And We wonder why America is going down hill, guess a homeless person is just about as important as a dead bird, because a Cat or a Dog is more important ... If someone was killing Cats & Dogs everyone be so concerned but since it's just a homeless person guess that just don't mean anything ....

RICK, it mattered enough that 2 people chased this guy for a quarter mile. Not sure if they'd have run that far for a "pet killer", but who know? They might have.

rick is right. pets get better treatment in this country than many citizens. we need to find a solution for the homeless, many of whom are veterans of our us military. shows what the politicians really think, when they come out on veterans day and tell everyone to support the troops and wear those BS flag lapel pins, all the while up to 25% of the homeless population are US veterans.

I do have empathy for anyone that has chosen a life on the streets - it could have easily been me. Fortunately, I was left with enough desire and mainly a good support system to do something about it. This is a a decision made by these people to assert their free will and choose a life on the streets; just as the killer is asserting their will and will face consequences that will eventually come from these choices. May these homeless persons find help and protection. They may have less than us, but are not less than us in humanity.

about that,

"This is a a decision made by these people to assert their free will and choose a life on the streets"

Not necessarily. Some people may choose to live a life on the streets, but I don't think most do.

Mickey, what I am saying is that a person who is Homeless could find shelter in a center supported by Red Cross etc. , find job counseling or avail themselves of a multitude of support systems. Granted some are psychologically unable to cope, schizophrenic or mentally challenged, there are a host of reasons. Most people write in the context of a majority position of their view as I did. But, you are certainly entitled to your own free will belief.

first of all RICK even a well taken care of dog spends most of its life board to tears,and eats the same thing for every meal,not a great life . we pet owners form a emotional bond with are pets not unlike you mite with a relative.just as you would be more upset if the murdered men were your Friends than if they were strangers so to if someone hurt a dog that you know.

About that.....your completely Wong the homeless do not chose to live on the street,there are many reasons you can end up there ie:insanity,abusive environment,your life savings swindled from you the list go's on and on the point is no one chooses the life.

um, Rick...why do you say such things? Sounds to me that they are very serious stopping this killer, no matter who he kills.

As for the homeless having a choice...really? I came close...and I managed to finally do what I needed to do. I highly doubt anyone wants to live like that...you have no idea what has happened in their lives and why they are where they are.

Next time you come across someone that could use a helping hand, do what you can to help out, and hope you never have to go that far to survive.

about that,

"Granted some are psychologically unable to cope, schizophrenic or mentally challenged, there are a host of reasons."

You make some good points, but as you yourself pointed out, there are good reasons why many may not be able to take advantage of support systems. One thing you didn't mention is the fact that many of those who find themselves homeless may not even know that such support systems exist. I just think you place too much emphasis on free will. Not everything in life is a matter of free will. Willing is nothing more than wanting, and I may want to flap my arms and fly to the moon, as Charlie Brown puts it, but it just will not work.

about that stated to the effect that some choose to stay on the street. This is true. The article stated the homeless man who was killed felt he had all he needed. Also, I remember many years ago a documentary that addressed the plight of the homeless. A home was provided for a homeless female who later returned to riding the subway...she returned to the street.

many homeless choose the street to get away from the system that has its hand out for everything. You want a place, pay, you want food, pay, you want to take a crap in our bathroom, pay(be a customer), and not just once, but regular. Monthly, weekly, daily. It turns you into a slave, and all you do is stress over money and where is the next batch coming from. And every cent you do get, goes to the people with their hand out. Theres almost never any left for you.

Nearly every street person will tell you they are FREE, because they left all that behind. You dont owe no one nothing on the street. I lived on the street for 4 years as a youth. Broken family and all that.

Life is a life regardless what manner you live it in and NOBODY has the right to take that away like this. Some people choose this and some are forced into it. Sad it is but it was not up to this man to decide.

Here is what makes me angry. (My own opinion) In America, there are funds being sent to all these other countries to feed the hungry, rebuild their countries and so on and so on. Yet, look around ANY city in America and what do you see? Homeless, hungry and sick people. Our country spends SO MUCH money feeding others when it could be spending that money to take care of our own. We have children and adults that are starving and we support everyone else. I really don't understand that. I would love an explanation that would make it all make sense. I'm not stupid, I just really don't understand the thinking. I realize that some of these people "choose" this lifestyle, but not everyone does.

Agreed, Monkey. Like Free above, who lived on the streets as a youth - that is just wrong, those kids twist in the wind and are being failed by society. For adults, like Vets who cannot cope or choose not to for whatever reason, adults who are mentally ill but cannot by law be forced to take their meds if passive enough, more should be done here at home. In Socal, due to the moderate temps, we see a lot of homeless loners. (Hawaii, with 25% of their income from military, has a huge population too. FL also has more than its share.)

At least homeless families and youth should be priority, those asking for help.

For years predators have preyed upon prostitutes, drunks, drug addicts, etc. So why would it surprise people they have also taken to killing the homeless? They look for victims of opportunity....thinking who will notice or care, if they go missing and/or turn up dead.

Every person counts not just your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. Think about the next time a mental health levy comes up or you see a plea for donations for homeless shelters, etc.

Many homeless shelters are so overwhelmed that they give priority to children, women and then men. Adult males are very often turned away. He may well have had no choice but to be on the street.

Sadly, this article confirmed what I posted about a week ago, when the story of homeless people being targeted first broke and the nasty comments supporting it started to flow, about homeless statistics in general: namely, that a high percentage of homeless are veterans. I understand that today's veterans have a 6 month waiting period to receive treatment for PTSD on average. Active duty soldiers and vets both self-treat with alcohol, so the homeless statistics are only going to get worse.

about that

Mickey, what I am saying is that a person who is Homeless could find shelter in a center supported by Red Cross etc. , find job counseling or avail themselves of a multitude of support systems.

Really? In the community I live in, there is one homeless shelter. It only allows women, children and married couples. Single men are not allowed there. They are told to go to the nearest shelter that takes single men that is 45 miles away. How are they suppose to get there? Our local shelter provides no transportation. There's all this talk about "support services." Yes, there are such things, but they are few and far between. Look at the news story about the 17-year-old girl in the New York area who, along with her family, was homeless. Both her parents lost their low-paying jobs because of a car accident and couldn't get to work and without money they couldn't pay rent and ended up on the street. Still, that girl did the best she could and ended up in the finals in a high-school science fair resulting in several scholarships for college (where she wants to get a Ph.D. in maritime biology). Because of the story, her family finally got subsidized housing. But only because of the story and those who can provide, both government and private, were shamed into doing it. If there had been no nationwide story, they'd all still be homeless.

It's utter nonsense to say that homeless people have access to services. If that was true, there would be no homeless. We've failed as a society and with the growing trend towards rich corporatism, it's only going to get worse.

Jerry,

I couldn't have said it better myself! Thanks!

I lived my whole life on the streets, before I got therapy. I was totally convinced that I was a manhole cover. Now that I look back, it seems strange that I ever thought that. The mayor is none too pleased, since his car tire got stuck in the open manhole. Oh well, not my problem.

its terrible when someone has already lost every thing there is still someone out there that wants that last drop. the death penalty is appropriate. may those homeless finally rest in peace.

not really, the walking farts in the grocery store keep me laughing. Everyone looks around thinking who did that and hope people don't think they did it.

Plain Bob,

Have you ever considered changing your name to "Strange Bob"? LOL J/K with ya.

i was going to go with... deep thoughts by....plain bob...but it was to long...

LOL hmmmm "dtbpb" doesn't really do it, either..."crazy bob"? naw, there are LOTS of crazy people, you'd just blend in.... "apple bob"? you could drive people crazy who try to figure out if there is a meaning to that one and what that meaning could be ..naw.. guess "plain bob" isn't too bad at that. think I hurt my brain with all that work. Well, have a happy, just plain 'ol Bob.

uh, bob...since you're here...just wondering how your condition is today.

An eye for an eye only makes the whole world blind-Mohandas K. Gandhi

Morons! there everywhere seeking their identity. #4-4.4

Talk about the homeless, I give you the mindless.

here's hoping they find him dead...

If the guy they have isn't the murderer, then I hope the dirtbag comes up on the wrong homeless person and gets his just desserts, slowly and very painfully.

then he can say, "Bob up and kiss my ass..."

The police seem to be pretty sure that they have the right person. I pray they are right.

Life is tough enough on the streets, trying to survive the heat, the cold, the lack of necessary survival needs. I have a son who has lived on the streets, not by choice, but because he committed a crime 25 years ago as a teenager, served his time, was paroled, but cannot get a place to live because he committed a crime that was called a felony 25 years ago. I am disgusted with the people in this country who cannot stop judging others to make themselves feel better.

God help us.

Gene,

They may have been too close already and he didn't want to jump in his car and give them a licence plate number. Besides the car wouldn't be that close, lest he disturb the victim. Could be what he was running to. If this was a copycat, his career was short.

Making the assumption of that you have the right man beyond a shadow of doubt -ie Perfect DNA match -and he has no NEAR male relatives.

they start out with easy vics and then they become braven. most are sociopathic and just do not understand the emotion of the norm. then do not care if you are homeless or not. but they just might start there. this was just this psycho's favorite hunting ground,,,period. and the criminal lifespan involing indigents is much longer than those that move up in class. only then do they get taken seriously quicker. the number of active serial killers would alarm people if they knew. there are stats on this and it is scary. they are social devients but somehow fit in and go unnoticed for a long time. smart and carefull and think they are bullerproof!

Toally Unable to emphasize with others.

We are thankful too....

look...this is the greatest country in the world. However I understand there are things that happen in this life that make us feel the way we do, and I just hope you are happier wherever you are.

In spite of all the @!$%# you hear about our little corner of the world, I love it here.

I am very gratefull for what I have.

Did it occur to you WHY the Euro is collapsing, too many free loaders in the system!

Why work, the government will care for me!

Gotta hand it to you, lookatmycastle. At least when you no longer liked it here, you left. I had a relative who spent a month's vacation in Thailand and Cambodia a few years ago. He came back talking about how great it was there, how much more honest and trustworthy the people were, how cheap everything was. When I asked him why he came back, though, he had no answer.

We have the same problem here. Too many really rich people here feel that they owe nothing to the society whose resources they used to make their money. Their creed is, basically, "I got mine, now s___— everyone else." It's why our economy is doing so poorly, too.

lookatmycastle, kudo's to you for moving out of America, then, since you hate it so much. My only problem with people ripping on this country when they live here is that they don't put their money where their mouth is and move.
Glad you found a place you like and that makes you happy. Peace.

There are people who live in the streets in every country just ask some of your EU friends to point them out. The police like they do in the US tend to keep them out of the tourist areas. In the US there are a huge number of homeless its just they are not actually sitting in the street where you can see them so people don't know they exist. I would bet the US have as big a safety net as any EU country

The homeless you see in the street in most cases have refused help which unfortunately sometimes is their right. You get into that slippery area of can we take away your freedom to do all the drugs or alcohol you want to save your life. Anyone who has dealt with a addict knows how messed up their thought process is.

" WHY the Euro is collapsing, too many free loaders in the system!"

Never mind the overbuilt housing markets (Spain), the governments that made poor choices in revenue expectations (Iceland, Greece, ecet) and those that didn't trim their waste (corruption in banking, ecet) .... in fact the same REASONS for the most part as the USA.

In addition we merely financed the RICH with MASSIVE TAX CUTS, fought unnecessary wars (On the ground), lied about the GOALS and projected outlooks of those wars to the PEOPLE.

So the question is are you SIR, merely a lying, hypocrital, upper crust wanna be, -or just a stupid follower of Fux News (STUPID because anyone who has witnessed history over the last 10 years can't be THAT EFFING IGNORANT)

My family and I have worked with the homeless in a number of ways - by personally befriending and helping some on the streets, through church-sponsored shelter programs, and by donating things (typically clothing) we don't want or can't use. In the discussion of this article I have read so far, there seems to be missing the recognition of certain issues the homeless face when trying to get help - documents. For example, if a family or person is evicted, most times all their belongings are put out on the curb to be picked over by passersby and quickly hauled away to who knows where. I have heard multiple times from homeless people that their critical identification was lost in an eviction - identification that the "system" demands in order to even consider helping those who want help. And, by the way, I think it is agregious behavior of the sheriffs' departments to place personal property on the curb rather than to store it (at some modicum cost - probably a small sum as compared to te value of the property) for later retrieval. The cost of replacing the lost property simply adds to the already nearly insurmountable task of getting back into a normal living situation

And, yes, a number of you correctly identify mental illness (which, by the way is in higher incidence in veterans of combat), and addiction, and broken families, in addition to job loss and shrinking social-program budgets, all as root causes of homelessness.

For those of you who wrote to say they pitch in personally - BRAVO!! For those of you who simply carp at the lack of a sponsored social sefety net, get off your duff and roll up your sleeves - BECOME PART OF THE SAFETY NET WE ALL NEED.

Who said the homeless were the only targets?

Charles Manson went after the wealthy, had them killed in their homes.

With the high security of today's Beverly Hills and surrounding areas where the "stars" live, seems highly unlikely a stranger would make it to the main house.

John,

Try not to be TOO hard on us, we're a comparatively young country. And change is hard, and always fought by those who are afraid of it, or would lose from it. But change is also enevitable when enough people want it. As a country, we haven't finished growing up, thats all.

Good point nightwalker. Those adolescent years with hormones rushing through the veins can blind one to the truth. The accompanying feeling of invulnerability and superiority wains and wisdom follows with maturity. Good luck America with your growing pains.

..but what does it cost you? All that neato stuff has a price...maybe not monetarily...but there's definitely a price.

<I mover to one of those "Socialist" countries. People have the right not to be homeless as well as to have free education including university, top quality healthcare, free childcare, guaranteed pension, safe clean neighborhoods and great public transportation. Good luck with your capitalist demi-gods.>

Good luck in Venezuela.

hypocrite

hypocrite

That's the truth, how many babies are aborted every day??

Ken E913: I totally agree with you, if this scumbag is guilty, I hope he gets the death penalty. When someone goes around murdering innocent people, that person ceases to be part of the human race, and it's time to get rid of them, give them a taste of their own medicine. I heard that years ago, when the serial killer Ted Bundy was being led to the electric chair, that he started crying and fell on the floor, etc., all scared, and it took three men to pick him up and carry him to the chair. The POS could sure dish it out when it came to killing innocent young college students, but he sure couldn't take it could he? It will probably be the same way with this parasite, only I hope we don't have to wait 20 years and 50 appeals later.

"Drop this guy off in DC... Your killing the wrong people man! If you are going to be a sickk-o Get the right victims..."

EXACTLY WHAT are you saying? Joe Average in DC, or are you speaking of politicans and lobbists?

You have to remember in many cases homeless have CHOSEN to spend what little money they have on alcohol cigarettes or drugs rather than a place to sleep. Many of the homeless get disability checks but rather than 2 join together to get a cheap all bills paid apartment they would rather share a bottle on the street everyday.

....sadder still when so many are homeless who do not wish to be (homeless).

The differentiation is made in the first line, READ John.

PS: When was the last time you saw a cheap apartment anywhere?

I pay $500. a month for a l bedroom, I see a lot of homeless people on the streets drugged up or drunk, why not 3 people share the rent and then get a job, some of them do not want a place to live because then they know that they will have to give up the alcohol!

Suseq: Really? And where do you propose that they get the $500...plus first, last and deposit? Oh yea...and the $$ to start the lights, the water...and oh yea, who is going to let 3 homeless folks share an apartment with no job between them? Then there is food, healthcare, transportation and god forbid....maybe even cable? Well...they are just homeless and really dont deserve cable right?

Your statement is moronic. If it were that easy, nobody would be homeless and to make an assumption that all homeless are alcohol dependant just shows that you have zero idea as to what falls out of your mouth.

suseq & SweetAZ; Many landlords and agencies will not allow multiple persons in an apartment rented to just the individual. In many cases these lead to problems with drug and alcohol usage and to the buildings becoming "Flop Houses".

Welll they can't do that because the people left in the neighborhoods don't want "those people" in their neighborhood!!!! They are too decent and too pure to have to rub elbows with someone that isn't as pure and decent as they are.

The arrogance and oppression in this country against anyone who hasn't lived an outwardly perfect life is disgusting. Yet the beat goes on.

Define "Perfect"

" In the end...there's a place reserved for him when he croaks"

Big Rock-Candy Mountain ... eh?

We ALL will be (eventually) food for WORMS, and when the sun goes Nova ...TOAST!

Nah, all he has to do is repent.... and He will be Forgiven.... ? not sure, so many different interpretations (((Hocus Pocus... i don't actually Believe in ancient religion. and Besides, this guy needs serious judgement Right Now ! Fortunately The Court system wont be Forgiving anyone like him... unless your able to purchase a verdict, via your own O.J. Simpson style "Dream Team"... but that is one in a thousand Criminals, the rest Will Pay..... with any luck at all.

You don't need money to get a pardon, you merely need to work at a Governor's Mansion and be witness (or party) to what he does behind closed doors.

Dennis...cool...you are a good person...the world needs more like you.

Dennis - Yes, the world could definitely use more people like you. I volunteer and contribute to a battered womens shelter, in my community.

Sorry, why enable someone who refuses to help themselves?

It is one thing to help, if one is trying to get off bottom, quite another, when one is comfortable on bottom and chooses to be there!

Lynn W. What about contributing and volunteering to a MEN'S homeless shelter. NOT funny but I just don't see many of these...also aren't all the people killed men? Heck you didn’t even spell volunteering correct….are you sure you actually volunteer?

Hello Dennis,

I am now in my 50 - 60 something age range. My WHOLE Life I've been required to tell people that I am a WAM (white american male). That's only partially true as dreams, Spirit and other have invaded my Life on a regular basis AND they are NOT the "white euro dreams". This is NOT about race or creed or crime, it's about a reality that we have populated our world with peoples who, for lack of a better understanding were deemed "obsolete" whether by paycheck size, some addiction to something, inability to pay child support... these things which we get "punished" for on a regular basis because everyone is seeking this "final solution" INSTEAD OF simply trying to find something that will do all of what you say (food, shelter, clothes and community).

Along the way, some few 1000s of years ago, I had an ancestor that was a little darker skin than the euro-whites who came here to get away from something (natural disasters in S. America, too many people in Asia...but something). The euros did essentially the same thing if we consider shipping poor people's children to Australia a "final solution" to poverty in England.

You see, we have inherited a "system" of beliefs, regardless of religion or race that mocks the Human condition.... to share with one another.

Some claim it goes back to a group of people that populated Europe from the steppes of Asia that considered themselves Superior to the Native populations (BattleAxe culture).

All this aside, we have had a continuous shift of increasing populations and then "for some reason" the dinosaur-something happens and we IMplode. Once we are born, we can do nothing except "die" together IF all we are doing is keeping one foot in front of someone else to "take advantage" of the other situation so they have to "pay us MORE" (whatever that means).

Cherokee culture has allowed for both the people that wanted to have plantation size families and land AND also the same with people that wanted to live simple and fish-hunt game, raise a small garden, etc. It was a place where Public School Education was a fact of life 100s of years before the europeans came. But there is a story of how we started with 14 clans and got reduced down to 7 clans.... it had to do with Law. Laws that had allowed a culture to survive for 1000s of years. The "other clans" that did NOT follow these laws were simply told that they were no longer part of this Community.

Many of these other cultures that were required to leave, now live in upstate NY (which is where part of my family comes from). They left the South eastern parts of Turtle Island and moved to a place that was plentiful with game and other.

Here's the "other part" of all of this, nearest estimates are that in this "land of plenty" (aka Americas) over 150 Million died. Many of these people died violent deaths from the many wars and bouts with disease that are NOT recorded in American History books. So, we died.

I can tell you more about African Slave Trade in this country than I can about the early cultures of this Country, much of which is kept hidden by academics that still today believe that they have the "superior" information source and by the way are "the superior culture".

I am not a practicing Cherokee (and don't even know what that means) because like my great great grandmother I am told to "be white", trained to "be white" by this culture that was part of the genocide of my own people who's blood still runs through my own Heart.

I do NOT want to discount the work of all my euro-ancestors either, as they began coming here in 1602 from England, 1400s from Norsk groups and other. When we find Incan people buried with "friends" in Sweden, it's not "by accident". The Egyptians (and other sea faring peoples) would send out a group of boats to "head west"... they knew about our culture, as we(Turtle Island natives) also learned things from them.

The Egyptians had to solve similar problems, the Romans, etc. But as we can tell, if History is a teacher of these lessons, we too shall fall into the Shadows of a Light that once shown brightly, unless we can find our community Spirit that resides in all of us.

In my own belief, regardless of what Body (or culture) I have chosen to be or currently be a part of, I, as an individual have a more "direct responsibility" to help more than just myself. IF we think about it, the simple fact that we have sex organs (essentially know what to do with them) indicates that we are also about MORE than just our SELF pleasure. Without these things, why would men (or woman) have a need to be with the other.

We can SAY that we are NOT at war, but the typical starving person might have something different to say. I have also lived off $10/week as a student attending University on scholarship because there were NO programs for the poor to eat, excepting getting this scholarship.

I would say, once we passed the 1970s, things took a turn for the worse. Mostly Conservative elements fostering "independent Life" versus the more Liberal elements fostering "community Life". As is the case, it will be until our deaths, that we find this answer of who is really going to SURVIVE all of this.

To give you a feel for this, in ONE electromagnetic moment ALL of our electricity and computing systems/communications/... are done. Wake up with that thought tomorrow that you'll have to "contact" someone to get something done that you cannot do for yourself. ALL of our weaponry will be subject to systems that will be done. You can see it does not take a "stroke of genius" to take away the Story that has been written, known as the United States of America. In our thoughts, it may survive, but in the bigger Universe, our Hearts will not care about this.

In my Life, I had the experience of being in a Coma for 5 days after a venomous bite took it's final toll on my Body. I was given the chance to "come back" or "stay and go do other things". We do NOT lose our thoughts or feelings, but we somehow "get cleaned of" the garbage that resides in our Body. Whatever we have collected. It's no longer just about survival, because we were without the Body and we still existed, it's about the reality that we are ALL part of this community. Yes, there is a "higher source" that has rules of HOW we live in all of these places that are NOT of this Body. What's important is not just "winning the race", but "how we race (if that's what we choose)". Given that we DO have a Body AND we are Homeless, requires MORE than Thought to solve this and Death is not what you'd like to see for this person. My problem with all of this is that the man who died, did not die with Honor, with someone who cared about him either holding his head or his hand or someone who deeply loved him, able to wish him well on the "next part" of his Life's journey (which is now without this Body).

We can continue to live our lives Together ALONE (which is what Homelessness IS about) OR we can live our lives Together you-n-i. Once I started learning this ani yunwiya (cherokee) language I realized that I cannot exist without you, nor you without I because they do not have any words for I, you, he, she, it only these words for -- you-n-i, you-one-other, etc. IF there is a problem, you-n-i have a problem.

IF the politicians cannot get their act together, we should vote in a complete new Council of Nations/States/Peoples, starting with the Cherokee elders of the 5 Bands that live in Mexico, USA and Canada on Turtle Island. THEN, we would START with Community, once again. We have the right, under the Constitution of the United States, to disband this Nation, should the Leaders fail us. It was no different under the Cherokee culture, NOR the Seneka culture which already had a similar Federation of States/Clan groups which supplied much of the original

This is nice but I'm not sure it will do much to solve the problem. Unlike most countries; the leading cause of homelessness in the US is NOT poverty (though this may be changing). The leading causes of homelessness in the US are drug addiction, alcoholism, mental illness (who typically self medicate with drugs and alcohol) and choice. Rehab would likely do more to get people who WANT to help themselves back on their feet. Giving alot of these people cash money is going to create a bigger drug and alcohol problem. Putting a drug and alcohol addled mentally ill person in an apartment unsupervised is likely to lead to a host of problems. Also, alot of the people who pose as homeless (the ones on every corner with the signs) aren't. I saw a young man walk out of my apartment complex to the nearby highway exit and hold up a sign. In Cleveland the cars drop off beggers at East 8th Street at 8AM on weekdays and they walk around begging money they use for alcohol, cigarettes and lottery tickets. I know because I've seen them scratching a four inch thick pile at the end of the day. I worked with a lady whose brother was homeless, she took him in, found out he was getting a $3000 a month check, then threw him out. Now he sleeps on benches again. Money isn't always the answer.

DAVE - you are a complete and total IDIOT! Yes, volunteer is spelled correctly. Go back to school and maybe learn to read... Why don't YOU, instead of criticizing my spelling and MY volunteering and go out actually DO SOMEHTING FOR YOUR OWN COMMUNITY!!! Instead of nit picking my comment? I can volunteer anyplace I choose to! When the weather is warmer, I also volunteer at an animal shelter... What do YOU do? A$$ HOLE!!! I would bet you're the one that does no volunteering or giving back of any kind. TROLL!

"Cherokee people. Cherokee pride. So proud to live......."

The world needs some common sense. The poor need to stop reproducing. As long as people are paid to be poor (welfare), more and more poor and uneducated people will be flooding cities with no skills, no education, no future., and no way or interest in working to support themselves. Stop the welfare, start sterilizing broke unwed mothers, and this problem over time will go away. These are the hard cold facts of the matter. Most homeless people enjoy their life on the street, and wasting more taxpayer money on losers is not right. Let the churches feed and support the homeless, instead of hoarding real estate and assets to make the priest or pope wealthy. Let private charities work to help these people. The USA is broke, and those of us that still pay taxes are sick of helping losers.

Do you volunteer at anger management classes?

Well said, Denis C.

I wish that for all those who judge people who are homeless that they better hope that this economic crisis doesn't nudge them off their 'supposed' sure footing.

Unless you have tons of money saved up and I'm talking enough to keep your lifestyle the same for about 6 months, or more, which is the average time someone needs to find work these days, you really should be more compassionate and less judgmental.

I work in the social services field and I've witnessed people who had homes and 'secure' jobs for decades get laid off and then have to survive on 30% to 50% less income (remember, unemployment is 55% than what you made at work), so they can no longer pay their rent and all of their expenses...

Your world can topple over just as easily. Less judging and more pressure on our 'rich' country to prevent this inhumanity. Homelessness in a supposed first world country is an embarrassment.

Ps. I don't want to hear from people who are on their high horse about how those people want to be homeless bla bla bla. NO ONE WANTS TO BE HOMELESS. Get that through your thick skulls. This can happen to most of us--the sooner you admit that, the sooner we can all solve this problem.

Dennis C.-You are blessed and are a blessing! If more people were like you this country wouldn't be going to hell in a hand-basket like it is!!! Thank you for your loving heart and kind spirit!

And just how much is that going to cost the taxpayers? Social Security does not have enough money for the current recipients let alone adding more.

Why can't the states provide shelters? Why does the government in Washington think they can solve everything? They solve nothing. Put these people in shelters and get them off the streets.

And my guess is that this aid will be offered to illegal criminal aliens as well.

DennisC, I am a librarian and can attest to what you say. Many of our homeless patrons are highly educated and are a delight to talk to, and they will also inform us of shenanigans in the library, such as vandalism or people bringing in alcohol, etc. More and more we see families homeless, women with children, and teens, and young single (and working) adults, especially former foster children who now have no support and no family. Veterans also comprise a huge proportion of our homeless, and of course the mentally ill.

Of course there is a level of dysfunction that contributes to being homeless, but there is also plenty of dysfunction in the upper classes, including drug and alcohol use (in fact it is rampant), and children from these homes rarely end up homeless, but they are often disowned by their parents (for choosing to be a teacher instead of a doctor, etc.) and have no place to go on holidays. It is sad.

As for the men who choose to be on the streets, most of them have never given me a disrespectful word or look - more than I can say for some of the "normal" people who walk into the library, like the entitled moms who let their children pull books off shelves, the creepy guys who think librarians are just desperate spinsters from the movies, or the bratty teenagers who try to bring in food or who scream into their cell phones. These homeless men refuse money. They warn me to be careful at the bus stop in the dark. People need to see beyond the stereotypes.

Great comment Denis, Thanks you very much for the good words and thank you for your work.

"Sorry, why enable someone who refuses to help themselves?
It is one thing to help, if one is trying to get off bottom, quite another, when one is comfortable on bottom and chooses to be there!"

When you see yourself MtMike, as worthless, lying, stinking in the gutter ...... my Friend THEN we'll talk about VOLITION !

Mused, I agree and personally have often wondered why so many foster kids end up homeless when they reach 18. My hubby and I have fostered children for 22 years, the last one joined the Marines last year, two weeks before his 19th birthday, he still "lives" with us. When he comes home for leave, ours is where he comes, same goes with the rest of them, a total of 5 young men, (still our sons in our eyes) and two young women, who for all intents and purposes are still "daddy's girls... One moved and married and now has two of her own, and the other lives 9 miles away with her fiancee' and on my hubby's b-day last month, at midnight on the nose he received 9 text messages and one 19 year old daughter running into the house, jumped on the bed, and started singing happy b-day to him loud enough to wake the neighbors..lol poor old man is so abused. Anyone who kicks out a foster child the minute they turn 18 or graduate high school should never be allowed to foster again, they are in it for the check and don't give a hoot about the kids.

Dennis- Thank You for what you do and for inspiring others to follow your lead.

Joyce, the reason Social Security is in the sewer is BECAUSE all those great 'managers' in the government CANNOT manage. We HAD enough money in the Social Security fund until our political representatives took the money out of that fund and began to play around with it.

We need better solutions, we need better plans, we need to all contribute with ideas on how we are going to all live decent lives with the resources we have on this earth.

Yeah, it costs to keep a human healthy, with a place to live and food on the table but how much does it cost not to do this? Our humanity--that is how much it costs.

I think our faults are world wide. We have the technology to start to collaborate about how to implement better solutions about the global issues we have with regard to the safety, health and housing of human beings.

indeed there are a lot of educated homeless out there. They are the uncounted. They are fresh grads, with no means to stay enrolled in college any longer. They are grads from HS, long term employee's, as well short term. They have skills, but they have little means of getting a message from an possible employer.

They go on in the ranks of nobody,filth, lazy, uneducated. They look for work best they can. they already hit the same job 5 times or more looking for work, and refused. They keep a sliver of hope the next day will be better, meantime waiting for the end. these are people, and some people like MtMike who like to degrade these people have never been in their shoes other than KB commado style. they talk , but its value is lower than that of dung...

dont let the democrats hear you say that too loud....

Even the serial killer.