Suicide amoung the Homeless.

 

This info was taken from several different places dealing with the topic at hand. Clicking on each bit of information will bring you to the source material.

1.

Among the homeless there are high rates of mortality and a significant number of attempted and completed suicides. In Tel-Aviv, Israel, there is an ongoing municipal outreach program for the homeless. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to describe the subgroup of homeless persons who had died by suicide. METHOD: Over a 9-year period the records of each homeless person who had died were assessed by two psychiatrists and a clinical criminologist. The project was undertaken in a large city and was feasible due to close cooperation between the municipal welfare department and mental health consultants. RESULTS: Of the 1,192 homeless persons located and contacted, 156 persons had died (13.1%). Nine of the deaths were by completed suicide (5.8%). All were male. Mean age for the suicide subgroup was 34 +/- 8.7 years, significantly younger than those who died of other causes (p < .01). The majority had completed high school education. While the majority of deaths were drug or alcohol related, in only 1 of 9 deaths by suicide was there a history of drug abuse. Psychiatric comorbidity was recorded in 4 of the 9 persons. The majority of persons (6/9) had died of suicide by hanging. CONCLUSION: Suicide is not a negligible cause of death among the homeless population. (Authors)  

 

2.

 

 

This study utilized data from the national ACCESS program to investigate the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in a sample of homeless people with mental illness. The prevalence of suicidal ideation in this sample was high. In addition, 51.3% of the sample reported that they had ever attempted suicide, 26.9% reported an attempt that resulted in a nonpsychiatric hospitalization, and 8% reported an attempt in the previous 30 days. Youth, substance abuse, and psychiatric symptoms were all significantly associated with suicide attempts. Those who reported a recent attempt also reported higher rates of mental health care utilization, particularly inpatient care. The authors conclude that homeless people with mental illness are at particularly high risk for suicidal behavior, however, only in part because of the high prevalence of traditional risk factors. (Authors)

3.

The Homeless Commit Suicide Twice as Often as the Housed (1.4% compared to 2.9% of the studied deaths)

4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because homeless and runaway youth face additional stressors, such as abuse and victimization while living on the street, they are especially at risk for suicidal thoughts.

 

When does this stop? When does our government who can find BILLIONS of dollars for an unjustified war begin to address this issue with the same tenacity as they have the robbing of Iraq?  when do our youth (30% of all homeless are under the age of 18) get the chance to have the same opportunities the rest of the country get? When do our veterans finally get the help and respect they deserve after having been used by our government? When will the rich in this country do THEIR part!! We have those in need in our own country, but do we help them? No, we send our money oversees to help someone 1000’s of miles away. Sorry folks, but sometimes

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Homeless and Mental Health

“According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Serviced Administration, 20-25% of the homeless population in the United States suffers from some sort of severe mental illness.” This is a direct quote from the mental health factsheet at put together by the National Coalition of the Homeless on their web site (Here). This is in comparison with only 6% of Americans total who suffer from these debilitating issues, this makes it the third largest reason for homelessness in America. By serious mental illness it is meant a disturbance that significantly disrupts the individuals ability to perform one or more of life’s essential functions. Things such as the ability to relate to others in appropriate ways, or to hold down a job, or participate in school and even in very sever cases even discern reality from fantasy.

Before 1981 programs that assisted in the treatment of the mentally ill and of homelessness as a whole were available in numbers that made dealing with the issue reasonably well funded and staffed. However, with the coming of Ronald Reagan and his attitude of  “There are always going to be people,They make it their own choice for staying out there.”, the budget for such things underwent a sever time of cuts and inattention to the issue. How sever were the cuts?

“Federal expenditures for low-cost housing plunged during Reagan’s watch from $32 billion in 1981 to just $7 billion in 1987. At the same time, funding was slashed for a variety of social services, including public health, drug rehab and food stamps — programs that were relied upon by the thousands of mentally ill people who’d been released from state facilities as a cost-cutting move.” This from the SFGate.com Artical collection. This was done by the same President who refused and denied the existence of AIDS until the year 1987, well into the soon to be epidemic.

Since then the programs available for the treatment of the mentally ill have persistently shrank  in number, as have the programs that housed these people. The results of this has been an ever increasing number of mentally ill individuals living both in our prisons and on our streets. People who are as much, if not more, a victim of their disability than those who are forced to support them in our prisons and social services departments. We as tax payers, or should i say, those of you who are working and therefor paying taxes, should demand more from our tax dollars and our politicians in dealing with this issue. With the right effort and programs we could begin to provide treatments and medicines for these individuals that, in the long run, would mean less spending on these people. A mentally ill individual who is on the correct medicine is significantly less of a financial burden than one who is not and therefore acting out of their disorder. Those who are on the correct medications and taking them responsibly have a much greater chance of finding and maintaining employment, staying out of jail for disorder related behavior and there for add less to the monetary burden of treating them. With the right treatments many of these individuals can become productive and social additions to society, however, if allowed to go untreated they can do very little other than be a very heavy burden for society to carry.

A little about Yours truly. I am a sufferer of a strong case of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder affects me in several ways. First of all, it creates a strong insomnia that has in the past kept me awake for 2 sometimes close to 3 days when untreated. This makes it easier to not think things through as well as i should and will often create a sense of irritability that is unneeded as moodiness and anger inappropriateness  are also issues associated with the disorder. I suffer from a very much exaggerated startle response. For those of you who do not understand this, it means when something like a loud noise or unexpected touch happens, whereas the normal person may jump a little, i not only jump a lot, but my pulse starts racing and i enter into a near panic state of being that is very uncomfortable and stressful. The worse aspect of this disorder, however, is the sever depression that will, out of nowhere, often come over me.

Everyone to an extent suffers depression at one point or another in their lives. However, for most this is a passing phase and not to a great degree. The depression that comes over those of us with disabilities that  involve depression are so much worse than that. I will use myself as an example of this.

My day starts normal, i am in a good mood and things seem to be going well for me. I act in my normal fashion and i behave in a manner that shows me to be a confident, friendly person who is generally happy. about mid day something happens to trigger the depression, and in most situations i do not realize what it is, but it happens and i notice I’m feeling a bit down. By the next morning when i wake up either it is gone, or i am feeling 100% incapable of doing anything right, of ever being happy again. The depression reaches in and grabs hold of your heart, your mind and your very throat and begins to fall over you like a mountain that will suffocate the very life from you. You can’t breath, cant concentrate and, in some situations, consider ending it all to get away from it. Many many years ago I went as far as to attempt suicide and luckily was saved by the medical professionals in the area i lived. I have a history of self-abuse and cutting behavior. All of this s in the distant past, but it’s still there. The pull of it all is sometimes unbearable and takes everything I have to cope with it. However, I do cope with it, but only thanks to the mental health professionals who spent the time and effort to treat me for many years until i got to the point where I could cope well with it. Many of hem for free!! Much respect and love for all of them.

So, here is a logical human being who has done things as illogical as attempting suicide and cutting on himself as a means or stress relief. Pretty illogical behavior right? Here’s the thing though, that is what mental disabilities are all about. Illogical behavior, actions and beliefs in our fairly logical world. This is the thing with these disabilities. The illogical mind takes over and begins to show you things, resolutions, outcomes and escape hatches that do not work well in our society and as a result we come out looking “crazy” or “not right”.  Of course, we are not right. Those of us have issues and things that conflict with our ability to reason and behave according to social norms and this creates issues for us at the most intimate levels of our lives. We follow our own distorted outlook and reasoning on these things and we come out looking out-of-place. Fortunately most of us can get better and can find fixes for the issues we have. Counseling, medication and basic humane treatment often help in these situations. Myself, i have a prescription for both Celexa, an anti-depression medication , and Trazadone, also an anti-depression medication but more often used for insomnia. So all should be okay and right correct?

No, it’s not. For those of us who are homeless there are many barriers to these solutions. One, mental health counseling is not cheap. Mater of fact it is a very expensive undertaking, typically $25-$75 an hour, or $100-$300 a month. Of course, there are often other options that offer a sliding scale and even some that are free of charge, but these are rare.  Example, Trazadone goes for between $100-$200 a month( 30 pills typically) and Celexa for over $200 a month. So, $300-$400 for meds and another $100-$300 for therapy and……… Do you see where this is going? Add to that my medication for migraines and how do i afford that? Now let’s be realistic here, my medications are cheap compared to many of the medications needed by those who suffer schizophrenia or need anti-psychotic for other issues. Zyprexa, a common anti-psychotic used to treat schizophrenia and bipolar issues goes for about $365 a month. This medication by the way earns it maker an estimated $8000 a minute! Yes, a minute, over 3 billion a year from this one pill. Yes, there are health care programs from the states in some of them, but in Oregon if you are anything less than a pregnant woman you are going to have a hard time qualifying for the Oregon Health Plan. I can not imagine it would be much easier in other states.

Keep in mind, that when you see a homeless man or woman in the streets who has obvious mental issues, its not their fault nor their choice. No one chooses to have a disability they can not control and no one enjoys them when they do have them. My case is extremely mild compared to a lot of disabled individuals out there. At least i do not hear voices, nor do i see things or any of those issues, but many do. No matter how aggressive some may act, or how violent they may seem, very few of the mentally ill are actually a threat, most are 100% harmless. So when you see these people. please show them compassion. Ask them how their day is and smile at them. Believe it or not, for most it helps and is appreciated.

 

Respectfully,

 

EW

Response to “The Eugene Rescue Mission……”

Hello people, I log back onto my Facebook page and i find the following reply to my Mission post.

Carolyn Mendez Howison: What alternative would you suggest?
2 hours ago · Like

Carolyn Mendez Howison: What I mean is: Pls describe what the clients of such a facility would design if they had the choice, given their inside knowledge & experience
about an hour ago · Unlike · 1 person

Carolyn, I think this is an excellent idea.  Note, the only reason I left Carolyn’s name in the paste is that any of you who want can go find it on my Facebook wall anyway.

In any shelter for the homeless, there should be an expectation of respect and dignified treatment. An expectation that while staying at the shelter they will be treated as equals, as human beings and without fear of disrespect and exploitation. There should be a knowledge that each and every one there will be treated fairly and as adults worthy of the adult responsibility. With this should come the expectation that those who are clients of this shelter will be expected to, and should, behave in a manner that warrants this treatment. Without this understanding by both sides and without the mutual respect there will be very little to no success for any shelter.

Part of the responsibility of adults is the ability to choose when they go to bed. A 7pm curfew that forces the individual into bed while the sun is still up is not and should not be acceptable. So long as the individual is up and out of the shelter by the given time their arrival should be of no concern. Any shelter which stresses personal accountability should run less like the Eugene Mission and more like the cold weather warming centers in this area. At the warming centers, the clients may come in at any time of the night and leave at any time up to the point when everyone must get up and out. This would be ideal. Under this system, those who seek work will be able to do so on their schedule instead of the one the shelter forces upon them. If someone finds work they will b able to do their job regardless of what the hours are. In other words, these people would be able to plan and execute a plan for reentry into the norm of society without ridiculous barriers from their “homes” getting in the way. Those who do find work and are looking to make the transition into normal life again should be given incentives to do so. Extra privileges not available to the general population and/or vouchers for dinners at restaurants or some other form of reward for attempting to do something about their situation. The current way of things at the Eugene Mission creates barriers for those seeking work and does nothing to assist them in the effort as far as schedule. Those who are trying to return to a normal existence are treated the same as the person who never leaves the mission and does nothing to improve their lot in life. Those who are trying should be shown that it counts for something.

A shelter devoted to helping those it serves should not allow it’s client to set around at the shelter all day. They should not allow a pattern of lethargy to set in and become a habit for those it serves, this does them no good. This only makes it easier to fall into what the British involved in the issue of homelessness refer to as the 4-week rule. This simply put means that it takes about four weeks for someone to become acclimated to the status of being homeless and to become accepting of it. This is not something we should be striving for. By making them leave the property at, say, 9am and remaining gone until 8pm with the exception of what meals you may serve you at least force them to go out and get exercise by walking to wherever they need to be or choose to be during the out hours of the shelter. Who knows, if they are forced to get out and into the world who knows what may happen. they may meet someone who has room to let them live with them or who has a job that needs filling or any number of other things. But, we can not allow them to simply set around and fade into the scenery. This does no one, the homeless or society, any good.

Being devoted to helping those who are homeless has one very important aspect to it that the current shelter seems to have overlooked, and that is the fact that in order to help those we strive to assist we must first allow them the right of feeling they deserved to be helped, we need to instill a sense of personal pride and a mindset that says ” I am homeless but human, and I can make it in life”. without that, there is no hope for many of these disadvantaged people. we need to give them a purpose, a goal. Shelters should have a counselor who is in the place, for one thing, life planning. trying to plan a way for the client to get back up on their feet and to move on from this unfortunate situation. To be available when someone needs to talk or wants assistance of a counseling nature. Most of all this needs to be free to clients of the shelter. This alone will not do it though, there also needs to be things to make the homeless feel active and wanting to do something.  Take 20 homeless, pay them $10 each to clean a 5 block stretch of our streets, each. This will take less than an hour to do and will cost $200 a day/$10,400 a year to clean garbage off of 100 city blocks a day!! What would this city look like with something like this underway? not only would they get the chance to see the results of their work, but could have pride in the fact that they are doing something good for themselves and the community. they would see the appreciation of those in the city and would know they are capable of making a positive change in themselves and their environment. They would see that, even though they are down at that moment, they have potential.

Clients of a shelter should be allowed the humanity of showering in private, not with 10 other guys at a time, and should be granted the respect of using soap that was not used by 30 other guys before them. allow the clients the respect of keeping their own soap and shampoo and such overnight to use the next day. Offer them new soap once theirs is gone. Allow them to dry themselves off somewhere other than 3 feet away from the guy who is defecating in the toilet in the drying area. Allow them to own a pair of shower shoes so they are not walking barefooted in the showers where all of these other people are, risking athletes feet or worse. In the restrooms keep the floors clean of urine and other such things. It is not pleasant at the mission at night having to wade through the urine of others with no shoes on in order to get to the urinals. It is unacceptable and a good way to spread disease and illness.

There are those who do enjoy the religious aspects of the mission, but most do not. There should be a chaplain but that person should not be mandatory.  Undermining someone as a person with the right to choose their own faith or lack of by forcing them to participate in sermons is not only unconstitutional, (damn Boy Scouts of America v. Dale) its dehumanizing. It says your free choice means 100% nothing to us, do as your told. This is not acceptable or respectful. as well as the volunteer Chaplain there should also be a chance to attend AA or NA meetings at this place. This is yet another way to help the homeless help themselves. Give those who wish to get clean the chance to do it. give them the chance to remove one more obstacle from their lives and to begin making the steps needed to move on in their lives.

How a “shelter” given to “helping” the homeless can turn away someone who is disabled simply because the shelter  is “not a hospital” is beyond me. How do you take someone who is suffering from mental issues or physical disability and tell them they do not deserve to receive your help and compassion.  This is an answer I cannot give you, to get this one you will have to go ask the director of the Eugene Mission as they do this on a regular basis. no one should ever be disallowed due to disability, these are the members of our society who need our help the most, they don’t deserve to be shunned and/or cast off like trash! The shelters should have an area that is for these individuals. This is one of the big reasons I would like to see the Eugene Mission put out of business. The sheer uncaring and discrimination against these people is intolerable and deserves only scorn from those of us who are capable of care and concern for our fellow man.

Those needed to help run the shelter should be compensated for their time and effort. My thoughts would be pay minimum wage minus $250 for rent at an apartment at the shelter, $75 utilities and another $30 for phone service. This not only allows the shelter to find readily available workers but gives the client a place to call their own and a means of getting themselves into a real apartment and to begin saving money for their eventual return to normal society. Give them assistance in setting up a bank account so they can save the money they earn. Give them the tools to help themselves.

These are just a few things I would implement. Things that would show better concern for the humanity of those the shelters are supposed to be helping,  things that would begin to build the clients up instead of making them feel as if this is all there is left for them. Feeling forgotten. we need to find ways to build up our homeless and give them not only the sense that they can change their situations but the motivation and will to try. The way things are now they are seen as nothing but a commodity to be held in order to make money. they are treated as property instead of human beings by those who are supposedly there to assist them. there are many wonderful charities in Eugene who are great with the homeless, but our current shelter is not one of them. we need a change, one that will not be blocked or held back due to political influence or pull. after all, it’s not about the profit we can make from them, it’s about them and their well being.

Respectfully,

EW

The Eugene Rescue Mission, not all it’s Cracked up to be.

In all of Eugene and Springfield Oregon, there is only one general purpose shelter for the homeless, the Eugene Rescue Mission. A place for the homeless to rest their heads and to get a bite to eat at the end of the night. All it costs you is $2 a night, after your first three which are free, and your dignity.

Before I go any further I want to be fair and honest with my readers, I have an ax to grind with this place and in no way support it as a viable shelter for anyone who has respect for themselves and/or the will to make it on their own. I have no respect or love for this place.

The Eugene rescue Mission is a part of the national group of missions that reach across the country providing shelter and food for the homeless. They provide things such as a bed at night, dinner, lunch and breakfast and some clothing when available. On the surface, this is a great deal, but when you look at the system of religious blackmail, slave labor and discrimination shown by this organization it really starts to show its true colors.

Let me walk you through the process of the mission, and as someone who has spent a couple of years there in the past, I understand this place fairly well. so, do not think this review comes from someone ignorant of this establishment and its operations.

When you first get to the mission you must check in with the front desk in order to have a file card made with your name on it. This card will contain everything you do here that requires notice be made. If you are disruptive it goes here, if you are banned it goes here. This card is the staff’s source for all things you. Fair enough and very logical really. You must be in by 6:45 pm each night or risk not getting in. At 7 pm the chapel meeting begins and you must set through an hour of service from any of various Christian faiths. The chaplains vary in how well they present themselves and how good they are. some are very good while others, well, at least they try. I have nothing but respect for those who come to share their faith expecting no compensation except the knowledge that they might have got through to someone this night. I can respect that even if I do not follow the belief they preach.

After the chapel service, you line up for dinner. This can consist of various things and is typically at the level of jail food. Not great but it is edible and it’s not terrible. I have become sick eating at this shelter in the past and will not eat there again, but many do. my advice is to eat at your own risk. Once dinner is complete you may go into the back courtyard and smoke if you do so choose to do so. At 8:30 pm they begin bed calls. The way this works is if you stayed there the previous night you are able to get right into line and will be given your bed from the night before. If, however, you are on your first night you must wait until the regulars are all in then you will be assigned a bed and allowed to go upstairs.

Once you are upstairs you will be given a box to put your things in for the night. you must keep all of your items in this box except for medication and glasses and such. you will notice that above the door to the storage room there is a sign informing you that in case of missing property the mission will not and can not be held accountable. The staff that works this area are other residents of the mission, homeless and as in need of money as the rest of those staying there.

After your group shower in which you use soap that has been used by 20 other people to wash the various body parts in need of scrubbing you put on a pair of mission pajamas and go to your bed area. The sleeping area is a dorm that holds a bit over 200 men. A good portion of whom snore, cough, yell in their sleep and at times urinate or vomit in the walkways on the floor. You are in bed by 9:30pm and are woke up promptly at 5:30am the next morning. You may eat breakfast if you wish and if not you are not required.

This all sounds good, right? So what is my complaint about the mission? Allow me to explain.

1. Religious blackmail:  I am a firm believer that people should have the right to choose their faith and to choose whether or not they participate in that or any other religion. You lose that choice in the mission. You are expected to go to a Christian church, set through a Christian meeting with Christian chaplains and to be subjected to Christian teachings. Again, this is fine, if you’re a Christian and share those beliefs. If not this is an atrocity. Forcing your religious beliefs on a person is a form of spiritual rape. I hold traditional Celtic beliefs, because of this I have been deemed a Pagan and a witch, and we all know what the bible says about witches

Exodus 22:18

”  Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. ”

And what of followers of other religions? Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam etc? In the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament) God is recorded as punishing ancient Israelite individuals and members of other tribes for following the wrong religion or deviating from “proper” religious practices. In some cases, the victims are viewed as having no right to continue living. In the book of Joshua and elsewhere, God instructed the ancient Israelites to commit what would be termed genocides and “mass crimes against humanity” in today’s world. The victims were newborn, infant, child, youth, and adult Canaanites and other nearby tribes who followed Pagan religions. 1 Samuel contains accounts of genocides perpetrated by David and his men.

Do not get me wrong, this is not a condemnation of Christianity, not at all. There are some beautiful things in the Christian faith. Were it not for the Christians Churches here in town we homeless would have a lot fewer options, however, the forcing of religion is an ugly, unacceptable thing meant to be used as a weapon by tyrants and hypocrites. Is the religion forced here? Don’t the homeless have the choice to opt out of the sermons? Of course, they do, but if they choose to do so they will not be allowed to sleep there or eat there. Nowhere in the bible did Christ refuse healing or shelter or food to someone who did not believe the way he did or follow his teachings. They will be denied everything the mission offers at the end of the night.  So, while they do agree to go through the sermons, its done in duress and nothing signed into or agreed upon bears any weight in the court of law if it is done so under duress. Which brings me to my second point,

2.Lack of Constitutional Protections: As a private organization the Eugene Mission is not bound by the constitution in many areas of their operations. They are free to demand religious participation and to use that as a means of discrimination.  Boy Scouts of America et al. v. Dale, 530 U.S. 640 (2000) made this the standard in our country of equality. You either attend their Christian services or you can and will be excluded from all benefits offered by the mission. It is because of the right-wing leanings of the supreme court during the time of the above case that the mission can use religion as a means of blackmail, a weapon.

3.Total Disregard for the injured and disabled: If you are mentally disabled, or physically injured to the point that you can not serve in the missions “Work Rehabilitation Program”, more on this later, you will be disallowed. The mission has no regard for those among us who are the neediest. If you are a person who they need to watch over they want nothing to do with you. They discriminate on disability and mental disorders to a ridiculous amount.

 

John 5:1-47    

After this, there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” …

 

The very thought that they would refuse a class of people who need their help more than most and yet still claim to be a Christian organization is ludicrous. Several years ago during another stint as a homeless, I was staying at this shelter and while there I hurt my leg to the point I could hardly walk. After going to the Emergency Room at Sacred Heart, I was given an order for bed rest and light duty for a week. I was told by the powers that be at the mission that I had one week if I were not better in that time I had to find a new place to sleep. Another person who was in a wheelchair, but could make short trips of about 5-10′ left his chair for a few feet to grab something and was told by the mission that he was lying about his injury and he was kicked out from the mission. Yet another individual, who was going through some difficult times, cut his wrist off of the mission property. Nowhere near it matter of fact, however, when he returned to the mission and his bandages were noticed he was given a permanent ban from the mission by the administration.  These bans and kick outs are all ordered by……………….

4. Richard Savage: I am not sure what his official title at the mission is, but this man has no regard for anything or anyone. He seems to be the general manager of the place and he lords it over those staying there with a tyrannical hunger for power that disgusts me. His style of dealing with the homeless at the mission is one of an overlord looking down from his throne at someone, more like something, beneath him. His tone and attitude are one of disdain for those he is supposed to be there to help. The sheer arrogance of this man is enough to earn the mission a place in the hall of shame. The pure disregard for others this man shows has put him on the hit list of many people staying at the mission. He is the most despised person working there and he does not care. He has the authority and this is all that matters to him. The authority that he wields like a weapon used to cut down the self-respect and dignity those staying at the mission need. This man is a horror of inhumanity. The mission should be scorned for his continued employment through them.

5.Work Rehabilitation Program: At the mission, they have, what is called in their newsletter to donors, a work rehabilitation program that is changing lives and giving people the skills they need to be successful in the workplace……………..Excuse me while I try not to laugh.

This program consists of this. the main focus of this “program” is the newspaper recycling center. This brings in a bulls share of all income for the mission each year and is not only is an important aspect but a required aspect, of their operations. Without the income from this, they may very well fall flat. At this center, those who are regular members of the mission population give two hours of their time towards making the place run. Without this labor the mission would be pressed to make the money they do here. The work consists of packing the paper bundles from incoming trucks and stacking them so that when the outgoing trucks come in they can once again be packed from the stacks onto the trucks. During slower times the loose newspapers need to be bundled and tied, giving the clients something to do during this period of time.

The other area of work for this program is on the “Program side” of the mission. this is all of the people who have decided to basically volunteer at the mission in return for a bed. Well, in all honesty it’s not really volunteering as they get bed, board and $25 a week for working a full-time schedule. They handle things such as the cooking cleaning, warehouse operations, driving and such. Again, this does not sound too bad, but here is the issue.

this work rehabilitation program has no on the job training, no vocational councilors, no job referrals and no rehabilitation of any kind. They do not provide you with references, they do not teach or train you in any form of work skills (they want you to have experience in the areas you apply for.). nothing. they do nothing to be considered a program of anything other than human exploitation. minimum wage in the state of Oregon is $8.50, one of the highest in the nation. The two hours of work in the recycling center should earn the person $17, instead, they get a voucher for one nights stay at the mission. A $2 value. The program workers get a room that is still under the missions basic rules (no playing cards, no visitors) and $25 a week. Far less than the full-time schedule they keep for the mission would earn them in a real job. Also, if the person gets hurt on the job, no compensation and they will be removed from the program side and lose their job. Even if the mission was responsible for the injury.

those who are looking for work while living at the mission are no better off. They must look for work that takes place only during the day shift as the mission will not grant late passes for work ,nor will they do wake up calls or let you have your property before the main wake up call. So you are forced to limit your job hunt to times only to times when every one in the city is looking for them. Day shift.  The entire work issue at the mission is a fraud and only exists to make the mission money and to exploit those forced to work the place for their nightly bed.

6. Inequality of the Sexes : There is a big disparity in how the women and men are treated at the mission. For one, the women are only allowed one year to stay there in their lifetime. After that year is up they must move on to other places. The men, however, can live out their entire lives there, and many plan on it. The reason for this is that the men do all of the work that actually makes the mission money (nearly $500,000 profit a year). It would not be prudent to evict your main source of free labor. the women do not work in these areas so they are an unneeded commodity. The men must work for two hours a day in these money-making areas if they need a bed for the night whereas the women only work around 15-20 minutes and doing things that I’m sure many feminists would love to blow up the mission for. Typical “women’s” work. Cleaning, dusting etc. On the women’s side, if one of them gives the other their lighter to use both can receive a 7 day removal. They may not let another lady have possession of their things or its a ban. The women must be at the mission by 5pm if they wish to eat, thus cutting the time they spend away from the place down. Men do not eat until 8pm. the women are made to wake up 30 minutes later than the men. These and many more differences in the way the sexes are treated exist at the Eugene Mission.

7. Basic depth and level of the fraud they are perpetrating against society and their donors: This will draw me a level of anger and retaliation if they are ever given the chance, but its my opinion and i will voice it. the Eugene Mission is a hoax. A fraud, a scam to its investors. All of the things they put in their newsletter to donors are sent through the spin doctor to make sound as good as possible. All of the discrimination and hypocrisy leads me to believe one thing concerning the place, they are only Christian in their public image. True Christians would desire to help those with ailments, not turn them away as being too much of a bother. True Christians would never turn you away were you to not participate in their sermons. True Christians would care more for their fellow-man than for the money they can earn exploiting them. So why then the mask of being a Christian organization? My best guess is this, people will give to Christians organizations. There is money to be had from the exploitation of the true Christians generosity and giving spirit. It all comes down to the money in the end. The Eugene Mission brings in around   $1,845,913 a year, of which 90% of this is from donations. Of this money they spend    $1,477,721 of it leaving an after expenses profit of    $368,192 a year. their assets come to a bit over $8,628,509. All of this for a charity that Charity Navigator ( http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=8316)  rates as below average in almost every category it rates charities on!! It was the only 2 star charity in the mission category i found. In short it is a waste of donor money and a place that , even though it provides a place to sleep in a warm bed and food for those who need it, does so using tyrannical tactics and a fascist mindset. Its policies are very reminiscent of what I’m sure it was like during the Inquisition period and the crusades.

8. Political Ties and other Misc: So, why don’t people simply not stay at the mission? Because many have no choice in the issue. In some unholy alliance with the local jail and division of Parole and Probation the Eugene Mission allows these agencies to force their clients into residency at this place. The mission is full of individuals who are on parole or probation for felony convictions. The parole officers are allowed to order their clients to stay at the mission and if they do not they can send them to jail for violating the terms of their parole. Many people who have other addresses they could be staying at but have PO’s who do not like those options are being basically held hostage in the Eugene mission. the jail often releases offenders on pre-trial release and orders them to the mission accompanied by a GPS ankle bracelet tracking device to make sure they set there all day long. Those who refuse to stay here are sent to jail to waste taxpayer money and jail coordinators time and effort. All over the whims of a court and parole system that has a strong working relationship with the mission. The mission allows this to happen, it knows it is happening as they will report the individuals record of staying there to the parole and probation officers. All the PO needs to do is call the mission and ask and the mission will report to them all of the days the individual stayed there and nights he or she was missing from it. so much for separation of Church and State. This is a vulgar violation of the civil rights of those forced to stay there and an unacceptable use of the resources of the Eugene Mission. The mission director should be ashamed of himself.

I know there will be those who think I am being a judgmental jerk, especially those in the Christian community and those who like being able to go to the mission and rot their lives away, but this is how I see the place. others may vary in their opinions, but this is mine and I back it up with provable fact. On a scale of one to 5 the mission gets a 1.5-2 from me.

This is my thoughts on the Eugene Mission, take it for what you will.

 

Respectfully,

 

Eugene Wanderer

 

Thoughts on the City Council Meeting

Well, tonight was the city council meeting and it was an interesting process really. Before I go any further i would like to thank Mayor Kitty Piercy and the rest of the council for having the patience to deal with my total ineptitude at the podium.  as i mentioned on Faceboook earlier, Wanderer is not an eloquent speaker. So a big thank you to the council. I also met Kitty Piercy face to face tonight. She is pleasant enough, but i knew she would be from interviews i have watched with her.

Ok, so for one i was surprised at both the small size of the public forum, and at how organized it really was. Of course this surprise comes from only having seen these things in movies and television, where they are all packed as half the city attends and its all an exercise in yelling to be heard and chaotic jockeying for time on the floor. Yes, Wanderer is just as prone to Hollywood make believe as the next guy. 🙂

As you arrive at the public forum  the first thing you do if you wish to be heard is sign in. This consists of filling out a small form that asks your name, phone number, address and topic of your speech. Once signed in you take your seat in a sort of amphitheater and wait for the meeting to begin. The meeting begins with a routine explanation of the rules for the meeting given by our Mayor Piercy. Each person who is called to speak gets three minutes in which to talk on their issue, at the end of which they must leave the podium. At the end of this the council will share their thoughts on what they have heard and discuss certain things that were talked about.

My first impression was that there are not too many people in this city of 156,000 people who are involved in their local politics and communities. We had perhaps 30 people other than the city council members present. I would think in a city of Eugene’s size and claimed activism we would have more involvement in the arena of social issues and change. It was a little dis-hearting really. People need to come together if they want to bring on change and awareness of issues important to them. Regardless whether living a decent life in a home with a job or as one of the homeless and unemployed, only through political action can there ever be change and motivation to begin that change. People need to start taking a more active role in government. The lack of such is one of the big reasons our country is in the shape it is now. Whether Dem or Rep we need to become more involved. Voting once every couple of years doesn’t cut it. We need more.

For those who did show up to listen and to be heard, these people seemed compassionate concerning the issues they brought up. There were several others who spoke to the issues of homelessness as well. This seems to be an issues of importance in the city and its good to hear others taking a stand on the issue. Not everyone who spoke on the issues were for the homeless however. Two of the gentlemen who spoke last night concerning the homeless were voicing frustration and concern for the behaviors of the homeless as it effects them as business owners. Particularly the issues of loitering and pan handling in front of the local downtown business. I would refer those of you reading this to the post titled “A word to The Homeless”. Even as an advocate for the homeless, and one myself, I believe their needs to be responsibility in the way we, as homeless, act and carry ourselves. Pan Handling in front of peoples business is not responsible, and in the long run it chases business away from those who rely on the income from those business. I can hear several of the homeless now, “well they own the business they have enough money”  The simple truth is this however. Many of the small business that the homeless choose to beg in front of are not rich. they are only a couple of bad weeks from bankruptcy and need the business coming in to stay afloat. Your continued presence and intimidation of their customers could very well have a negative effect on their business and ultimately their lives. I can understand why these two gentlemen are concerned about his and sympathize with their concerns. Even with their topic of discussion neither of these two men were disrespectful and/or cruel about the plight of the homeless. They were very respectful and therefore deserve our respect. I can not say it enough times, if we, as the homeless, want to be seen and treated in a respectful and dignified manner, we must carry ourselves in a way that justifies our being treated that way. Nothing is free and we have a large stigma we carry.

I would like to disagree with one thing said by one of thee gentlemen though. The person mentioned that he understands homelessness is an issue, but that the city needs to focus on the business end of the city as that is where our tax dollars come from.  yes, business is where the tax dollars come from and should be an important part of the city’s focus. However, if we can focus on bringing jobs and work to this area, if we can focus on getting the homeless back to work, as many of us really do want jobs, we resolve a couple of issues. One, we get some of these people off of the streets and into housing which is cheaper by far than their current situations. Two, it creates more tax revenue to be used towards the important issues in the city, such as the overly narrow roads that was mentioned in this meeting also. A key component to the issue of the homeless is the creation of jobs. Believe it or not, most homeless do not want to be where they are.

At this meeting i made some interesting contacts involved in the advocacy of the homeless and will be attending a meeting at one of these groups later on today. I look forward to hearing what others are attempting to do in Eugene on his issue.

 

Well i just wanted to touch on the meeting a bit. I will talk more on this once i get the minutes from the meeting. I will post them and some comments on what was discussed in more detail then.

 

Respectfully,

 

Eugene Wanderer

Some Clarification

Greetings and best wishes to everyone on this Saturday morning. I am setting here watching the Saturday market folks set up their stands and prepare for what will hopefully be a profitable day for them when i open my facebook page and find this,

” Richard Zeller 

Dear Eugene Wanderer (what’s your real name, Wanderer, I wonder?): you know a lot of stuff that gets posted on blogs is just made up. The article you reference with its attempt to slur Rep. Defazio by saying he was outed by the American Socialist Party in their October 2009 newsletter looks like a great example of the right-wing losing touch with reality (or is it losing touch with the truth?). Go to this site (http://www.dsausa.org/dl/index.html) for the Fall 2009 Newsletter of the Democratic Socialists of America. That is the political activist wing of what began as the American Socialist Party. I can’t find a reference to our noble Representative anywhere in there. If there is such a newsletter, show or remove your post. Next time, confirm this kind of stuff BEFORE you spread it.”

I have responded to Mr. Zeller already but in case there is confusion as to what my thoughts on Peter DeFazio supposedly being a Socialist Party member are, i will clarify for everyone what the post titled “In Defense of our City and Mayor” was intended as.

First thing first however.  I DO NOT BELIEVE DEFAZIO IS A MEMBER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY!  This part of the quoted blog was simply added to show the thinking and mindset of the blogs author. The individual in question was stating unsupported facts and slurring our politicians with his nonsense and the intention of my post was to refute those claims. So it’s clear, i VOTE for DeFazio. Make no mistake, i am not part of the “right”. They think everything my blog is concerned with should be swept under the carpet, after all, there are millionaires who need tax cuts and the plight of the homeless has nothing to do with that. I would sooner suffer public castration than become a member of the Republican/Tea Party/Libertarian mindset.  I have no beef with DeFazio and for those of you who have read my blog, you know i have no problem with Mrs. Piercy other than the wish that she would do more in certain aspects of her efforts for the homeless.

So, please, when you read “In Defense of………..” take it as it was intended, as a rebuttal to the bigoted individual who first wrote it. I was not “spreading” the persons views, i was calling them for what they were, BS!

Respectfully,

Eugene Wanderer

PS. If Mr. Zeller is reading this, i would like to say you were right about he right losing all sense of reality. They blur the facts even more than the typical politician. Instead of dealing with issues they chose to twist facts and attack. It hides the fact that they truly do not have an understanding of the issues and that the are clueless as a party.

A Chance to be Heard

Ok, people, the next city council meeting for the city of Eugene is on Monday the 13th at 7:30 pm. This is your chance to be heard, your chance to voice concerns or issues that anger you. This is our chance to voice those concerns directly t the mayor and her council in a respectful manner and in a legal process. Do not miss out on this opportunity to make your self heard.

Keep this in mind though, if you go, please remember to remain respectful at all times even if you begin to get angry. The was we present ourselves will be how these people remember us and how they will judge us. If we present ourselves as aggressive and disrespectful that can only hurt our efforts here people. Second, please make sure we are clean and presentable if you attend.  Clean up a bit, and NO drugs or alcohol before attending! Again, this will determine how we are seen by those in society and those with the authority to make changes in Eugene.

Go to this meeting, be heard, and begin trying to push our local leaders into doing what is right and humane.

 

Respectfully,

 

Eugene Wanderer

In Defense of Eugene and our mayor

So, I am looking through the blogs of others and i come across this….

“Heroin Hill’s 4 miles East of campus and 6 miles from downtown; the cops do nothing about it; homeless people, some addicts, also live along the river, in town — an “unseen city” hidden, within a city!   I’ve never heard of the residents bothering rafters, boaters and fishermen though.

The insufferable, arrogant, politically correct, extreme leftist, moral superiority here, makes it just that ….. extremely insufferable!   Yet, … if you visit Eugene, be sure to visit “HEROIN HILL” — a stone’s throw from I-5, overlooking the Willamette River.   It’s a homeless area of approximately 200 residents living in tents, old trailers, and “lean-to’s” which dot the hills; it’s marked “No Trespassing” but the well-worn trails make it obvious no on pays attention to the signs. 

Even the local Eugene police force won’t go there …… not unless it’s en mass, with State and County police, and K-9 backup and there has to be a serious reason to go up there!   From the city fathers on down, the attitude, is “look the other way …..”   In case they change their minds, it’s east of I-5 and west of Glenwood Blvd., from where it enters the freeway and on north ….. behind an industrial area.

Now that we’re (The Ducks) competing at the highest level, of sports …. in Football (and soon to be basketball) and always has been for TRACK, ….. the U of O may rank higher on the desired school your children want to attend — please; for their sakes, think again; take the time to read this and help us change …… our town; PLEASE.

Even after years of protestations, drugs are still sold openly on the Lane County court house steps as well as throughout the city; people just look the other way, ….. especially the city “fathers” and yes ….. even the police.

As an example:  The Nation magazine, America’s self-described “flagship of the left,” has named Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy as the country’s most valuable local official.

In naming Piercy, The Nation cited her sustainable business initiative, (in spite the truth) her leadership in climate protection actions, and support for human rights and child welfare measures.

What a joke!  To find the truth, just ask any local businessman if Eugene is ”business friendly.”

Also, our city carries social programs to excesses even though they don’t have the money to do so – another one of America’s cities headed for bankruptcy!

The weekly newsmagazine also included U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., whose home is in Springfield, in its 2010 Progressive Honor Roll.  Defazio was recently “outted” as a Socialist by the Socialist Caucus in the House of Representatives.   This is exactly the kind of man Eugene elects!   Look up his record and his distortion of the truth.   Springfield, a bit more conservative than Eugene wouldn’t elect him except for his work for octogenarians – if only they knew …..

Crime in Eugene?   You can look in the paper or see: Bait Car Dummies”

I have no idea who this individual is, but i would like to say a few things concerning this post as a homeless man in the city of Eugene.

“Heroin Hill’s 4 miles East of campus and 6 miles from downtown; the cops do nothing about it; homeless people, some addicts, also live along the river, in town — an “unseen city” hidden, within a city!   I’ve never heard of the residents bothering rafters, boaters and fishermen though.

The insufferable, arrogant, politically correct, extreme leftist, moral superiority here, makes it just that ….. extremely insufferable!   Yet, … if you visit Eugene, be sure to visit “HEROIN HILL” — a stone’s throw from I-5, overlooking the Willamette River.   It’s a homeless area of approximately 200 residents living in tents, old trailers, and “lean-to’s” which dot the hills; it’s marked “No Trespassing” but the well-worn trails make it obvious no on pays attention to the signs.

Even the local Eugene police force won’t go there …… not unless it’s en mass, with State and County police, and K-9 backup and there has to be a serious reason to go up there!   From the city fathers on down, the attitude, is “look the other way …..”   In case they change their minds, it’s east of I-5 and west of Glenwood Blvd., from where it enters the freeway and on north ….. behind an industrial area.  “

as one of the 1.8% of the city of Eugene who is homeless, who must always be on the look out for a lace to lay my head at night, I have never heard of this place. I have neither been there nor heard mention of it from the other homeless in this city. This is not even possible in the city of Eugene, where the police chase the homeless from any and every place they try to sleep when they are caught.  There is nowhere the police in this city are afraid to go, especially if it means they get the opportunity to amuse themselves with harassment the homeless.

“Heroin Hill”? This would seem to be the fear mongering paranoia of a life time conservative who is disgruntled about the city who always has and always will be Democrat. This seems to be along the lines of the spin doctoring of the truth that national Republicans have tried to do concerning the Obama administration. A blatant attempt at twisting the truth to fit the mental disorder that allows people to view the world as conservative Republicans. However, since i freely admit that i do not know everything, i will ask around about it and get back to the blog about it.

“Now that we’re (The Ducks) competing at the highest level, of sports …. in Football (and soon to be basketball) and always has been for TRACK, ….. the U of O may rank higher on the desired school your children want to attend — please; for their sakes, think again; take the time to read this and help us change …… our town; PLEASE. ”

the U of O ranks 11th out of the 100’s of colleges and Universities across the nation for drug abuse ( http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2427/1/ ). This person later in his rant derides Eugene and Mayor Kitty Piercy for turning a blind eye to people using and selling drugs in public places yet he seems to “turn a blind eye” to this little fact. The U of O has many issues that this person later complains about, yet he is a supporter of the University while feeling the need to bash the “liberal” establishment here in Eugene.

” Even after years of protestations, drugs are still sold openly on the Lane County court house steps as well as throughout the city; people just look the other way, ….. especially the city “fathers” and yes ….. even the police. ”

Unfortunately this is an area where i agree with the author of this blog. the sheer hypocrisy of the city police and “fathers” as the author calls them, on this issue is staggering.  I have pointed out in previous posts concerning the issue of thee 14-20 year olds who hang out at the downtown park and drink, do drugs, sell drugs, harass women and vandalize this otherwise very wonderful place in our city. all of this behavior is very much acceptable to the authorities here until it comes to the same behavior when committed by the homeless. Then and only then do the police move in and crack down on the behavior. In all honesty, it takes a lot less than this to get thee police to go after thee homeless. Refer back to “Eugene at it’s Finest”, remember the homeless girl who was banned from this very same park and fined $150 for napping during the day there? I do not support the use of drugs and do not even smoke marijuana, however, i also do not think people should be going to jail or prison for making a choice of what to do with their own bodies. However, when this is done in public, it is no longer an issue of what you choose to do with your body and it becomes what you are subjecting others to.

”

As an example:  The Nation magazine, America’s self-described “flagship of the left,” has named Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy as the country’s most valuable local official.

In naming Piercy, The Nation cited her sustainable business initiative, (in spite the truth) her leadership in climate protection actions, and support for human rights and child welfare measures.”

Only a true Republican would condemn someone and insult them for caring about others. The total indifference to those outside of their upper middle class to rich social class is a long lasting trademark for the GOP.  Though I have been critical of some of Mayor Piercy’s actions, i will never take points away from her for caring. Mrs. Piercy has been a strong proponent of sustainability and had honestly made efforts to help those in need. My critiques of her efforts with homelessness is not that she has not tried, its that the efforts she has made are not very well thought out and only apply to a small number of those who need the services, but she does try.

as for the economic issues, the author of the quoted blog seems to forget that Lane county and Eugene in particular has NEVER been strong for job growth. Whether it has been Kitty Piercy or Jim Torry, who at the time of his mayorship was Republican. Blaming Piercy for the job issue is a stretch as many of the policies that effect jobs in Oregon are decided in Salem. Our Mayor has only limited movement to effect these things at the local level, and unlike the issue with city police behavior, is working uphill with efforts to get some support from the capitol for incentives for business’ to locate in the Eugene area. However, she also has power over the things such as the ridiculous local tax scheme that punishes business for doing business within the district covered by the city bus’. The transit district tax……………….

” Also, our city carries social programs to excesses even though they don’t have the money to do so – another one of America’s cities headed for bankruptcy! ”

Another screwy assumption by the republican author of this blog. as a member of the homeless in Eugene i know that many of these social programs are carried out and funded by INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATIONS! Yes Mrs. Piercy does work with these organizations to best find ways to try to help those effected by them, but the funding for many of them come from thee generosity and humanity of private donations to charitable causes. Groups like Food for Lane county, St. Mary’s (corner of 13th ans Pearl, not the downtown location), the Eugene Rescue Mission. All of them are privately funded take nothing from the city, county or state to run. This accusation is simply another example of the Republican parties misanthropic, socio-phobic mindset towards helping their fellow human beings.

” Crime in Eugene?   You can look in the paper or see: Bait Car Dummies”

Yes, we have crime in Eugene. Portland has crime, Junction City has crime, reno NV has crime as does every other city in the world. we are worse than some and better than others. The University he seems so proud of houses several of those responsible for this crime. He is right, look in the paper, but do this. Go on-line and Google http://www.american-school-search.com/safety/university-of-oregon  . The University of Oregon is considered a dangerous place to study.  read the papers concerning U of O students and the robberies, assaults and rapes committed by them, then decide who is responsible for the Universities not ranking higher among the nation in this category. That being said, the U of O is a great school. Ranking among the best in the nation for such things as Business. The few students that have created the safety issues at this college are not indicative of the general population of the University. I have found the students here to be friendly, intelligent and truly concerned for their neighbors well-being and for the good of their society. Things the author of the quoted blog apparently has forgotten or never learned.

The casual environment in Eugene is a boon to the city and the quoted blogs author should simply move if it offends him. Eugene is not perfect, but nowhere is. At least our politicians are willing to try to work on it and to make improvements to the areas where they are flawed. We live in an environment where there are a large number of people who honestly care for their fellow-man and who want to help as much as possible. This is due to the cities long history of Democratic leaders. Under Republican rule we would be living in an uncaring fascist environment where it would not only be ok to ignore our neighbors needs, but expected.  One look at my Facebook profile will tell you I am neither Rep or Dem, but between the two I will take the Dem 90% of the time.

Eugene Wanderer

A Word to Kitty Piercy Revisited

Well people, since my posting the original “A Word to Kitty Piercy” yesterday morning i have had a surprise. last night as i approached the park where i use the Internet i a fairly significant change had occurred during the day. This change was the inclusion of an unlocked outhouse. This park only has outhouses during one part of the week typically, Friday night through Sunday morning. with the exception of Saturday during the day while our local market is going on, these outhouses remain locked and off limits to use by the homeless or anyone else for that matter. So, this appearance of an outhouse on a Tuesday night was not only a surprise, but a very welcomed addition to the park.

Now the question is who is responsible for it being there? I would assume Kitty Piercy, our mayor, however, I never received a reply from her concerning the issue. Once i saw the thing i immediately wrote and asked her if she was responsible for it and thanked her if she were. I, even though she was on line twice after i sent it, never heard back from her. In all fairness to Mrs. Piercy, I fully understand why she may not wish to reply to me or have many interactions with me. Even though i have made an attempt to be fair in the things i have said both here and in emails to her via my other account, however, i do act in a critical manner towards some aspects of her politics. She may very well view me as an agent of dissent and conflict. If this is the case i understand why she will avoid me. however, Mrs. Piercy, i would like to say that I am perhaps an agent of dissent and conflict, but not in some anarchist manner. I simply see “Informed, educated” dissent as a means of change and a positive state overall. My points concerning you and your efforts are not intended to down play you as a negative force in Eugene, or to make you out as an enemy. You only need read my last post and the one I will be putting up after this one to see that.

 

So once again Mrs. Piercy, if you were the one who had the outhouses placed in the park, I thank you.

 

Eugene Wanderer

A Word To kitty Piercy

Greetings and best wishes Mrs. Piercy. I hope your day has been good and that all things are well in your life and work.

I would like to discuss with you an issue that is dear to my heart and a matter of my every day survival. This issue is the lack of sleeping areas and facilities for the homeless. You see Mrs. Mayor,I am one of Eugene’s legions of homeless (1.8% of our population actually) and i have a couple of things i would like to discuss with you if you have the time. Of course, the wonderful thing about written correspondence is that if you do not have the time when you first get the message you can always put it aside and wait until you are able to make the time for it.

First off please let me say you have been a great mayor in most areas of your political agenda  and i do think that you are a well meaning person who is interested in helping those in need. If i did not believe this i would have never have voted for you to begin with.  I believe that you are sincere and have tried to do what is good and right, however, with that being said, i also think that  on the issue of homelessness in Eugene you have come up short. Not due to a failure of effort, you have most definitely tried on their behalf. No, i think the failing is in the fact that you, not being one of us, simply do not understand the needs of the homeless as well as you could and therefor do not have a true understanding of how to act in a way that will be the most beneficial to both the homeless and the city itself. If you can find it in yourself to listen for a bit,I would like to address two of the issues the city drops the ball on the most. perhaps you will find something of interest thats will make you efforts applicable to more of the homeless than just those with vehicles.

1. restrooms: Ma’am, in this city there are very few restrooms available to the public and therefor the homeless after about 6pm.  The restrooms at the parking structure downtown is open until 10pm, but after that there is nowhere to relive ourselves. Unfortunately this only leaves one option, public urination. Believe me when i say Mrs, Piercy that this is not something the homeless want to do any more than its something you want them doing.  It’s not only unhealthy and disrespectful, but it’s humiliating to us. We would much rather use the restroom in privacy instead of looking for a bush out in the open to handle this in. not only do we get forced to do this in public, but, we run the risk of being ticketed or worse by the police. Ma’am, it would be awful to be forced to register as a sex offender due to being hit with a “public Indecency” charge. As Mayor i know you can not be pleased with the idea of people using your city as a public bathroom either. it is absolutely not acceptable, but, what else are we supposed to do? use our pants? Solution: there is two ways to improve this situation Mrs. Mayor.  One would be to leave the restrooms in the parking structures open throughout  the night. This would be no different than closing them at 10pm. Nothing that can not happen at 9:30 pm will happen at 12am. There is no reason for the closure of these restrooms. It is merely a procedure and one with no reasoning behind it. Two, Place outhouses in public places for the use by people who need them. This would be a good way to curb the urinating in public. Places such as the park in which Saturday Market is held, or in public parks or alleys (where they would fit) would give those of us living on the streets a place to relieve ourselves without messing up the public places or risking criminal convictions. Now, unless you think i do not understand the concerns about doing this let me assure you, i do.

The prevalence of both Heroin and Meth in our city makes these public restrooms a risk for abuse. There are those who would use these to abuse the drug of choice and would leave needles and other messes in these areas.  There are ways to guard against that also, however, as several of the homeless population in Eugene reads my blog, i will not post these resolutions here. Feel free to contact me on facebook and i will gladly explain these to you.

2. Camping: Ok, I understand you have made attempts at addressing this issue. Your legalized camping program has been very helpful to several people I know in Eugene and it has given some of us a secure area to sleep and store our stuff, however, there are weaknesses in it. For one, to participate in this program you must first possess a car as all of the sites are for vehicles. Ma’am, only about 40% of homeless actually have a vehicle of some sort which leaves the majority of us out of the running for a place to legally camp. Second, even if these sites allowed for people to camp without the use of a car, most are completely too far removed from the reachable parts of the city for the typical homeless to take advantage of. An example would be the site near the airport. Mrs. Piercy, buses do not even run out to this location. The closest bus being outside of airport road on Hwy 99 and only running 4-5 routes a day ending at 5:30pm. These areas are completely of no value to the average homeless citizen of this city. Solution: Again, i am not blind to the issues of allowing the homeless to camp in either public or semi public places. Messes, drug paraphernalia and the afore mentioned public urination all come to mind. I believe this is a two fold solution. One, designate camping areas in semi public areas that do not provide cover for drug use. Areas that will allow them an area to sleep but that will also keep them somewhat in the public eye. as far as garbage goes you create a job or two by hiring people to conduct morning cleanings of the area to pick up any trash left behind by those sleeping there. Two, petition the federal government for grants to create living for the homeless and use the grants to buy or build an area that would operate much like the warming centers that Eugene has during cold weather. They for sleeping only, must be gone by a certain time and the doors are open all night for people needing the sleeping space. Again, you could create a few jobs by hiring people to man the shelter and run it each day. I understand that this does not happen over night, but it can happen and with your record I am sure you could make it happen Mrs. Piercy. the federal government for a rather large catalog of things, i am sure something could be found that would allow this to happen.

Once again Mrs. Piercy, i feel you have been a force for good in the City of Eugene, but on this one issue i think there needs to be a reboot on how it is thought about in  your administration. It would take a little effort, but things can change with this issue.

I thank you for you time and consideration and hope you will be able to take my issues seriously and as those of a one time supporter of yours.

 

respectfully,

 

EW