Hi All, I listened to Calif State Senator McGuire’s Town Hall on the homeless (close to 200,000) last night. There is much I could criticize regarding what the experts offered (it’s all data and giving them a place to live in; which to me does not align with the true definition of ‘Home’) but doing nothing is not a choice and many of their plans especially if it involves creating systems that influence pathways into homelessness before it occurs are noble. They called it “working up stream”. Unfortunately they never mentioned that upstream is the disaster created by the loss of the family unit, ie the home, in our society. The price tag they threw around was astronomical and if not addressing the cause of the situation (which government never does) it just becomes a government management situation especially given the fact that the homeless population keeps growing because of a failure of a society to support the family. This goes completely back on the effects the government monopoly of compulsory standardized education has had on our society. More on that can be fund in a short book written by highly acclaimed NYC teacher, John Taylor Gatto, in 1992, “Dumbing us Down” One thing that did concern me was something they are calling “Care Court” that has the purpose of “compelling” seriously mentally ill and or addicts to seek treatment. They never mentioned what happens if they don’t feel compelled. From my experience with Alcoholics Anonymous and all that come through our doors court ordered to attend some specific time period of meetings the “Compelling” is not very effective”. They must be willing and so many never are. Will they whip them in the town square like days of yore? As I said, doing nothing is not an option but without the rebuilding of the family structure, which no government can do, we continue down this bottomless spiral of decay. Rob
