It is really sad to drive (or walk) past the Dorothy Day Center in downtown
and realize just how many people are suffering with a shoestring of
resources to help them, now diminishing because of decisions made at state
and local levels.
Though not all the homeless are mentally ill and not all the mentally ill
are homeless, either situation is bound to place tremendous stress on
individuals coping with their situations. And now bus services, which helps
some of the working homeless (yes - many people who cannot afford housing do
make their best attempt to work at low wage jobs) is about to be cut as
well. Why?
I am starting to take the bus more these days around Saint Paul and
Minneapolis, and though I am spoiled and middle-class enough to have access
to a car whenever I need one, I try to place myself in the shoes of those
who do not have this luxury. Know what I find? It takes 2-3 times as long to
get ANYWHERE and in nice weather that's not so bad but it is still a huge
drain on my own most precious resource - time. Now I imagine if I had kids
to get to school or daycare on my way to a low-wage job and then have to add
in a couple more hours of transit time! Pretty soon I have no time to go to
caucuses, get involved in neighborhood groups or take the occasional trip to
the library.
This is unacceptable. Perhaps some of this musing is better suited to a
state issues list but looking at my fair city of Saint Paul, I want to think
we can do better somehow, for all vulnerable populations, mentally ill or
just struggling with other challenges.
Cristy
On 4/22/05, Erik Hare <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
>
>
> In an era of continuous budget cutting and idealogically driven mandates,
> we can expect that mental health services for the most vulnerable people
> are going to continue to be the first things to go. Few actually care,
> and when mental health coverage was stripped from MinnesotaCare one
> legislator actually said on the floor that mental illness was a sign that
> God is punishing you, so why should we have to foot the bill?
>
> Given that this will get worse, we can expect more mentally ill people on
> the streets. And, with the state of the economy and soaring rent, we can
> expect a lot of healthy people on the streets -- and as Andrew pointed
> out, I'm sure they will be "ill", or at least maladjusted, in short order.
>
> This burden will fall heavily on cities like ours, and perhaps especially
> ours because we have so many services for the homeless. But that also
> means that along the railroad tracks and in the various alleys we can
> expect to see more homeless in the near future.
>
> It is all a direct result of policy. It is being forced on them, and in
> turn the burden of their need to survive falls on us. No one actually
> gives a damn, either.
>
> Erik Hare [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://home.comcast.net/~wabbitoid/
> Irvine Park, West End, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA, North America, Earth
>
> Fine Amish furniture, cedar chests, and crafts http://www.harmonycedar.com
>
>
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--
Cristy A. De La Cruz
Highland Park(ed) and trying to take the bus
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