News-Record.com

Well said Jeff, thank you for an absolutely great letter.

Even Ebenezer Scrooge was satisfied with his donations to the poorhouses through taxes.

But, yeah, I agree. I don't want ANY of my tax dollars going to those good-for-nothin homeless.

Especially the 20 to 33% who are veterans. They deserve nothing. Like Jeff said, get off your lazy asses!

http://www1.va.gov/homeless/page.cfm?pg=1
http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm

Another ASSumption that every homeless person chooses to be homeless; that if they would only accept responsibility and get a job, they wouldn't be homeless. What a sweeping generalization and lack of empathy for those less fortunate.

Jeff was a bit harsh on the homeless but his point about 20 demonstrators MAKING THE N&R's FRONT PAGE is well taken.

I am guessing that Greensboro's tea party which attracted 1,500 protestors and me did not make the N&R's front page. That's not surprising given the N&R's liberal left-wing agenda and the tea party being cast as a conservative right-wing protest.

Good observation Jeff!

Jeff, you are but a single accident or major sickness away from being broke and destitute yourself. We all are.

I daresay that it is easier to work 50 hours a week than it is to be homeless.

Additionally, as I've heard before, if you don't like how we do things 'round here, then move to, say, Somalia. I don't think they spend very much of the producer's money on social welfare projects and look what kinda utopia they have going on!

If you gave any of these homeless clods ten one hundred dollar bills (except for the mentally ill or those with intangible physical impairments), they'd get a cricket phone, a music listening device, get and stay drunk as hell and then be totally broke in three or four days.

The other 1,980 losers were too hung-over to march.

It's about choices.

Good point, but what I expect from the news.

justsomedude " Additionally, as I've heard before, if you don't like how we do things 'round here, then move to, say, Somalia. "

I just love all the sweet talk from the left hand side of the room after Jan '09.

Yeah, that is pretty great, isn't it?

If you don't like how we do thinks in the Good Ol' U S of A, then move to ___________________.

The affiliation of the proclaimer of this wonderful and informative statement, as well as the suggested destination of the listener seems to be wholely dependant upon the letter designation of the political party that is seated at the date of issuance.

The LTE writer's attitude is typical of the Dead Idea, "Success follows Merit" This idea assumes people who succeed do so because they deserve, while those who fail also fail because they deserve it.

Sometimes this is true. Sometimes it is not.

Many deserving and hard working people fail. With this bad economy that ought to be even more obvious: hard working people who are losing their jobs because of bad corporate decision making, who then lose their homes because they can't make the rent/mortgage.

And for those who are addicted to alcohol or drugs? Yeah sure, turn our backs on them. That'll fix 'em for sure!

Nonsense! They simply continue to be addicted and either commit crimes to support themselves (robbery, burglary, etc) or panhandle.

My sister saw something interesting on High Point Rd the other day, what her husband called the Beggars Guild. A homeless man approached panhandlers on both sides of High Point Rd near the McDonalds, chatted with the panhandlers, then held out his hand. They immediately handed him money and he moved on.

The message? Pay up, or I come back with muscle and beat the money out of you. A classic shakedown.

Just one more reason NOT to give panhandlers money.

But providing homeless with shelter, treatment, and job retraining is just common sense. Help them get well, help them find a place to live, give them the skills and a decent set of clothes to get a job with.

You can't even get hired at fast food if you haven't taken a shower in a week, and are wearing patches on your patches.

Several others have already voiced some of the points I would make to Mr Pickett and his "don't tax me, Bro" kind. Besides being meanspirited, his arguments defy logic...People are homeless because they choose to be? They are all freeloaders just waiting for his tax dollars to be redirected their way so they can continue to live an existence of barely scraping by? How would he explain the recent and sudden spike in joblessness and homelessness? Must be that a substantial fraction of the US population has suddenly been overcome with malaise and laziness. It surely couldn't have anything to do with external forces like an unregulated economy that has favored corporations over working people, I'm sure.