And here’s another tidbit for y’all: there are multiple ways to count homeless people, one of them being what’s called a “point in time” count, i.e., a big bunch of volunteers go out on a designated night, in organized & trained teams, to count people–in shelters, under bridges, in SROs, etc. One of its major drawbacks, however, is that it is conducted in the winter–which is precisely when people who are homeless are most likely to be able to get shelter on a couch or floor from a friend or family member and are therefore least likely to be included in the count. That is, the point-in-time count underrepresents the number of people who are homeless. It’s still a useful tool, so long as it’s not regarded as a definitive number.

She could provide housing for a dozen kids in those dimples!

Naturally she’ll be setting up a legal-defence fund – just like Greenpeace, only for megalomaniacs … so won’t you give until it hurts? If you can only afford to send this Martyr Of McFreedom a check for 5 cents, I’m sure she’ll understand – after all, it’s the thought that counts, amirite?

2. W/r/t homelessness, and mostly to provide some additional info here: the place where I now work provides an assortment of services (using your and my tax dollars) to people who are experiencing homelessness. In order to spend the tax dollars appropriately, we need to have a pretty clear definition of who counts as homeless–in our case, we use the HUD definition and the HRSA definition, which predate the NCLB definition (and the latter uses the previous two), meaning people who are doubled up and people who are living in shelters or SROs, as well as people who are living on the street, count as homeless. Just to give you an idea of the luxuriousness of the living quarters, some of the SROs don’t have real floors and ceilings; they have chicken wire.

I would happily give up more of my (not-that-high-we-being-a-non-profit-and-all) salary if the additional tax dollars provided more services for people who need them. Everyone–every single person–is an accident, an uninsured-health-event, a shit-happens moment–away from homelessness. And if you can’t muster compassion for people who are already there–for kids who are already there, fer chrissakes!!–I feel sorry for you.

M. Bouffant and others above who’ve experienced homelessness, I’m glad you’re out of it and I hope it stays that way for you.

A note: I’ve just ended being homeless for the last 14 mos (literally signed the lease a couple of hours ago). Were it not for the Section Eight housing assistance/subsidy, I probably would have stayed on the streets for the rest of what would have been a shortened life. As it was, I was able to go to the head of the line, as I was homeless. People who just get fucked by their parasite employers & apply have an eight to ten yr, wait.

The point being, from the quote above, that if you are doing the couch tour, Section Eight doesn’t treat you as homeless. I had to tell them exactly where I usually slept each night. (Under the “airplane” playset in Westwood Park, south of the Federal Bldg. in West L. A.)

There are also two classes of homelessness for Section Eight: people who sleep in their car, & those who slept in the (more or less) open. We serious urban campers got priority over (former) middle-class pig car owners.

So, per Section Eight at least, if you’re in someone else’s house, you aren’t homeless. Of course, you can imagine the joy of sleeping on a couch, living w/ a bunch of people who probably aren’t exactly millionaires, whose (probably) already small space is being infringed upon, & who, close friends, family, or whatever, are going to be sick & tired of you.

That doesn’t mean you aren’t homeless, or that your hosts might not ban you like a troll at any moment.

Not the same as NCLB, but there it is.

By the way, does anyone have that goat-blowing fuckwad Kaus’s address? I know he’s somewhere here on the Westside of L. A. (which I’ll be leaving tomorrow) so this will be my last chance to let him know what homelessness is like. Preferably by arson, but … & Is’pose I’d have to destroy his precious fucking car (I know he’s some kind of childish auto-fetishist, maybe trashing his wheels alone would be enough … Naw.) Leave it here, or in comments at my name above. Thank you.

Down w/ animal abusers!!!

Could you give us a clue here?

…now that’s just cruel – he’ll have to go out and find one, won’t he?

“He’s a socialist!” SLAP “He’s a fascist!” SLAP “He’s a socialist!” SLAP “He’s a fascist!” SLAP “He’s a socialist AND A FASCIST!”

But… but… that would be SOCIAMALISM!!!!!

Uhh… WOLVERINES!!!! GLUTTONS!!!!

There are foreclosed houses standing empty for months, having all the pipes and wiring nicked, and ending up so worthless and such a big crime magnet that eventually it gets bulldozed. The banks can’t sell em.. they are as toxic as any other asset on their books.

So just give em to the homeless! Hey, who knows, you might get back the exact same house the bank kicked you and the kids out of last year..

Mein Fuhrer, you told me this would be my new fascist ARMY! These just look like a bunch of college grads teaching kindergartners how to read and picking trash up off the highway!