Anywhere means anywhere not just where Maris lives. However, if you mean that Maris touts his place above all else then I see your point. I just think that making homelessness a political weapon is the wrong approach and I'd like to see some solutions suggested even if I disagree with them. Ultimately, the problem is one of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer but we could do some things to minimize the suffering by such things as public restrooms for them to use and recycling their camps and picking up the trash in their camps, free haircuts, medical care, retraining, protection from environmental extremes, some sort of protection from violence this would include protection of the public, something to eat and so on. I've thought about this for a long time. Almost forgot, singling out the mentally infirmed among them and getting them some treatment. My brother was severely mentally ill and lived with my mother when President Reagan influenced people to let them loose from any sort of confinement. A judge took this to heart and ordered my mother to release him from her custody. It wasn't long at all before he was sleeping on the sidewalk and getting beat up. These people especially need help.
@MARIS61 you sir need to stop inflating the price of housing in Central Oregon so these poor people can afford to get off the street!
We can all do something to help these people. Other than the things I listed above we can start by taxing the wealthy so they pay their fair share and use the money on infrastructure and jobs for many more people.
Just got back from Central Oregon last evening. There is nothing wrong or unusual about homeless people increasing in Central Oregon. It is a beautiful place! They are going there, no doubt because they want to go there, no doubt stay there because they like it there. What is the issue? Well other than the locals may not be pleased to see them increasing? But why do you care where they go, if it is not in your yard?
Some of my favorite fishing honey spots up in that country have homeless camps starting to pop up on the river...they might want to be there but their garbage stays there when the booze runs out. Not a fan of cigarette butts in the woods.
Only a matter of time now until Maris is posting about Beautiful Malheur County and calling La Pine a dangerous urban shithole. barfo
Ha ha! You sound like a local! Can't say I disagree with you. In my younger days, I spent much time in those mountains between Diamond Lake and the Jefferson wilderness area. Loved every minute of it. Never did get to spend a whole summer hiking the area like would have loved to do. Would that be like being homeless? I even had no other home then. No I don't thinks so. No track left like you describe, you would have had to work hard to find I had been there. Major difference. I did get to hike from Breitenbush hot springs up over Mt Jefferson and down to Marion Forks the week before I left for OSU to play football. Had a buddy pick me up at Marion Forks and take me to Corvallis.
All my life I've hated cigarette butts. As long as we're on it, when other little boys would throw their popcycle sticks and candy bar wrappers on the ground I would always put mine in my pocket and throw it in the trash later. I think one time I tried throwing a candy bar wrapper on the ground and either I felt so guilty that I went back later to pick it up or it bothered me so much that I swore I'd never do it again, one of the two. My memory is not that good. It was over 60 years ago.
I think it's more of a national problem. Let's say you fix it here but nowhere else, then you'd have certain elements flocking here.
It's completely unacceptable for the state of Oregon to have the 2nd highest rate of homeless people in the nation, when it's 27th in the nation in total population.
A nice clean and green place to stay with the best services, hence flocking here. However, I think LA takes the crown in homelessness.
Before I got seriously disabled, we used to go camping every summer. God, how I miss it. My favorite place was Breitenbush. Fish and grill over an open fire. Visiting the hot springs and roasting hot dogs at night. Love the woods. I also miss going hunting. That got me deep in the woods.
Lanny, you are no doubt well travelled, i believe, no? If so, in the last decade, where have you been? When i lived in Colorado, the homeless were mostly elderly, handicapped or disabled. When i lived in ny it was mostly the same. These people need and deserve our help and im all for getting them off the street. Have you experienced or run into homeless situations in your travels possibly in other countries? Old military travels would be a bit different time. Im thinking last ten years or so? Would you say you had the same findings outside of Portland and really the nw? When i travel through various parts of Portland and see/encounter homeless, i see predominately 18-45 or so year olds. Most do not look disabled or handicapped. Most look and behave like addicts and some have the eyes of hawks, constantly scanning to see where their next “opportunity” lies. When i lived and rehearsed downtown, i walked everyday from the west end of pcc up to 5th and Burnside. The homeless i would encounter on a daily basis were at least 50% people living a life of crime and addiction. Off the grid. I find it much harder to help those that are functional, but choose that lifestyle aNd then sit on a corner and beg for money for food so they can go shoot it in their arm later. Coming from someone who has hit rock bottom and been on the street, i believe in tough love. They get all my support but financially. There are applicants wanted all over. I help those who show they want to help themselves. Maybe not a popular opinion, but thats me. I just cant help those who don't want to help themselves when they can. It just enables.
