Sunday, January 27, 2008

Priorities

it is about 4:30AM. I come down to the second floor at times
just to see who is outside. During the rain I look to see how many people are still outside. Over the last few days,
I have noticed this clump of blankets and plastic on the ground.

AT first I thought they were abandoned blankets. Last night I went outside to check. They were not abandoned. The "clump" was a person laying beneath the blankets and the plastic. That person has slept every night in these torrential rains beneath those blankets and sheets of plastic.

It is sad to see that. People have asked me and I have wondered where people go when it rains. I found out where one person goes.
He or she sleeps outside of my window with no more than an additional sheet of plastic to protect himself or herself from the elements.

The other day I talked about dealing with my imperfections. When you see a person sleeping outside in these conditions it keeps your priorities in the proper place.

I wonder, is it that difficult to solve this homeless situation or is it a matter of priorities. I remember my first economics courses. I remember reading a supplemental article about poverty. I forget who the economist was at the moment. He was a very well respected Keynesian economist. He was from either Harvard or Princeton. (It is hard to believe that he would be from Princeton at that time). (I had to get in my jab at Princeton. That is an old Penn/Princeton past time, jabbing each other.) He said that if the United States government wanted to solve the issue, it could be done within 5 years. It was a matter of priority, not capability.

This economist was a Nobel prize winner, by the way. I will research out that name and get the article.

I have sources that tell me that told me that one of the big stumbling blocks in this homeless 50 project, was that one of the politicians wanted to take all of the credit. That issue stalled the project. Isn't that a damn shame. People needed help and their help was postponed because one of the politicians wanted to take all of the credit.
"walter, it happens everyday. That is what I have to deal with."
That was a quote somebody told me. In essence, he was giving me a quick lesson on politics.

I told you Skid Row was a great place to learn the true reality of things.

1 comment:

Dallas Cowboys said...

Walter, Project 50 is well under way. The people have been identified along with the housing. We should see people housed sooner than later. I will keep you posted on this very important issue. Hopefully, 50 will become 100, 200, 300 etc.....