Stop Pulling the Wagon

The Fall of California – Ikon London Magazine

EVER WONDER WHY GOVERNMENT HOMELESS PLANS DON’T WORK?

IT IS GOVERNMENTS FIRST RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE IT’S CITIZENS WITH A SAFE, CLEAN ENVIRONMENT – SO WHY DO THEY FAIL IN THE FACE OF A HOMELESS EPIDEMIC?

Cities, Counties and States keep coming up with multi-million dollar plans to “Solve the Homeless Crises” but invariably after all the dollars  are spent,  the money disappears and there are more, not less homeless on the streets.  Why?

The easy answers as to why Government Homeless Programs don’t work are well known and I will get them out of the way first.  First, Government always seems to want to solve problems by throwing money at them, most of which gets eaten up in bureaucracy, waste and a lack of accountability.  Second, Government programs invariably fail to truly deal with the underlying cause of the problem and instead use these programs to say “Look how much I care by helping create this big pool of money to fix the problem”. 

The real reason these programs invariably fail is because politicians; Mayors, Governors, Legislators and City, County and other “Public Servants”, have no real personal incentive in solving the problem.  Creating media coverage and authorizing huge amounts of money to be doled out to their political supporters through the Multi-Million Dollar “Programs” makes their supporters rich and some of that money finds its way back into their own political coffers.  Most of the money gets paid out to “Consultants”, “Experts”, “Contractors”, “Specialists”, “Administrators”, “Staff”. etc. etc..  A year later the money is all gone, there are more homeless than there were before the program began and the politicians are back saying “We just didn’t spend enough to solve the problem and here is our new plan which will cost a “Gazillion” more Dollars but this time it will work.”  “Trust us”.

Understand, these “programs” are “Cash Cows” and if their plans worked we wouldn’t need to fund their next “Program” because the problem has been solved and so…..  no more endless pool of money for their supporters and benefactors to draw from.  The “Cash Cow” dies.  Rule #1 for “Smart Politicians” is NEVER kill a “Cash Cow”.

This is happening across the country, from Seattle to New York and up and down the State of California including San Francisco, Los Angeles and many other cities.  I live near Sacramento and we have had several years of multi-million dollar plans, all of which have not worked.  Intentional or unintentional, all these plans are a scam which costs the taxpayer without solving the homeless problem.

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JUST FOR CONTRAST HERE IS BOB’S PLAN TO REDUCE HOMELESSNESS 

1.  City streets, sidewalks and all public areas to be safe, clean and sanitary at all times.  Hosed down/washed clean on an unannounced irregular schedule as needed.

2. Strict law enforcement against public drunkenness, drug use, urination, “defecating”, aggressive “panhandling” and obscenity (nudity).

3. No general welfare funds without verifiable certificate of being tested drug free or active, current certification in rehabilitation drug or alcohol program. No exceptions.

4. If you don’t like my rules, leave town and look for greener pastures somewhere else.

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As an example of typical “Government” solutions  I am including below an excerpt from an article I posted back in August of 2021:

The Mayor’s 100 Million Dollar Homeless Plan

from August 2021

Almost two years ago Sacramento, California Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the City Council approved a 22.5 Million Dollar one year plan for Sacramento’s homeless.  The plan was to provide housing and beds for some 750 homeless.  (Search “Tweedledum & Tweedledee” on this site) At the time I calculated that the cost per proposed homeless recipient to be $29,605 per person assisted and questioned if any of these decision makers owned a calculator.

“Mayor Steinberg also approved tiny apartments in a renovated old downtown hotel, which cost more than $445,000 per unit for about 250 square feet of living space, as the Globe reported. This project only benefitted the union contractors.” (see California Globe Aug. 6, 2021)

The homeless problem has continued to grow worse, not better.

Now Major Steinberg and the City Council has approved a 100 Million Dollar plan on a unanimous City Council vote.

This plan is targeting about 9,000 people living on the streets and byways of downtown Sacramento.

A SPIN CITY NARRATIVE

Conrad Blowhard is the Mayor of Spin City, California.  His city has become infested with homeless encampments and vagrants numbering in the thousands.  To some this would seem a problem but Mayor Blowhard sees an opportunity.  

He will convince his City Council that in an effort to help the homeless and decrease their numbers on the cities streets and alleys he would like them to pass a funding bill in the amount of 80 Million Dollars with the proceeds dedicated to renovating a dilapidated, nearly abandoned hotel down on “Skid Row” and convert it’s 80 rooms into housing for the homeless.  The City Council passes the funding request and pats themselves on the back for “caring” about the homeless.

Closed bidding contracts are let out to major contractors who are supporters and donors to the Mayor for the work to be done.  A ceremonial event is held at the Foggy Bottom Hotel with the Mayor swinging a sledge hammer through a faded door of a shoddy 200 square foot room in front of live television cameras.  Everybody applauds.

Work begins.  Some effort is made to rid the building of most of the rats, termites and other vermin which infest it.  The leaking roof is patched.  Contractors workers “freshen up” the rooms with new paint, carpet, updated (cheap) fixtures from China and new window coverings.  Cost per room renovated is $400,000.  In addition, the hotel gets a new name:  “NEW BEGINNING’S” and a single fresh coat of exterior paint. 

Grand Opening Day arrives.  Brass Bands and Ribbon Cutting.  Mayor Blowhard and City Council members make grandiose speeches about how they have solved the cities Homeless Crisis.  A few ragged homeless people are seen entering the building to take occupancy of their renovated 200 square foot “apartments”.

The Mayor’s handpicked contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers go out and spend their profits on new boats, sports cars and luxury vacations but not forgetting to “tithe” back some of those profits to the Majors campaign re-election coffers.

The 80 “new” tenants of the once dilapidated hotel settle in and begin the task of de-renovation on the hotel to turn it back into a Skid Row Manor.  

The whole process is “spun” as a huge success and praise and credit is layered on all who participated in the project.  What could possibly go wrong.  Housing was provided, at least temporarily, for 80 homeless people for only 80 Million Dollars.  “WINK – WINK”.

P.S. I would like to give inspirational credit to Michael J. Fox and his long ago television series “Spin City”.

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TOO MANY POLITICIANS SEE HOMELESSNESS NOT AS A PROBLEM BUT AN OPPORTUNITY.

Bob Bandy – July 2023