On street parking problems Portland

The article doesn't mention people parking travel trailers on the street in 2017. Perhaps this needs to be moved to where threads like this go to die - RV Lifestyle.

4x4van wrote:
........... Sorry, but you cannot care more for people than they care for themselves, and you cannot help people who don't want to be helped.

This pretty much sums it up, there is a percentage of homeless that are not that way by choice, it isn't a large percentage. It is those that are not drug addicted leaches on society. They have lost a job, due to covid, or other and can't afford to pay rent.
Most will avoid the large group camps of the drug addicted due to the bad situation and filth.

As to the drug addicted, for years now government has continued to enable their issues, needle exchanges, safe places to shoot up, and now Oregon and Washington have passed laws decriminalizing the possession and use of small amounts of illegal drugs!

Maybe keep the drugs illegal in all quantities, and offer drug treatment as part of prison sentence.

bdpreece wrote:
On the bright side, if you come to Portland there is no need to stay in an RV park just park on any street you won't be ticketed. Also several of these house-less RV dwellers just dump down the sewer grate or sometimes just in the street when their tanks are full.

. . . cut to the scene of Cousin Eddie emptying into the sewer the black tank of his "tenement on wheels" in National Lampoon's 'Christmas Vacation'

propchef wrote:

bgum wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
bgum,

Have you lived on that slim amount of money for a couple?

I knew someone who had a trustee managing their (slim) funds. He could get shoes every 2 years. The trustee was paid out of those slim funds, too.

Not much fat.

My wife and I lived on $90 per month when in the service and my life was on the line. That is equal to $1053 today. So yes we have lived on less.

Good for you. When was that, early '50's? Cool.

No one wants to live on $19k intentionally. It's miserable and you endure constant abuse and you do anything to get out. How many of these people have you actually talked to? Understand their story?

It's so very sad to see the utter lack of empathy everywhere.

Bull I talked to thousands over 38 years interviewing. The majority as stated have mental problems or are drug/alcohol abusers. Many are doing just exactly what they want to do. Many simply can't get up and show up for work because it is easier to live the way they do. Every last one will tell you they want out. They for the most part won't do what is necessary to return to society.
If you feel better giving to them then do so. If you feel better feeling sorry for them then do so.

rhagfo wrote:

ferndaleflyer wrote:
Isn't Oregon where that bunch of criminals took over a few city blocks awhile back and the police, government, has done nothing?

That was in Seattle CHOP, they tried it in Portland, but right outside the mayor’s condo, so it was squashed quickly.

Those that are street park their RVs would be better acceptable if they were clean and didn’t have a ton of trash around their RV.
Lawmakers have for years passed laws and rules that have enabled drug abuse. Then last election a law was passed that decriminalized the use and possession of small quantities of illegal drugs! I will never understand the logic of that!

I was particularly interested in the dude that said he collects his waste (black water) in buckets, and then drives them to a dumpster somewhere!!!! So he admits to dumping human waste in a dumpster? THIS is why these people get no respect. Every place that they congregate eventually turns into a complete dump, health hazard, fire hazard, eyesore. Have you ever seen a homeless encampment that was well kept up and clean? Neither have I.

Where I live, the city used grants and tax dollars to set up a fenced area with 20 8'x8' shelters, complete with electric, A/C, heat, etc for homeless. They had to sign contracts that said they wouldn't use drugs or engage in any illegal activities while living there (for free). It lasted exactly 3 months before someone cooking meth caught one of the units on fire and all 20 units burned to the ground.

In my job with a local municipal electric company, I have spent more than $40K just in the last 3 months cleaning up and trying to secure utility company properties from the results of the "homeless"; it has all been like spitting in the wind. Repaired fences are torn down again and again, trenches are filled back in to regain access...I even brought in 100 tons of 3-4' boulders to block access to a site; it was less than a week before they had moved the boulders aside.

I'm sorry, but the number of homeless who are that way due to factors out of their control is very small. Most simply do not want to live in any society with rules. Therefore, they should not be tolerated amongst a society with rules.

Yes, I understand this article is 4 years old; does anyone really think that the situation has improved since then? Sorry, but you cannot care more for people than they care for themselves, and you cannot help people who don't want to be helped.

I remember my wife feeding us around 1966 or so on $12.50 a week and we didn't starve. Didn't live on the street and didn't panhandle or bum off of anyone. I live today on not much BUT the DP, all the cars, pickups, house on the river, one up North and another down South are all paid for. We travel plenty and pay our own way. You just got to know how to do it.

propchef wrote:

bgum wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
bgum,

Have you lived on that slim amount of money for a couple?

I knew someone who had a trustee managing their (slim) funds. He could get shoes every 2 years. The trustee was paid out of those slim funds, too.

Not much fat.

My wife and I lived on $90 per month when in the service and my life was on the line. That is equal to $1053 today. So yes we have lived on less.

Good for you. When was that, early '50's? Cool.

No one wants to live on $19k intentionally. It's miserable and you endure constant abuse and you do anything to get out. How many of these people have you actually talked to? Understand their story?

It's so very sad to see the utter lack of empathy everywhere.

So who do you help? ALL of them, or just the "good" folks? How do you decide?
I can tell you though, it would only be a small % of the total that would truly be better off and rise above the squalor if even MORE assistance was given than is already being doled out.

bgum wrote:

pianotuna wrote:
bgum,

Have you lived on that slim amount of money for a couple?

I knew someone who had a trustee managing their (slim) funds. He could get shoes every 2 years. The trustee was paid out of those slim funds, too.

Not much fat.

My wife and I lived on $90 per month when in the service and my life was on the line. That is equal to $1053 today. So yes we have lived on less.

Good for you. When was that, early '50's? Cool.

No one wants to live on $19k intentionally. It's miserable and you endure constant abuse and you do anything to get out. How many of these people have you actually talked to? Understand their story?

It's so very sad to see the utter lack of empathy everywhere.

pianotuna wrote:
bgum,

Have you lived on that slim amount of money for a couple?

I knew someone who had a trustee managing their (slim) funds. He could get shoes every 2 years. The trustee was paid out of those slim funds, too.

Not much fat.

Duhh, well, no, we don’t, or we wouldn’t be here talking about our cool RVs and trips we take around the country. But guessing most if not almost all of us have made , generally, good choices and work or worked hard for what we have.

It’s not our responsibility nor the gubmints, even in Canadia, to pick up the tab for deadbeats. Although they both do, and quite handily at that.
I’ve been part of one of these situations too long to blindly have sympathy for every person on “hard times.” Human nature and genetics just leaves some people lazy, dishonest or dumb (figuratively in this case).
To put it in perspective, if a person is destined to be a min wage earner or similar, there is a lot of “fat.”

pianotuna wrote:
bgum,

Have you lived on that slim amount of money for a couple?

I knew someone who had a trustee managing their (slim) funds. He could get shoes every 2 years. The trustee was paid out of those slim funds, too.

Not much fat.

My wife and I lived on $90 per month when in the service and my life was on the line. That is equal to $1053 today. So yes we have lived on less.