sure, a decent's night sleep in a warm place on a cold winter's night may give an individual the opportunity to try again the next day to make things better.

Having said that--what about the irony of having to open a homeless shelter in a county that is awash with empty houses and condos? Instead of using tax dollars to provide shelters for folks in need, maybe you'd feel better to look upon it as a security measure to keep the homeless from breaking into the empty beach houses to get out of the cold.
 

Andy A

Beach Fanatic
Feb 28, 2007
4,389
1,738
Blue Mountain Beach
This is the crux of the matter. There are many things going on around us that we are trying to put band aids on when we should be preventing the disease in the first place.

I appreciate you posting about it.
And as I read wrobert's posts, that is exactly the point he is trying, without much success, to get across.
 

SHELLY

SoWal Insider
Jun 13, 2005
5,770
802
And as I read wrobert's posts, that is exactly the point he is trying, without much success, to get across.

...or maybe he didn't look up the meaning of the word "cynical" before using it in the thread title.

.
 

Smiling JOe

SoWal Expert
Nov 18, 2004
31,648
1,773
FYI- opening a cold shelter isn't cost heavy on taxpayers. The building they typically use are existing buildings which are already heated. They add some things like cots, burn a little more florescent lights, and have a bit more water usage, and may serve some basic low cost food. It isn't like we are opening a permanent homeless shelter where we feed, clothe and house many people. Sometimes, only a handful of people show up, but without a cold shelter, who knows what the headlines might read the day after a family dies due to having no place to go.

What happened to compassion? Is this not the season for giving? Ba, humbug!
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
3,330
Sowal
Wow. :eek:

I admit that when I first heard of cold weather shelters I thought it seemed excessive, but that is because I luckily have the resources to keep myself warm.

Cold is relative - a well fed hunter w/ warm clothing tromping around for a couple hours during daytime (by choice) and returning to a warm home/camp is a far cry from a little kid or elderly person who doesn't have a coat or much food trying to keep warm at night.

I cannot believe you begrudge people who are suffering temporary shelter so they don't freeze to death.

Yes, it is a symptom of a larger problem that we need to address (and that many in the community are working on from several angles), but it is still a very basic need we can easily provide a solution to - so IMO the only reason not to is callousness.
 

Andy A

Beach Fanatic
Feb 28, 2007
4,389
1,738
Blue Mountain Beach
...or maybe he didn't look up the meaning of the word "cynical" before using it in the thread title.

.
It is too bad that we all do not use a syntax that is readily understood by all. Title threads are usually made with the intent of getting people to look at what the poster is saying. Ignore the title of any post and go with the intent of the author.
 
I for one am foursquare in favor of cold shelters and helping those who for whatever reason are not prepared to face a bout of freezing weather. I hope should the need ever arise in my own life that such a program would be available for me.
That said, I am foursquare against the government; local, state or federal; providing these services. It is totally wrong for the government to seize my money that I earned to give it to someone else and in the process possibly impede on my ability to provide for myself. Programs such as shelters, soup kitchens, etc. etc. should be operated and funded by churches and civic organizations in the community. I would rather donate $100 voluntarily than have one penny taken from me to fund such programs.
The government teat ruins us all. It encourages some to depend on it and it discourages some from giving to help others because they believe the government is taking care of the problem.
And Wrobert is right, if the government would do what it is supposed to do and stay out of the private affairs of the citizens maybe more people would have jobs and act responsibly and the need for such programs would decrease.
 

Matt J

SWGB
May 9, 2007
24,646
9,496
wrobert don't act like you posted this to discuss the root of the problem, you clearly pointed out in your original post that you felt 32 degrees wasn't too cold to get through the night.

So now you can put your money where your mouth is.

Wednesday night will drop below 32 to 31 degrees in Defuniak. You spend the night in front of your business in 10 dollars worth of Good Will clothes and no shelter other than card board and newspaper and I'll donate $100.00 to the Republican party. I'll go ahead and make that bet throughout the winter, make it to $1,000.00 and I'll publicly register as a Republican.

Come on tough guy. :popcorn:
 

Alicia Leonard

SoWal Insider
wrobert don't act like you posted this to discuss the root of the problem, you clearly pointed out in your original post that you felt 32 degrees wasn't too cold to get through the night.

So now you can put your money where your mouth is.

Wednesday night will drop below 32 to 31 degrees in Defuniak. You spend the night in front of your business in 10 dollars worth of Good Will clothes and no shelter other than card board and newspaper and I'll donate $100.00 to the Republican party. I'll go ahead and make that bet throughout the winter, make it to $1,000.00 and I'll publicly register as a Republican.

Come on tough guy. :popcorn:


:popcorn::popcorn:
 
P

playing4possum

Guest
Loving these posts.....oh my gosh, you did not go there with a bet. Hysterical
 
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