You get what you voted for Seattle version

[WLJ]

Get out of Seattle, they've gone stark raving mad there.

Seattle’s mayor, along with a gaggle of dedicated radicals on the Seattle city council, are busying themselves with another round of defunding the city’s police department. Because the last round of cuts didn’t do enough wonderful things for the Emerald City.

That’s right, they’re proposing to cut another $11 million from the already beleaguered department’s proposed budget, including slashing the number of hires by nearly 50% to 120.

But Mosqueda does not want the cut to be temporary. Her amendment permanently cuts the funding in future budgets. She wants you to think this is reasonable and not in line with her previous successful efforts to defund the police.

Be willing to bet Mosqueda has her own private, tax payer funded, security

Seattle City Council Set to Make Mayor’s New ‘Defund the Police’ Cuts Permanent
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/seattle-city-council-set-to-make-mayors-new-defund-the-police-cuts-permanent/

[sumpnz]

My boy nearly hit a homeless guy driving home from pole vault camp in Seattle the other day.  It was after sunset, guy was wearing all black, and just walked across the interstate like he owned it.  They “live” in tents between lanes and they just go wherever the hell they want. 

[MechAg94]

I am going to assume the funding that is cut will be repurposed to other projects that can more easily be skimmed from.

The whole public camping laws up there are idiotic.  The homeless up there are being enabled, funded, indulged, and pampered.  At the same time I am sure they will continue to make decisions that cause the cost of home ownership and rent to go up. 

[K Frame]

My boy nearly hit a homeless guy driving home from pole vault camp in Seattle the other day.  It was after sunset, guy was wearing all black, and just walked across the interstate like he owned it.  They “live” in tents between lanes and they just go wherever the hell they want. 

That's happening more and more in my area, and I'm certainly not in the city. There's a pretty large tent encampment not far from my house that I didn't know about until I happened upon it, and some of its residents, while walking Seren on one of the public park hiking trails.

It made me very glad that I had A) a 100 pound dog who, while the sweetest thing alive, can be very intimidating, and B)  .38 in my pocket.

The local grocery where I shop opened last year and had several benches out front. Within two weeks they were "claimed" by several of the camp's residents who would tend to get kind of pushy in their panhandling. Those benches are now inside the store.

[HankB]

. . . Within two weeks they were "claimed" by several of the camp's residents who would tend to get kind of pushy in their panhandling . . .

About 20 years ago my mother wanted to go to downtown Austin and do some shopping. (She'd seen an ad about the cute little stores they had.) So I took her there.

All went well, she got to browse through several shops - but then an aggressive panhandler started following us. That was bad enough, but then he reached past me and tried to grab my mother by the shoulder.

Instead of her shoulder, he got a good shot of my pepper spray in his face. Made quite a scene, too.

We never went shopping again in downtown Austin.

[Boomhauer]

Atlanta has been bussing their bums to our area. There is a daily charter bus that brings them up and kickes them off at a gas station at the interstate then returns. Now you can’t go through a *expletive deleted*ing intersection without ten of them standing around holding signs on the corner and you can’t go downtown without getting panhandled every block

[Ben]

Now you can’t go through a *expletive deleted*ing intersection without ten of them standing around holding signs on the corner and you can’t go downtown without getting panhandled every block

I think it's well known here that I am very anti cashless society. That said, I've finally found one benefit in my AO - bums with signs at intersections have all but disappeared since no one seems to have cash to give them anymore.

[K Frame]

They've been hitting the intersections around my area more frequently the past couple of years.

The other day I had one bang on my window. At least she was selling flowers instead of just holding a sign, but still. Don't touch my car or you'll piss off my dog, which will definitely piss me off.

[Jim147]

I think it's well known here that I am very anti cashless society. That said, I've finally found one benefit in my AO - bums with signs at intersections have all but disappeared since no one seems to have cash to give them anymore.

As soon as they get their card scanners that hook up to their Iphones they will be back.

[HankB]

They've been hitting the intersections around my area more frequently the past couple of years.

The other day I had one bang on my window. At least she was selling flowers instead of just holding a sign, but still. Don't touch my car or you'll piss off my dog, which will definitely piss me off.

I don't know if it happened where you were living, but several decades ago the Moonies were panhandling stopped cars at traffic lights. They'd usually just wave, but one POUNDED on the the driver's window of a car a guy in one of my classes was driving.

Not much traffic, so he and the other guys in the car piled out and administered a little pounding to the Moonie.

Or so I heard.

[WLJ]

As soon as they get their card scanners that hook up to their Iphones they will be back.

Get your free Obama Biden Phone with card scanner

[HeroHog]

As soon as they get their card scanners that hook up to their Iphones they will be back.

My 1st thought exactly! "Free" govt smart phone + free Square card reader etc. = problem solved?

[griz]

I think it's well known here that I am very anti cashless society. That said, I've finally found one benefit in my AO - bums with signs at intersections have all but disappeared since no one seems to have cash to give them anymore.

Not here.  They even put up signs at all the prime begging spots, saying "don't encourage panhandling" and giving the telephone number for the homeless to call.  (The ones that truly want/need help, not the guys with their hands out)  In one place there are double left turn lanes, and the typical thing is for one of them to start at the front when the cars stop for the light and walk between the two lanes until the lights turns green.  Of course this sometimes ends up with the beggar standing in the middle of the road dodging cars, but that's the price we pay for being enlightened I guess.

[French G.]

I ignore all panhandlers, I felt bad to do it but trained my child early on to spot all the BS. The ones I don’t ignore is the more recent tactics of an aggressive approach with a fast pitch. It is designed to unsettle so you agree to whatever to disengage. Trouble is it looks like the same approach as an assault. I got so far as hand on gun at one point but I try to catch them early and verbally halt them as well as squaring to them with one hand saying stop. My little homeless by choice stint I spotted all the other functional homeless. McDonald’s on a cold morning is a good place to see a concentration. None ask for money.

[MechAg94]

I heard the term "Homeless Industrial Complex" today from someone who was visiting the Los Angeles area.  Too many people have figured out how to make money off the homeless. 

[zxcvbob]

I heard the term "Homeless Industrial Complex" today from someone who was visiting the Los Angeles area.  Too many people have figured out how to make money off the homeless.

Some of the panhandlers here seem to have handlers or organizers (pimps, basically)

[WLJ]

Nothing new in people making money by making you feel guilty because whether it be on the nearest street corner or on another continent someone is suffering.

[K Frame]

Some of the panhandlers here seem to have handlers or organizers (pimps, basically)

Capitalism at its finest.

[grampster]

Well, at least they work at panhandling.  Up here in Michigan it's cold and grey and gloomy and windy and sleety and here they are.  Gotta actually give 'em credit.  I might even cough up a 5er next time.

My best panhandling story:  Walking in downtown Grand Rapids.  I guy in a wheel chair had a sign asking for a handout. Said, "Do you have $5.00?"  I said no and walked across the street.  My conscience started to bother me, so I turned around and went back.  I said, "I don't have a five but here's $20.00."  He got a big smile on his face, said thank you sir, whipped his chair around and rolled over and opened the door to the Starbucks that was right behind us and went in.  I laughed all the way down the street.  I was actually happy about that for some reason.

[French G.]

Some of the panhandlers here seem to have handlers or organizers (pimps, basically)

I think he was referring to the more professional caste of grifters we know as government. I think Seattle spends 100K/year on each homeless person. Well, not on them, but on programs to help the homeless and programs to look like we are helping and programs that pay us enough to live in this city etc...

[K Frame]

I don't know if it happened where you were living, but several decades ago the Moonies were panhandling stopped cars at traffic lights. They'd usually just wave, but one POUNDED on the the driver's window of a car a guy in one of my classes was driving.

Not much traffic, so he and the other guys in the car piled out and administered a little pounding to the Moonie.

Or so I heard.

I vaguely remember the Moonies. They were going door to door in my hometown when I was a kid.

[MechAg94]

I think he was referring to the more professional caste of grifters we know as government. I think Seattle spends 100K/year on each homeless person. Well, not on them, but on programs to help the homeless and programs to look like we are helping and programs that pay us enough to live in this city etc...

That is what I was referring to.  There seems to be an industry these days of govt programs and people who make money "helping" the homeless.  I don't think the homeless are making any money, but a lot of people are getting paid or getting rich managing them. 

I have heard the road side beggars around Houston are managed by people who drop them off each day, sort of assign them street corners, and give them a place to live.  Always sounded like organized crime more than anything else.  I am pretty sure whoever was doing it is the one making money.

[grampster]

Back in the 70's Swmbo and I went to Acapulco a couple times for a vacation.  There were women sitting on blankets on the sidewalks with one or two small children with a bowl for begging.  We hired a guy to take us around to see some sights and he told us that the women were actually union workers sent out by their Begging Union and the kids were not necessarily theirs.  I found that interesting.