Hello List,
I agree with Jim about the church status.
You know, in wartime, people lived in tents. Did you see all of those M.A.S.H. episodes? Lots of people have big back yards, if not houses. Put up a few tents at night, maybe hook up some generators for heat. Also, the city has a number of heated parking ramps I believe. Let people at least hole up in them until a certain hour in the morning. There are plenty of pockets of places people can be in rather than outside. The city may not like the idea of having them there, but it is better than having people out in the bitter cold dying on the streets. Since good health care has gone the way of education (down the tubes) at least it will keep folks from overflowing the hospital emergency rooms.
Pamela Taylor (Who is fortunate to be warm in the 80 degree winter weather we are experiencing in Tampa)
P.S. Bill Cullen, please contact me offlist and send me your info again for my daughter. I misplaced it in my campaigning these past few weeks. My candidate is in the runoff on the 25th for Mayor (GO SANCHEZ!!!). Thank you.
JIM GRAHAM <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Margaret, the problem you describe is truly heart rending and so easily
solved. Margaret you say you live in the Kingfield Neighborhood, I wonder
how many churches in your neighborhood have at one time had sermons preached
about the "Good Samaritan"? I would bet most of them. Yet how many leave
their doors open at night so the homeless might come in from the cold and
possibly pray?
Suggestions:
1) Pull the tax -free status from any Church unwilling to open its basement
to homeless people. If they are not going to act like Christians then they
should not be given tax breaks for being churches. Start taxing them to help
pay for shelters down the street from them. You know, "help" them do their
"Christian Duty".
2) Get as many poor people as possible into ownership situations. Get them
some cushion against the hard realities of occasional bad luck and
depression.
3) Open the Target Center and Dome for camping on the playing surface at
night. They even have bathrooms. "We" own them and why in the hell did we
pay for their roofs if not to keep people warm and dry.
Sorry for the sermon, but it is Sunday.
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