Mar 15, 2009: Tent City
 

http://cellar.org/2009/tentcity1.jpg

http://cellar.org/2009/tentcity2.jpg

Although they say 1200 people, and this is just one camp, we're talking about out of over 300 million, but it's an interesting phenomenon.
In reality, there are probably more homeless on the streets that don't even have a tent.

link

I thought homeless people were all gone after Reagan/Bush Sr.

Is that why I saw so many panhandlers in D.C. during the Clinton administration?

Why are most people who are homeless and begging for a life sustaining morsel from those of us who are "far more fortunate" always fat and pudgy? They don't look hungry to me.

They lack self control, self respect and direction. Don't give them anything because they're just going to eat it, drink it or fuck it.

I admire their culinary understanding. Lady #1's jumbo size mustard is cheap and doesn't need refrigeration. Lady #2 is working the saute skills with what looks like it could be seasoned salt, preparing the nightly meal for her highly expectant, glaring spouse. Hard times don't mean you have to eat poorly, if you have some understanding of seasonings; and a simple cast iron skillet, which doesn't need to be washed between uses, is every chef's first tool.

:bites tongue:

:lol: I noticed him too. Shouldn't he be out hunting wild game or something?

I think he's glaring at the photographer.

"You ain't leerin' at my waf, are ya?"

They're fat because they eat mostly carbs. Meat and vegetables are expensive, but bread, noodles, and potatoes are cheap and make you fat.

Hey, my old Boy Scout Troop still uses tents like in the 1936 photos!

You mean hunting handouts, right? ;)

Perhaps they live a sedentary lifestyle too.

Doesn't matter what you eat; if you eat a small enough amount, you will be skinny.

Let's be nice to them.

Whenever I hear about a tent city, I think of that Ted Nugent live album, "Intensities in Tent Cities".

Having been homeless, and being "not skinny", let me assure you: You can be fat and hungry. I wouldn't recommend it.

/*channeling douches*/ you must be a lazy slob then. Don't expect US to help you out /*end channeling douches*/

I could be described as a lazy slob. But I ain't. I got myself up. No help from anyone, but my best friend, he let me stay with him while saving money for my own place again. No gov't help, skin's the wrong color, I have a dick, and not enough kids.

From ABC news;

from the International Herald Tribune

"American International Group, the insurer that has received more than $170 billion in taxpayer bailout money from the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve, plans to pay about $165 million in bonuses to executives in the same business unit that brought the company to the brink of collapse last year"

It's nice to know that we have our priorities straight, eh? Let your brothers and sisters starve in a tent, we've got billionaire kings to keep in shrimp and titties.

Mmmmm... shrimp and titties. :yum:

There was an article in my local newspaper a few days ago about how motels are the new homeless shelters. The number of school children in my town who are living in motels jumped from 30 last year to well over 300 this year. It is so easy to get there....lose a job, get house foreclosed on...where do you go? Apartments require a job, security deposit, and decent credit. All these people losing their jobs (unemployment rate) and houses (foreclosure rate) have to find new places to live.

Having been there, in a motel room, with my 2 children, I know it's not easy. We were there for 3 months. An eternity. Mine was due to a domestic violence and divorce, but not having a 'real' place to live was rough. If I hadn't had a decent job (two of them, actually) and able to afford the motel cost, I'd have been living somewhere in a tent too.

I don't believe that all homeless people are just lazy and happily living off the system. I know too many that would give anything to not be in that situation.

Prosecute the lot of them, on charges of loitering within tent.

I think you're right, Stormieweather, these aren't the normal homeless and bums. This is a new class of people, newly set adrift by the world events, with nowhere to go. These tent cities are patrolled by the police, and populated by people in the same boat, giving them a smidgen more security than under a bridge somewhere.

I think the "homeless" title is misleading. These people are making new -albeit temporary- homes to help them handle the rough times in which they can no longer afford their former homes. they are neither homeless nor helpless. it's just that they might be experiencing a glitch in their american dream. They should be applauded for making the best of a really nasty situation, for having the foresight to move into a tent and give themselves a base from which to start out again, rather than selling their tents and last remaining possessions to buy food and then relying on charity to house them.

They should all start pitching their tents in Texas....

say on Bush's front yard? That or they could occupy a few of the offices/conference rooms over at PIG, Shitibank et all..

But they are also jobless which makes recovery difficult.

Might be a good place for Radar's dog stand.

jobless =/ hopeless or homeless

many on this board are currently jobless. (Many are hopeless too, they are not necessarily the same people)

These people have put themselves in a situation where they are at least able to turn up for a job interview reasonably rested and fed, and clean. Your homeless guy who spent the night undera bridge with cardboard for bedding, not so much.

They've already got the mustard.

We could barbeque the people, making it a true IotD.

Pistols at dawn. Be there!

errr, huh?

Dawn who? What did she do?

A few more stimulus , bail outs, and recovery dollars, and we can have tent cities in every town and city in America.

Those people need to relax. They're two tents.

Why is it that homeless, jobless and hopeless are bad, but topless is good? I'm going to be thinking about that tonight.

If you are homeless, jobless and hopeless, take your top off and you're only half bad.

Hell.... it's a start.

When I go topless, no one thinks it's good.