"Yesterday morning, two city police officers came to the City/County Building where the homeless man sleeps. The loading dock of the office building. One checked his I.D. and then apparently asked him to leave. Both officers waited until he packed up both of his sleeping bags and the rest of his belongings. The homeless man went one way and the two police officers went the other. As they were passing the windows of the City/County building, one of the officers made gestures and then gave a thumbs up to someone inside the office building. This seemed to be a signal that the officers sent the homeless man on his way.
I feel it is such a shame that these people have to live on the streets, some by their own choice and others because of circumstances and then to take a stance like that. This man has slept on that loading dock for more than a year and a half and the deputies used to ask him to leave if he overslept. His normal time leaving was about 8:00-8:30 and that would before the public started coming through those walkways. Now he does sleep in and probably has to do a lot with it is cold out there and he probably does not sleep as well. He has been rained on, snowed on, wind blowing and the heat. If one needs to sleep outside, at least he has a small roof over his head and a corner of a building to get away from some of the weather.
He hasn't been a problem sleeping out there for this entire time and now it makes me believe due to the upcoming election, the homeless are being dealt with now. What an embarrassment this has to be to the current administration and now to her possible replacement that has been her "yes man" the entire time. There is crime out there, and yes from time to time, homeless people commit the crimes, but lets not let an election bring on running these people away from their safest spots, away from what little shelter they have. And not knowing what conversations were had between the officers and the homeless man, checking his I.D., was this a way of putting him on notice not to sleep there anymore? I guess we will know that come Monday morning when everyone returns to work. Everyone knows who this man is, and just now, New Year's Eve day, they have to run him away from his sleeping quarters. And yes, I do know, if he had stayed on his schedule of being gone by 8:30 a.m. this would probably not have happened.
It is such a shame that we show compassion for our furry friends, but human beings are tossed aside. We should find a way of dealing with all life, furry and human. Maybe Linda Lugo can open up her building due to all the animals being adopted out, and replace the cages with mattresses. Okay, this went a bit far, but something needs to be done. Look at the Feldman Building, can it be renovated enough for homeless to have a warmer place to be able to stay. I wished I had the money to start some kind of program. I pick up animals on the side of the road but I am afraid to bring a human being home due to my children and not knowing the history or mental state of the person.
Have A Happy New Year!!"
Please GO HERE for the solution. As Americans, we need to work together and rebuild our Country. We do so by starting right here at home and electing new Leadership that want to make things better for ALL of us. Making things better does not mean $10,000,000.00 Fire Stations or a mega million dollar Library in a horrible economy. Unfortunately for MANY of you reading this Blog, you too will be hit hard and could become one of the Homeless. The old Fire Station 16 is sitting there doing NOTHING! It's bitter cold out. Open those damn doors and provide a place for these people to rest. The City AND County should work together to fund a project like this and set aside projects like the Dog Park for now. Set aside the renovations at the Zoo. Set aside the North Prong Project for now. You're welcome to add to this list if you'd like. We need to rebuild right here at home and never forget where we came from.
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Why can't they let the homeless sleep and SHOWER in the old Station 16 fire house. The city is just going to let it sit there and rot away.
ReplyDeleteRight like making him move somewhere else is the solution hahahhaa These people need to pull their heads from their collective butts.
ReplyDeleteIf students can be registered at Holloway Hall, then the homeless should be able to use the GOB as their residence so they can vote too. This isn't about student bashing, it's about representing and defense of the homeless.
I would like to say something about the "Downtown Homeless Guy." If you work downtown, like I do, you know the guy. If you've every talked to him, he's nice. but other than that, the guy pretty much keeps to himself. I have seen him everyday that I have worked in the area for the past 3 years and not once has he begged for change or taunted me. He simply carries about his own ways and gets by somehow. I respect him for that-he has enough pride in himself that he does not carry on with stereotypical homeless actions. I say if he wants to sleep around downtown then let him, until it becomes a truely real and endangering problem. I would actually like to know his "story" as to how he got to where he is-it could inspire people (including myself) to help those who are less fortunate. Thanks to you, Joe, on behalf of "downtown homeless guy" for trying to help out.
ReplyDeleteRight Dave, they should have been riding a drug infested neighborhood chasing drug dealers off the street instead of preying on the weak and vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteWhere are all the Churches, Thats right their busy building big shiny new places of worship.
ReplyDeleteThese kinds of situations are absolutely heartbreaking.There HAS to be a better solution to the plight of this man and others like him.
ReplyDeleteHistory will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people.
ReplyDeleteDr King.
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteWhere are all the Churches, Thats right their busy building big shiny new places of worship.
10:35 AM
I could not agree more. These mega churches could have done so much good for the community by building a modest sized church and use the rest of the money to house the homeless and batterred people we have in the area. Instead they reinforce the reason I do not attend church. HIPOCRISY!!!
God does not care about the size of the church only the spirit of the people attending. The pastors and boards of these churches think that they have to have these huge elaborate buildings that are rarely close to being full on Sunday.
9:14 is onto something. Many homeless set up near downtown out of necessity; because the area also lacks defined, reliable public transportation. Downtown is (regrettably) where the health dept/mental health/probation-parole offices are, as well as the public library and GOB. The ideal solution here combines providing the homeless a safe, warm, dignified bed WHILE taking advantage of buildings that would otherwise rot anyway. The old fire station is an outstanding example. The written agreement would require the homeless maintain weekly contact with the unemployment office and perform a token amount of community service repayment effort (clearing trash from the plaza/clearing debris from the river). The homeless get some basic health and safety needs met during freezing/inclement weather, as well as a chance to regain their dignity and earn a paying job (where eventually they will pay taxes). Since the homeless now have a stake in keeping the downtown clean (something about not pooing where you eat), the whole community gets a cleaner and safer downtown back. A cleaner, safer downtown will begin to draw vendors (offering taxable jobs), tenants and residents back, which then turns abandoned, moldy buildings back into community tax revenue streams. If you want to put some gravy on these potatos; also stop clogging the court system with SU open-container, simple possession and noise ordinance violations. Liason with the University to share some of their obvious wealth and let them police their own minor crimes-penalty is community (THIS community...not Severna Park) service downtown...which gives them a stake in keeping our town clean and safe too...and if they feel clean and safe maybe they will stay and pay taxes here (and stop vomiting in mailboxes on Thursday nights)...see what I am getting at. Problem is all the powers that be around here seem to drive their large luxury vehicles straight out of downtown every day before the sun sets towards their sprawling McMansions in possum country, and as a result THEY HAVE NO STAKE IN MAKING THE DOWNTOWN BETTER THEMSELVES!!
ReplyDeleteIt probably is politically motivated...no one wants to see the homeless, it's so depressing.
ReplyDeleteA homeless man or womans eyes make us see our own vulnerbility, and we don't want to face that everyday.
When we make the effort to help them we find ourselves headlocked with the very system that got them there in the first place.
If the city were to turn the Firehouse into a homeless shelter, then you would have every business invested in the area looking to move immediately.
As they wouldn't want to located near a place that has these people hanging around.
An effective shelter is multifaceted. A place that offers not only a place of respite, but counseling, budgeting education, job counseling and training, transportation, medical care, and love and understanding.
Unfortunatley, so many shelters lack one of these important ingredients, and without all of them, it really isn't worth the effort.
Homelessness, is a complex issue, and isn't cured with a simple answer.
Although, I would never discouraged anyone from trying to help, one just needs to undertand the complexity of the problem.
Many folks find it easier to live on the street than put up with the rules and regs of a shelter, or the pushing of religion on them.
Wymzie. I agree the shelter should be secular without pushing a certain dogma to keep your blanket. I guess I see it that there really is almost NO MORE business to lose down there even if you constructed a Super-Max prison, nuclear reactor or Cher museum. During the holidays I spent some time down there-the homeless were there in full-force anyway...and they didn't look happy or dignified. I guess in my experience many homeless are genuine down-on-your-luck types that just need a little structure and a kind word or two/pat on the back {positive reinforcement} to cross back into productive society. The true sociopaths are either con men/women who say/do/lie/cheat/steal whatever it takes NOT to sleep on a cold loading dock. And, if the few cozy lawyers and accountants who are left down there don't have the stomach or empathy for the long cold walk in someone else's shoes while they are eating their eggs benedict...well, these characters are best left to fester in the ass sweat of their own bad karma!
ReplyDeleteThose "megachurches" are the reason Totmom does not go to church.
ReplyDeleteGiving someone a place to sleep does not begin to fix their situation.Its a temporary help, but many of our homeless need extensive rehabilitation-they have addictions and chronic medical problems that need addressing and they need to so much more than "3 hots and a cot".The firehouse is ideal for them but they need more than just a place to crash.If that was the case, they could toss all the criminals and freeloaders out of subsidized housing and give the homeless THOSE dwellings for all I care.
The homeless people sleeping downtown are not the ones running around the city shooting people over bad drug deals and making our neighborhoods dangerous,but I guess SPD did not get that memo.
And I hope whoever made the complaint against this man sleeps REAL good tonight....
Anonymous said...
ReplyDeleteWhere are all the Churches, Thats right their busy building big shiny new places of worship.
You may not know that a number of Salisbury churches house and feed the homeless beginning this month. Each church takes a one-
or two-week block and opens its doors. Volunteers from the church organize everything, do the cooking, and oversee the men (So far, the program is for men only, I believe) by having some parishoners stay up all night.
My church collaborates with another nearby. Last year we housed and fed the guys (about 25) for a week; I understand that this year we will do it for two weeks. I'm sure that any of the participating churches would welcome your help; it doesn't matter if you're a member or not.
BTW..Before I became a licensed, emu pilates instructor; I was known to dabble in mental health counseling and vocational rehabilitation. Trust me-I've served in the trenches...our elderly/handicapped/homeless are the populations that need us the most during these times. If one truly speaks of change, one must have the tolerance, foresight and patience to try new solutions to our chronic proven failures at solving certain social problems. Using Maslow's hierarchy as a guide, we can not make the most of our innermost qualities ourselves until we all feel safe, warm and healthy first. {BTW...this same feedback I offer today would ultimately work in Afghanistan or on the set of "Good Times"...can I get a "Right On?"}
ReplyDeleteAnon 12:07
ReplyDeleteI applaud the actions your church is putting forth.
However,these people live on the street 24/7/365. I realize some of these people are out there by choice but not all. I for one am 1 paycheck from homelessness and I work everyday!!
There needs to be help available to those who need it all the time.
Question,
Is your church a "MEGA" church?
No, 1:00 p.m., my church is not a "mega" church. It is relatively small; that is why we team up with another, even smaller, church. Yes, of course, the homeless are in that condition 24/7 all year, but our church's resources are limited. The best we can do is offer housing and meals during the coldest months, when it would be most difficult to live outside.
ReplyDeleteI have written on this blog before, as a rebuttal to those who wrote that the homeless are that way by choice and just need to pull themselves up by their own bootstraps, that there are many who, like you, are one paycheck away from being homeless. Life is becoming so unpredictable these days, with people suddenly being laid off who have no savings and live paycheck to paycheck.
I wish there were a simple solution. In the meantime, organizations such as churches offer help, limited as it may be.
I am a small business owner and things are very hard these past two years, all businesses are tight. I have about 30 people who owe me about $400.00 on average for services and parts. This adds up to about $12,000.00, Now I know to some businesses this is chicken scratch, its not to us. All of these unpaid debts are out-standing and were going to be put in the courts hands. The other night my wife and I got talking with each other and came to a realization that most of these people are not bad people. They arent crooks, the just have to choose between bills and theres not enough money to pay all of them so the essential bills are getting paid first. We decided instead of take all these little bills to court we would contact all of these people and tell them we know things are tight, very tight and we want to help so we are willing to let everyone make payments to avoid all the court non-sense. If its only ten dollars a week and it takes years so be it. We dont want any interest or any fees. In the long run itll get paid,(there are some losers). I just feel that this is the right way to handle it in this economy. Im tryin to do the right thing and help if I can. I cant work for free but I can show compassion in these most difficult times. I may learn to regret it, but for now this is our choice.
ReplyDelete1:25
ReplyDeleteKeep up the good work and God bless.
2:03,
ReplyDeleteMy husband is doing the same thing with many of our recievables.
People just can't do it, and that puts us in the same position.
Life is really tough and only getting tougher.
For a church to provide a place to sleep and a meal is a wonderful thing, because if we do what we can we do make a differance.
Hubby and I used to volunteer in the shelter here in Pocomoke, and many couples with children were broken up because of it.
You see if they aren't married they can't stay together.
Even if they have been together for years and have young children. Yes fathers would sleep in other rooms, but the stress it would put on the children was horrible, on top of the stress already being experieced from being homeless.
Most people who showed up didn't even have birth certificates let alone marriage certs. and when your homeless sending $15 to the state for a certified copy to an address you might not have in a week just isn't a priority.
These organizations have to realize that there will always be some that will take advantage of a situation, but God is in control and you can't cut off everyone just because of a few bad apples.
It's overwhelming the amount of real help needed for these folks, heck it's overwhelming the amount of real help I need.
Unfortunately, vagrancy laws have been used a law of convenience ever since they were established.
In the south if you couldn't prove you had a job at any given time a cop asked you (now this is the times before pay stubs) they could haul you in for vagrancy and you were sent to work for one of the larger farmers or manufacturers in town for a week or two to pay your vagrancy fines.
One of the ways slavery lasted well into the 20th century,
So how can we get the City of Salisbury to open old station 16 so these people can have a warm place to go? I'm sure there is heat running there anyway because if not all the pipes would freeze. There are enough of SBY readers out there Im sure we could all donate a blanket or 2 so these people could get out of the cold.
ReplyDeleteI work with th homeless throughout the year. I agree it is a problem to find them shelter. There is the Christian Shelter in Salisbury but they can only stay for a certian amount of time every 6 months. Most of the time they set up their own shelter. I will say this it is the churches that are giving extra help for the homeless in the cold season. Shame on the ones who say they are doing nothing...you should contact the ones joining together and help out, mabye even financially. I am sure they could use it. The shelter is called Code Blue and will run from this week until March 27th. It will be held at Wesley Temple from Jan 3-9. The number for contact is 410.749.4252. I belive you can call Life Crisis for further listings each week. I will get that number and post it for you.
ReplyDeleteSo how can we get the City of Salisbury to open old station 16 so these people can have a warm place to go?
ReplyDeleteAs nice as that thought is, it won't happen. Barrie Tilghman gave the order to clean the homeless out of town, there is no way she will allow them to stay in a taxpayer owned building right down the street from her and her husbands offices. The woman is devoid of conscience. She is a wicked, evil, vile woman. Maybe next year when we have a mayor with a heart it might happen until then I hope the churches can handle the needs this year.
It seems to me it would help her ratings if she employed these homeless to clean off all that bird dukey thats down town and in return put them up for their services.
ReplyDeleteTwo messes cleaned up with one home....So to speak.
I have a solution..Get them a job!
ReplyDeleteI bet they wouldn't take it.
I have seen this man on many occasions on my way to work. During the summer, he would sit behind the health dept on main st. He never bothers anyone there & everyone left him alone.
ReplyDeleteOther than the churches, they need to take the old firehouse & turn it into a homeless shelter. The same with the empty building on E. Isabella & E. Church Sts. thats been abandoned for about 4 years & that the city owns. They will not sell the building unless its a non-profit.
I say leave the man alone.
does anyone know when the churchs are thats going to be open? My Husband & I would like to give our time. Grace & Ernie
ReplyDelete