Mayor Dave steals our money so he can harrass bums, hobos, and other transients!

[J pold]

I just started working Downtown as an intern in an office and my job right now is literally walk around Downtown and check tenants in buildings so I am always outside, I get asked probably a minimum or 5 times a day of spare change, and if I have some I will glady give it out, but it never excessed a dollar, but if I have no change then I will say sorry but if they ask I will always respond sometimes have a 10-30 second conversation ask how their day is going, and what not, they have always responded well and I have never encouterd any hostile behaviour from any homeless person.

But what really bothers me are they way some people treat homeless people downtown, most of time I see people just not respond when someone asks for spare change just pretend like they are not there which absolutely ridiculous IMO the least you can do is respond, treat them like you would any other person if they where not homeless, but what is worst is the who feel the need to belittle them, the Common response is “why don’t you get a job?” how can people actually say this to people? Who are you to tell someone you don’t even know how to live there lives?, they are asking for your help and you shoot them down and make them feel inferior, News flash people just because you work downtown and wear a 3 piece suit, and drive a SUV does not make you any better of a person than someone who is homeless, or anybody else for that matter, we all start out the same and we all finish the same

But what I hate the most is the absolutely observed fallacy that homeless people are dangerous, the other day I was walking down the street and a couple of feet in front of me a homeless man came up and asked a mid 20 year old girl for some change, she instantly wiped out her cell phone and told him to get away from her or she would call the cops, for what? Did she actually think that his guy was going to attack her in the middle of board day light? The reality of the situation is, the violence that goes on downtown is not the homeless, it’s the young rich males outside of cowboys, coyotes, Tequila, etc. that feel like they have something to prove and look for fights, almost every single person I know has a story or has been apart of violence outside or inside of a nightclub in Calgary but I have never herd a story about a crazy bum coming at them with a rusty knife demanding there wallets, so why is it that when we see a young white rich males approach us we don’t cross the street in fear? To me they are a lot of dangerous than any homeless person

[trew]

What I would like to see is an association of agencies set up to coordinate the full spectrum of services to help people survive on, and hopefully get off of the street. Services such as:

- Addiction
- Food/Shelter
- Family Services/ Counciling
- Education and employment
- Mental Health
- Medical Care

This association should then print out booklets of tickets that are available at every convienence and come with a tax receipt. Each ticket should have an address, phone number, graphical directions, etc. to a center were the homeless can get help.

People should buy these tickets and hand them to people on the street begging for change.

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by J pold

I just started working Downtown ............I will always respond sometimes have a 10-30 second conversation ask how their day is going, and what not.................... I see people just not respond when someone asks for spare change just pretend like they are not there which absolutely ridiculous IMO the least you can do is respond

Good for you. However if every time I was asked for change I gave 50¢, I would give out $2-3 per day, so $40-60 per month. I'm sorry but I don't have that kind of extra money to just throw away. That much money buys a season ticket for the Flames in the Black section.

It's good for you to be so noble; however most of us have seen reasons to be so jaded. Once in a pizza shop on 7th ave and 9th street a guy bummed $2 off my buddy "to buy a slice of pizza because I haven't eaten in X days." My buddy gave him the toonie; and the guy left the store and walked into the liquor store next door.

As for talking to them; I'm sorry but I have nothing to say to them.

[ericschand]

Originally Posted by J pold

I just started working Downtown ...
(edited)

But what really bothers me are they way some people treat homeless people downtown, most of time I see people just not respond when someone asks for spare change just pretend like they are not there which absolutely ridiculous IMO the least you can do is respond, treat them like you would any other person if they where not homeless, but what is worst is the who feel the need to belittle them, the Common response is “why don’t you get a job?” how can people actually say this to people? Who are you to tell someone you don’t even know how to live there lives?, they are asking for your help and you shoot them down and make them feel inferior, ...
(edited)

I moved here in 1996, and until 2004, my work had me walking
from client to client all through downtown.

What you see as rude and insensitive, is what I see as normal reaction.

Why? It's the same homeless people in 1996 that were there in 2004.
Even today, 2006, I can still see the same ones out there! *10* years!
Sure, a few have disappeared, but you can't tell me the one across the
street from Ceilies (sp?) hasn't been there for many years. Or the one
in front of the AMA office. Actually, he had a friend one block away,
and when you walk by them, you smell funny smoke all the time. They
used to hang out near the Starbucks on 8th, but they must've moved
on now. Or the guy who always has a cut/scrape/scar and wanders
down from the park next to Nexen (8th & 8th) to beg for money
for a while.

Then there was a guy who everyone was scared of, he would ask
for money, and if you said anything but "Yeah, sure" he would go
off and start cussing and swearing and yelling at you till you
disappeared. (over by TD Square, don't know, he would disappear
for a bit, then come back, disappear, come back, finally never
came back)

You know, I didn't have a problem buying the guys "homeless" newspaper
for a couple bucks, he's at least trying something. I didn't mind the
times when I went to buy a train ticket, and there was this guy
holding a few books of tickets, and he charged ticket cost + 25 cents.
Give him the quarter, why not, at least it was enterprising and showed
ingenuity. I watched, and others too would do it, probably thinking
the same thing. Don't know what happened to him either, hopefully
someone gave him a job, he was a helpful guy, would hold the train up
(by holding the door open) if you were running. ;-)

Another guy, who got written up in the newspaper, would keep one
of the areas under the railway bridges clean, and people would give
him money to do so. Another enterprising person they didn't have
a problem with.

But to walk by a few corners, day after day, year after year, and it's
the same people, asking for money, over and over, even though
you've said no many many times. It gets frustrating, I felt like screaming
many times, "I've been by here 100's of times, and you still can't
figure out I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU MONEY?!?!?!"

A co-worker of mine went off on one beggar when he looked down,
and saw the beggar was wearing a pair of new $100+ Nike's. My
co-worker knew the price because his son had shown him a pair.
So he asked the guy, "Why should I give you money, when you
have $100 shoes on, and I'm wearing $20 Walmart specials?!?!"
At this point the bum goes off, so co-worker did too.

ers

[Scorponok]

Originally Posted by J pold

News flash people just because you work downtown and wear a 3 piece suit, and drive a SUV does not make you any better of a person than someone who is homeless, or anybody else for that matter,

If you hold down a steady job and can afford all those things, then the truth is, you ARE better than one of those people, because at least then you are contributing to society and not being a scum sucking parasite and a drain on society's resources. Sorry, it's the truth.

[J pold]

I moved here in 1996, and until 2004, my work had me walking
from client to client all through downtown.

What you see as rude and insensitive, is what I see as normal reaction.

Why? It's the same homeless people in 1996 that were there in 2004.
Even today, 2006, I can still see the same ones out there! *10* years!
Sure, a few have disappeared, but you can't tell me the one across the
street from Ceilies (sp?) hasn't been there for many years. Or the one
in front of the AMA office. Actually, he had a friend one block away,
and when you walk by them, you smell funny smoke all the time. They
used to hang out near the Starbucks on 8th, but they must've moved
on now. Or the guy who always has a cut/scrape/scar and wanders
down from the park next to Nexen (8th & 8th) to beg for money
for a while.

Then there was a guy who everyone was scared of, he would ask
for money, and if you said anything but "Yeah, sure" he would go
off and start cussing and swearing and yelling at you till you
disappeared. (over by TD Square, don't know, he would disappear
for a bit, then come back, disappear, come back, finally never
came back)

You know, I didn't have a problem buying the guys "homeless" newspaper
for a couple bucks, he's at least trying something. I didn't mind the
times when I went to buy a train ticket, and there was this guy
holding a few books of tickets, and he charged ticket cost + 25 cents.
Give him the quarter, why not, at least it was enterprising and showed
ingenuity. I watched, and others too would do it, probably thinking
the same thing. Don't know what happened to him either, hopefully
someone gave him a job, he was a helpful guy, would hold the train up
(by holding the door open) if you were running. ;-)

Another guy, who got written up in the newspaper, would keep one
of the areas under the railway bridges clean, and people would give
him money to do so. Another enterprising person they didn't have
a problem with.

But to walk by a few corners, day after day, year after year, and it's
the same people, asking for money, over and over, even though
you've said no many many times. It gets frustrating, I felt like screaming
many times, "I've been by here 100's of times, and you still can't
figure out I DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU MONEY?!?!?!"

A co-worker of mine went off on one beggar when he looked down,
and saw the beggar was wearing a pair of new $100+ Nike's. My
co-worker knew the price because his son had shown him a pair.
So he asked the guy, "Why should I give you money, when you
have $100 shoes on, and I'm wearing $20 Walmart specials?!?!"
At this point the bum goes off, so co-worker did too

I can unserstand why you feel the way you do and I am sure it does get frusterating after seeing the same people over and over, but for me this is the frist time I have ever been exposed to downtown and a regualr basis and perhaps I am just not desensatised by the treatment towards the homeless

[GreenTeaFrapp]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

A good chunk of the people on the streets have mental illnesses or severe addiction problems.

I guess that's why so many homeless I see in downtown Ottawa wear Maple Leafs gear.

[Calgary Flames]

I've been to SF where there are a ton of street people... they are harmless though from my experiences of course you've gotta be on guard because they may be mentally unstable but some are just good people and their life is in the crapper... I bought one guy a coffee cake from Starbucks. Made his day.

Bums in Calgary are like freaking businessmen, they probably pull in at least $100 a day bothering people then they go to the "Hobo Hotel (Salvation Army) at night. Where's the insentive to get a job??

I've flat out told homeless people, sorry I need the money more than you. As a student it really ****ed me off because I really needed the money... They give you attitude but what can you do?

I will admit that I do descriminate when I see homeless people... you're not getting diddly if you're fit and young or look intoxicated. I will help people out who are disabled physically, and the elderly homeless people. I don't buy mental disabilities either. There's plenty of help out there for mentally disabled people of all walks of life.

My major beef is the overall free pass given to homeless people. People are a bunch of chicken****s. Giving money to them out of fear then compassion.

[J pold]

Originally Posted by Scorponok

If you hold down a steady job and can afford all those things, then the truth is, you ARE better than one of those people, because at least then you are contributing to society and not being a scum sucking parasite and a drain on society's resources. Sorry, it's the truth.

I am sorry but I completely disagree, IMO only the truly arrogant feel they are better than someone else, I am fortunate to be born into a reasonably wealthy family and have had many advantages in my life that most people don’t have, most people that live on the street have never had any of the advantages that I am so fortunate to have, most of them come from low income poverished(sp) homes, and are exposed to drugs and addiction at a young age, and just because I go to work for 40 hours a week, and contribute some what to society does not make me any better of a person, Homeless people are not “scum sucking parasites” as you so intelligently put it, they are people like you or me, with mothers and fathers and when you die you will be put in the same ground as them.

[jolinar of malkshor]

The fact is these people have made choice in thier life that they must live with. There are MANY programs in the city and province in which they can access but for whatever reason are content with what they have. I feel much more for the working people who do not have a home because it costs an arm and a leg to live in Calgary.

As for the mayor taking the refund that the province has provided the municipalities. The Mayor was, is and will continue to be a liberal with liberal spending tendancies. Spend, spend spend. Whatever it takes. Tax, tax, tax. As much as it takes.

[Incogneto]

Originally Posted by Scorponok

@ sensationalist title ^^

What do y'all think? This was in the newspapers today. The police force gets a boost in funding (good) but it comes at the expense of our tax dollars (bad) in a time when the province is just rolling in the dough. (good)

But the real issue is, will this help lower crime in the downtown core? Or will it just move to a different area as so many people say?

And will YOU be personally affected?

Get those Blasted Jay-Walkers!!!

[Calgary Flames]

I grew up living in a housing project and now I live in West Springs. My dad was a foster kid growing up and lived on the streets for a while in the U.S. I always had trouble in school because of outside distractions of which I'll leave out for personal reasons.

Why my family is succesfull now? HARD WORK and BEING RESILIANT to the day to day **** that these bums can't handle.

I am better then a bum. I'm not afraid to say it either. In fact i'll go on to say that it makes me feel good inside knowing I fought through some messed up situations to end up being a College graduate when I didn't even know if I'd graduate high school.

Like I said, some are just physically unable to get their lives together, others are lazy scum sucking parasites.

I'm not afraid to lay my opinions all out, so if you're offended by this... I appologize but that's my take. Life isn't easy.

[habernac]

if you want to truly help these people, offer to buy them a sandwich or a coffee, or give to the organizations that actually help them. Giving them money directly just feeds the addiction.

[Calgary Flames]

Originally Posted by habernac

if you want to truly help these people, offer to buy them a sandwich or a coffee, or give to the organizations that actually help them. Giving them money directly just feeds the addiction.

In a nutshell, I agree with My. Habby

[J pold]

Originally Posted by Calgary Flames

I grew up living in a housing project and now I live in West Springs. My dad was a foster kid growing up and lived on the streets for a while in the U.S. I always had trouble in school because of outside distractions of which I'll leave out for personal reasons.

Why my family is succesfull now? HARD WORK and BEING RESILIANT to the day to day **** that these bums can't handle.

I am better then a bum. I'm not afraid to say it either. In fact i'll go on to say that it makes me feel good inside knowing I fought through some messed up situations to end up being a College graduate when I didn't even know if I'd graduate high school.

Like I said, some are just physically unable to get their lives together, others are lazy scum sucking parasites.

I'm not afraid to lay my opinions all out, so if you're offended by this... I appologize but that's my take. Life isn't easy.

Obviously what you and your family has done is very respectable, and from the sounds of it, you have had to deal with a lot obstacles in your life them me, but since we are on the topic of where we came from, I was always raised and told that no one is better than anyone else that if you are happy with what you have and can respect yourself that’s all that matters, if you spend your life comparing yourself with to other people than you will never be content with what you have

Your opinion doesn’t offend I just think that it is arrogant

[V]

I've got some first-hand experience with the homeless, and my take on it is that if he doesn't want to help himself, no amount of help you give them is going to make a difference.

I'll offer them some food, but that's as far as it goes for me.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Scorponok

If you hold down a steady job and can afford all those things, then the truth is, you ARE better than one of those people, because at least then you are contributing to society and not being a scum sucking parasite and a drain on society's resources. Sorry, it's the truth.

No its not.

If you hold down a steady job and can afford all these things you are lucky to be in that position instead of one of the many that suffer on the streets for reasons that you clearly don't understand.

You are lucky. Not better.

[JiriHrdina]

Another point to make.

A good chunk of homeless peopel do have jobs. They are the working poor.

Consider this.

In order to get an apartment in this city you have to have:

$500 damage deposit (conservative estimate)
$1000 for first and last month's rent

So even if you have a job that you can afford to get an apartment you still have to come up with $1500 extra to get it. Often this is what prevents many from getting off the street. They can't ever save that $1500.

Its a complex issue and the "just get a job" attitude is really quite out of touch with what is really going on.

[V]

In some cases. Is my mom luckier than my uncle just because she didn't get into drugs and he did? Same upbringing, same circumstances, one was just stronger willed than the other. Is that luck?

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Dominicwasalreadytaken

In some cases. Is my mom luckier than my uncle just because she didn't get into drugs and he did? Same upbringing, same circumstances, one was just stronger willed than the other. Is that luck?

Tough question to answer. Is having or not having an addictive personality "luck"? I don't know. But my point is that I think very very few people are on the streets becaues they choose to be there.