We have a landfill in RI that will reach capacity in 2040 at current load rates. That's only around 16 years. If the Smiley administration keeps going through and throwing way absolutely everything unhoused people own, beyond the obvious cruelty, they are also hastening the timeline for our landfill to be full with items that are most likely perfectly usable and have no business being at the landfill. We have no alternative in the works. Where the eff do they expect these people to go, exactly? I think it's time to move an encampment to his lawn.
I can't blame the truck drivers - it's their jobs. At the very least, they could have stopped at the gate and given the people time to pack up. I'm sure they can find plenty of litter and crap on the streets in that area to kill time. This destroying of property seems to be the norm in R.I. Didn't Cranston do the same thing? The City gives the police a heads up. The police then give the encampment a heads up. Does the City give the advocates a heads up? It's all well and good to advocate but where are they at 2 AM??? Is anybody helping them pack up? Obviously not. The excuse will be that there is no place to take them. While true, people like this lady, have possessions that they can't pack alone.
Nobody should be destroying their stuff. Let them pack and the City can give them a receipt and put it in storage - there are more than enough storage facilities around. Give them 60 days to retrieve it. They can move faster without carrying their world around. It's more organized.
There are plenty of empty buildings in the state. Not every single one has no roof. I'm sure there are enough that could use some minor renovations to get them in before winter shows up. If there's a bathroom and a place to put down a sleeping bag, it keeps them out of the weather until something better can be provided. With the number of advocates, there has to be some with handyman skills. There are probably some of the homeless that can paint or use a hammer, too. They can't moan and sit there doing nothing. They need to pitch in - it's their community. Reinforce the fact that they will benefit and appreciate the property more. They won't be likely to destroy it. People take pride in their work. If we continue to cater to everyone, nothing will get done.
I don't know these people but I would guess that they were brought up with values instilled in them. They may have lost those values because of circumstances that drove them to the street. Making them useful and appreciated is a sign of respect, something most haven't had in a very long time.
What we're doing is only a step, not a solution. In many cases, we're enabling this. We have to give them some responsibility and hold them to it. These are adults and should be treated as such. It will be slow going to change their mind set because we've made them dependent. It's time to let them grow and be free. It's their lives, not ours but we can teach them to live their best lives.
Mayor Smiley takes his marching orders from the millionares. disgusting. Not even letting people pick up their stuff is absolutely insane.
We have a landfill in RI that will reach capacity in 2040 at current load rates. That's only around 16 years. If the Smiley administration keeps going through and throwing way absolutely everything unhoused people own, beyond the obvious cruelty, they are also hastening the timeline for our landfill to be full with items that are most likely perfectly usable and have no business being at the landfill. We have no alternative in the works. Where the eff do they expect these people to go, exactly? I think it's time to move an encampment to his lawn.
I can't blame the truck drivers - it's their jobs. At the very least, they could have stopped at the gate and given the people time to pack up. I'm sure they can find plenty of litter and crap on the streets in that area to kill time. This destroying of property seems to be the norm in R.I. Didn't Cranston do the same thing? The City gives the police a heads up. The police then give the encampment a heads up. Does the City give the advocates a heads up? It's all well and good to advocate but where are they at 2 AM??? Is anybody helping them pack up? Obviously not. The excuse will be that there is no place to take them. While true, people like this lady, have possessions that they can't pack alone.
Nobody should be destroying their stuff. Let them pack and the City can give them a receipt and put it in storage - there are more than enough storage facilities around. Give them 60 days to retrieve it. They can move faster without carrying their world around. It's more organized.
There are plenty of empty buildings in the state. Not every single one has no roof. I'm sure there are enough that could use some minor renovations to get them in before winter shows up. If there's a bathroom and a place to put down a sleeping bag, it keeps them out of the weather until something better can be provided. With the number of advocates, there has to be some with handyman skills. There are probably some of the homeless that can paint or use a hammer, too. They can't moan and sit there doing nothing. They need to pitch in - it's their community. Reinforce the fact that they will benefit and appreciate the property more. They won't be likely to destroy it. People take pride in their work. If we continue to cater to everyone, nothing will get done.
I don't know these people but I would guess that they were brought up with values instilled in them. They may have lost those values because of circumstances that drove them to the street. Making them useful and appreciated is a sign of respect, something most haven't had in a very long time.
What we're doing is only a step, not a solution. In many cases, we're enabling this. We have to give them some responsibility and hold them to it. These are adults and should be treated as such. It will be slow going to change their mind set because we've made them dependent. It's time to let them grow and be free. It's their lives, not ours but we can teach them to live their best lives.