City
Morning Brew: Homeless Shifting West, Rocco Who?, Payday Loan Limits, Doc Halladay to Philly?, Remembering David Pecaut
Photo: untitled by mishiko, member of the blogTO Flickr pool.
What's happening in the GTA (and sometimes beyond):
A recent study shows that homeless youth in Toronto are abandoning glossy Yonge street as their domain, shifting toward more westerly parts of the city (between Dufferin and Spadina, and south of Bloor) with better vibe, and less rules. Unfortunately, they're also be moving away from established community outreach programs and shelters, which begs the question: should the city be seeking to create more of these in the west end?
Ever feel reluctant to give money to a homeless person who claims to be starving, in fear that they'll use your donation to cure their drug or alcohol fix instead of curbing their hunger? Volunteers from 6 St. Joseph House, which offers free meals to the needy, will be out and about on Thursday, trading meal coupons for donations. After buying coupons, people can then pass them on to the homeless and feel confident that their donation is going to feeding the needy and not feeding addiction. Is this a good concept, or is it demeaning?
So who is this Rocco Rossi fellow, who comes off as really confident and... odd? Starting his press conference and announcing his intentions to run for mayor of Toronto in 2010, Rossi used jokes about not needing to have good hair to be mayor. I assume he was referring to Miller's uncontrollable quaff? (Smitherman doesn't exactly qualify.) He then went on in multiple languages, gave radio and TV stations soundbites about being fiscally conservative and socially liberal, and uttered his own name in the form of pointed questions that we all would love to hear the answers to: Rocco what? Rocco when? Rocco how?
How is allowing payday loan companies to gouge $21 for every $100 loaned protecting consumers? Sure, this newly announced maximum is less than in other provinces, and sure, it's almost on par with what credit card companies are applying, but it seems like a perfect setup for enhancing the rich-get-richer and poor-get-poorer problem we face.
It looks like it's bye bye for Toronto Blue Jays Roy Halladay. But it's not such a bad move. Giving away older, veteran talent for young prospects is good for building the future. Fans are likely crossing their fingers in hopes that one or more of the incoming youngsters ends up being decent.
And Toronto also says a heartfelt goodbye to David Pecaut, the 'Greatest mayor Toronto never had' and a man whose life and hard work made the city a better place.
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2) How many times have I seen people give food/given food myself to homeless people only to have it thrown away right in front of me? If you're in the higher floors of buildings downtown you can look down the street and watch what goes on when some of them get money. Outside the Bay/Dundas bus terminal there's a group of about 4 guys (including one who strolls the atrium asking women for bus fare money and calls them whores if they don't give anything) who panhandle, and they then give the money to another guy who always leaves and returns with something shortly thereafter. I've seen it quite a few times.
By no means am I saying all homeless people are the people I'm describing above, I'm just saying that I examples like these are a lot more prevalent than some people would like to believe.
I am writing
a poem.
we're all so glad
to have you
here
The kid then immediately backpeddled and clarified that they were a Vegan so they couldn't eat any of the food served in the immediate vicinity.
She pointed out that there was a sushi place nearby and she could get them some vegetarian sushi, which was more than she would have spent, but they were hungry, so she didn't mind.
"No, no, no. I told you, I'm a -Vegan-. I can only eat vegan food."
At this point she knew the guy was full of shit and people less polite would have walked away by that point, but the guy ended up getting a buck or two from her so she wouldn't have to worry about him getting mad or violent if she refused after initially saying she would help.
panhandlers over 50: here's a buck. might be too late for you.
He asked me for money again, for food. I told him I didn't have any money because I just bought a coffee and a donut, which I just gave to him. He then threw the donut on the ground and called me an asshole.
I learnt my lesson, and to this day I don't give money or food to "homeless" people.
moving out of 1 house and into another
have 2 jars of penny/nickel/dimes
walk up to queen by the Bovine
see 3 or 4 teen streeties sitting around doing f*ck all
Streetie: hey do you have any spare change?
Me: DO I? Here!
I hand them the jars of change
They look at the jars. Their eyes roll
Streetie: Aww, man -this isn't rolled. This is a pain in the ass. I have to sort this.
Me: Yeah, you look really busy. How about you shove the jars up your ass, then.
However, payday loans provide a service for people who don't otherwise have access to short term credit. Many do not have access to banks or credit cards.
Just as important as the $21 cap -- perhaps even more important when it comes to protecting consumers -- are the provisions that prohibit rollover loans and concurrent loans. These two practices in the past made it much more likely that people would be sucked into a spiral of debt from which they couldn't escape.
The more aggressively they ask for money, the more likely they have a substance abuse problem. I was told that it simply isn't that tough to get enough money to feed yourself during the course of a day. You don't even have to approach people, just sitting by a corner or coffee shop and waiting for people to offer money is enough.
You could probably accurate tell what their addiction is based on how they ask people for money. Someone with elaborate stories is probably looking for drug money. Someone is just in your face is probably looking for money for booze. Someone who is aggressive, follows you or uses intimidation is probably into harder drugs like crack.
The fact that people still give money to 'homeless' people allows them to continue to be on the street. Moreover, you are not helping them in any way because it gives them the option to continue to be on the street. In fact, by giving them money, you are actually doing them a disservice to getting better or turning their life around (as if that's what they want).
These people play the guilt and sympathy cards on innocent people, and the ones who do it best make the most money. Just yesterday at Spadina and queen this one guy would stand in the middle of the road at red lights and tap his hat in a gesture implying that you are supposed to give him money. I almost got out of my car to punch him in the face for being so audacious.
When bums ask me for change I often tell them that they should be giving me money as they are at a financial balance of zero or positive and I am terribly in the negatives. Therefore, I am more poor than they are and they should be giving me money and that if they didn't pay up, then I might take whatever change they have from them through violent action. Sometimes they leave me alone at that point, for the most part they are quick to anger and try to fight back. Some of them are pretty funny, especially when you get them caught in their own lies.
I may seem rude with this post, but you can also look at it as tough love. I respect someone who wants to be "off the grid" but don't do it by harassing innocent people. We can make our streets better (and safer) if we sometimes looked at the bigger picture as well.
Please note that I do not include mentally unstable people in this description.
In North America, in 2009, you should never worry that the beggar you see is starving. They aren't. Ever. I've never seen a beggar accept an offer of food, and I doubt I ever will.
Which is not to say that they don't need assistance - they do. Substance abuse and mental problems are real and serious. But they don't need food, they aren't starving, and you shouldn't make donation decisions on the belief that they are.
Remember the Bay/Bloor moaning/crying begging woman who got busted by the Sun as they tailed her getting into a decent car and driving to her home in the burbs?
Tabloid journalism at its finest.
There are many reasons for this. One of them is they don't eat well. They can't afford to.
I met a 60-year-old woman on Friday who had eaten nothing but fried potatoes for three days. There's a picture of her with all the food she ate over a week: flour, onions, a single red pepper, a can of pineapples from the food bank. Including the pitcher of tap water, there were 13 items on her little kitchen table."
taken from: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/737921--porter-how-sick-must-you-be-to-earn-a-better-diet
life decisions are imperative to the way your life goes.
Yes I feel sorry for a person in such a situation, but I don't believe begging is the answer.
Canned flavoured rice was my mainstay.
So I gave up on the scum of the universe, it's like feeding vermin. There more you provide the more there is. the only way to get past this is programs that will get people off the street. Do not give these people money.
Shit in fact don't give them TTC tokens either, i did once to a poor cancer patient that needed to get home, than he walked off saying he'll take a different route. I saw him selling it as i went by in the street car.
i know i gave up when mr hate started sounding reasonable to me, but he does. I been treated like dirt trying to help. I had enough.
Have you supported outreach? Compassionate legislation? Very few rational people choose to live in abject poverty. And fewer still choose to remain poor.
So you may get hustled every now and then. I rarely ever feel the need to get my guard up when dealing with the homeless. Make the decision to ignore or interact, you have that choice. It's one of many more choices you have over those who are destitute.
I have the choice to not pay my bills. In fact, I am one pay check away from being homeless. Yet I continue to make the decision to continue my financial means to live in a home and not harass people on the street.
Living in abject poverty is a lifestyle choice. they don't seem to be to hard done by it which is the funny part. There are shelters in stuff in place for people to sleep at night and then they are back out on the street the next day. Although the shelters are not the nicest place, I hear a lot of them get territorial at those shelters and get in bum fights. But lets face it, I get in fights with my housemates all the time.
No rational person chooses to be homeless. But rational people sometimes end up homeless as a result of circumstance. We have to help them climb back out of it. The irrational? Some we can help, some we can't.
Moreover, there are social systems in place to get these people cleaned up, and get jobs and so forth. So I can assume they are not being utilised by the increasing number of hobo's bothering me.
It really isn't a big deal. In fact millions of people in canada can manage to have a home. Its not difficult. If you legitimately can't manage your life that you live on the street and depend on using guilt tactics (which, btw is intelligent on its own) to raise money, then you must have some kind of mental disability.
Excuse me, but it is the scum who dirty the streets looking for a hand-out that destroy my faith in humanity not the people who can see it for what it is.
Have you been to any place with real poverty? Have you seen how those people live? They have it much worse than any street-person here but they go out an find ways to make money that don't involve saying "gimmie". That is real desperation and many of those living on the street got there on their own volition. I have known people who were there and fought their way out and their take on the scene echoes what people here are saying.
There are so many goddamn programs, funds and soup kitchens that people with drive can get out. Don't cry your bleeding heart out here until you acknowledge this fact.
Nobody said all "homeless are scum" and if you are hungry it could be your own fault since I see plenty of free food handouts and plenty of people offering food to these bums. As for university students "choosing" what to eat, you're an idiot. University kids are often on shoestring budgets. I know, I was one but you know what I did when I had no money and no food? Can you believe, I got a job.
I love how someone who uses the screen name "meh" which an interjection denoting indifference harps about losing his/her faith in humanity.
I suppose you feel food banks are just for people who are too cheap to buy food, eh?
Adn no one attacked food banks, they are htere because they are needed, i'm from an immigrant family and arrived here with nothing. Hard work from my family is what got me where i am. There is a shit load of programs for street kids, there are programs to get adults to work. A lot of the guys begging seem quite able bodied. The only people I feel sorry for are the mentally ill and elderly.
If you begging outside the LCBO the intentions are clear in my mind. Yes I judge.
Beggers cant be choosers, he got nothing.
The first time this happened to me, I went for it and gave $5. Few weeks later - I had a similar story happen, I declined to give anything. Then the other day, my friend mentioned another similar situation.
Makes me more inclined to think people doing this are scamming and not actually stranded.
Sucks though, because there has been once or twice where I've lost/forgotten my wallet somewhere and have often thought "how would I get home if I didn't live within walking distance?" - it's a pretty believable situation to find yourself in, but the delivery of their stories feels more scheming than needy.
That wiley bum waited in front of my car while I wasn't looking fall all over my hood in hopes of guilting me into giving him money. I was certainly angered (in a funny way). his response was that he had the right of way, and I told him to call the cops because I would rather go to jail than give him money.
(also I do believe thatguy is right, no right turns from Castle Frank onto Bloor)
(Don't get me started on all those socialist ideals/programs that these people continuously take advantage of, which my hard work and taxes paid for)
You can't walk through Allen's Gardens on any given day without being accosted by one or more of these freaks. Ship them to Elliot Lake: there's plenty of housing available there.
LOL!