Need Vs. Greed

In about 2 hours I will be attending a meeting in Key West to listen to a "homeless expert" speak on how to bring successful solution to the homeless problem in Key West. His name is Robert Marbut, a former White House aide and Texas city councilman. In a quote from the Key West citizen, Thursday, September 22, 2001, Mr. Marbut stated, "I've been to 489 places in 15 states, when I look at that, I'm just shocked at the percent of homeless that Key West has. I don't even know anybody that comes close to it."

According to recent accounts the current estimated homeless population is 3,580(?) in San Antonio, the hometown of the "expert speaker" and 24,000 in Los Angeles.

There are so many "myths, beliefs" whatever you want to call it, from people who have never been homeless before but point out the problem without a solution. Apparently, the speaker today has some solutions that have worked in the past in different cities. And, btw, Key West is a very different city. Unlike any other city I have ever seen and I have traveled throughout the United States and Canada. I've also lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, San Francisco and Hollywood, California and of course, my hometown that I was raised in since I was 6 months old, Marathon, Florida.

I remember moving in with my brother in San Francisco and let me tell you, it was a culture shock! I had never even seen a homeless person before living in Marathon for the first 18 years of my life. I had never seen a skyscraper, city bus or so many people walking in the city streets. It freaked me out. While walking around with my brother and his lover as they showed me around my new city, a guy sitting on the street asked me for a quarter, so being the generous person that I am, I reached into my pocket to find a quarter and I handed to him. My brothers' lover said, "Don't do that, just walk by and ignore those people." That was my first homeless encounter. Who would of thought that 10 years after, I would be just like that man, homeless. I mean I got a job in San Francisco as a walking messenger for the 5th largest law firm in the United States (they represented Chevron) and working there for almost 2 years, my job was replaced by an outside company so the law firm could save money and I was terminated. I was devastated and I loved my job, some fellow employees had been there for over 20 years!! They fired the whole mail room and messenger department which probably had 40 employees. I was doing everything right, I had a job, an apartment all to myself, credit cards, Macy's, Mastercard, Visa, you name it, life was good and I just turned 21. Then that fateful mandatory meeting at 4 o'clock in 1991, a job no longer but my bills were still there. They didn't go away as quickly as my job did. I filed and received unemployment but it wasn't enough to even pay the rent. In 3 months, I was evicted and I was essentially homeless.
I have learned that no matter how good things may seem, they can be taken away in a New York minute, even if you're doing everything you are supposed to do. I have heard quite a few stories from people who have become homeless and the stories vary dramatically. Anywhere from I had a house, 3 kids and a wife and I caught my wife, red handed, cheating on me with my best friend and I took off and left EVERYTHING to my wife to my parents died and left me with NOTHING.

Now, there are all kinds of homeless people from my observation, I will try and breakdown to explain what I see on an everyday basis at KOTS (Key West homeless shelter) and on the street.

This is my observation and even assumption, if you will, this is not scientific proof!
I would say first, there are some KOTS patrons (?) that receive a check from Social Security or Disability every month. I don't know everybody who gets one but from the ones I know, seem to like KOTS and are content with receiving a check and living at KOTS and they show no signs of getting a place of their own. Most drink and blow all of their money within 2 weeks and cry the blues another 2 weeks until they get their check again and then they are on top of the world again.

Second kind of KOTS patron, there are some, very few, that actually don't like staying at KOTS and are actively seeking work and want to get out of the situation they are in. OR some want/need work and sometimes get it, but it's not enough to get a place and/or like staying at KOTS, because they don't have to pay rent.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind, are the "wacked out of their mind" people that seriously need mental help. They need to build an asylum or give these people their medication. I'm not trying to judge people, this is merely an observation, a better one than someone who doesn't stay or has never stayed at KOTS.

You need to acknowledge the problem before you can find a solution. Turning your head or ignoring people, acting like there is no problem is the first problem.

I personally can't stand people putting down the homeless, knowing NOTHING about their particular circumstances. That's like me saying, all the people who have expensive brand new cars and homes are snooty, stuck up, greedy and don't care about anyone but themselves. For some, that may hold true, but that's an assumption that would be ignorant on my part.

Some of the comments I read in the "Citizens Voice" column of the Key West Citizen newspaper are attacks on the "bums" saying "Get A Job". Ignorant rants, if you ask me, but who am I, I'm just a homeless person who needs a job. But my rebuttal is, how do you get a job when you need a haircut and you have no phone? Without a dime in your pocket, no income whatsoever. I am forever grateful for the St. Mary's soup kitchen that feeds the needy everyday at 4 o'clock without fail, one of the few things I can count on and my food stamp card. At least I won't go hungry while looking for a job. Thank you to the Salvation Army for providing free clothes, so I can look presentable for a possible interview. It's little things other people who have a home and money take for granted or overlook. It sounds simple but people tend to forget little things, like a razor. The sad part is, I can't even buy a razor, I sometimes get lucky and get one from the food bank but you never know, it's a lucky crap shoot.

As far as crime and safety, I have yet to hear of a homeless mugging or robbing somebody. For the most part, homeless people are harmless except for the occasional asshole that aggressively panhandles. There are exceptions, as with any class of human being, rich or poor. From what I have seen, homeless get busted for trespassing, (there's not many places in Key West that are NOT trespassing)my favorite drinking in public or open container, listed on the sheriff's arrest log as municipal ordinance violation,(some idiots deserve going to jail for 30 days for drinking a beer in public, wide open, they don't try to conceal it in anyway)petite theft from a store, or probation violation. One exception is when a fellow KOTS shelter mate killed my friend, also a KOTS shelter mate, last year with a hammer, there are exceptions, but few. For the most part though, the bum just wants money for beer and cigarettes.

Well, I have to go to this meeting to cure homelessness...can wait to hear what people have to say and hear their solutions...this is better than a movie..pass the popcorn..I will report some of the "bright ideas" to get rid of the homeless problem and of course, express my opinion.

Until then, save the homeless...the population is GROWING in the direction opposite of extinction! P.S. KOTS is filled to capacity every night and it's not even season yet!!! Can't wait til winter...BUUUUURRRRR

Here's a poem I wrote a while back, it seems appropriate now.


NEED VS. GREED


HOW MUCH DO YOU NEED?
WHAT IS THE PRICE OF YOUR GREED?

BLIND EYE, SIDE SWIPE
DON’T CRY A TEARDROP
IN THE END, TOO LATE
FOR SYMPATHY
ANSWER THE FINAL QUESTION
CANNOT MAKE UP THE TEST
YOU FAILED
NOW YOU MUST LIE
IN THE BED YOU MADE
NOBODY ELSE TO BLAME

AFTERLIFE, PIPE DREAM
DO WHAT YOU CAN TODAY
NEVER KNOW WHAT TOMORROW MAY BRING
OR TAKE AWAY

WAKE UP
SMELL THE COLOR OF THE MONEY TREE
THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE
SEE THE BIGGER PICTURE
ON A SMALLER SCREEN
BALANCE IN BETWEEN

NEED VERSUS GREED



Ó Kevin Dale Sanders -January 8th, 2007

Well, I just got back from the "homeless" meeting and found 3 of my KOTS shelter mates there and nobody else who were homeless that I know of but all of the homeless help organizations were represented it seemed.

Mr. Marut had some great ideas that have worked in other areas of the United States very well. In fact, he mentioned one city that had virtually cleared the streets of any homeless people, which is astounding. Can it work in Key West? His program implementation centered around having one central place to take care of all the needs of the homeless, like a homeless aid compound, where you sleep, eat and get counseling under one roof. It had a merit kind of system with rewards and consequences that seem like it could work. I was going to ask a couple of questions but the meeting had run it's time limit. I was going to ask, "how do you deal with the people who receive a check every month and are happy being homeless and don't want or need to work?" My second was going to be, this is near and dear to my heart, "What do you do to people that come in drunk?" (I'm a happy drunk by the way that doesn't cause any problems unless you piss me off, of course) And he did mention something about "if you blow or test "dirty", you have consequences" but he didn't elude to what that consequence would be. I was wondering if it was abstinent of alcohol altogether or if you could blow a .04 and not be punished. He also mentioned, and I agree, that putting people in jail for being drunk or trespassing is not going to solve any problem, and I believe, it will and is now a perpetual, vicious cycle that doesn't help anybody and waste taxpayers money. In and out of jail, over and over again. Sounds like insanity to me. Although I have heard that the jail gets money from state funding based on how many inmates they have. Again, I have only heard of this and do not know it to be true. There's that root of all evil again, ruling the minds of the money hungry at the expense of those in need.

I think the hardest obstacle that is faced to have this program come to fruition is finding a spot to put this "all assistance under one roof" concept somewhere in Key West, nobody wants to be close to the homeless. The uneducated think that being close to a homeless shelter drives down property values but in fact,according to the speaker, from other areas that this program was implemented, the property values actually went UP !!! So I think if Key West can convince the public and show the amount of savings with this new shelter concept, it might just happen but you really have to educate a few ignorant people who think they know it all. That for some reason, at least from my point of view, is a BIG problem in Key West, people who think they know all the answers but are unwilling to listen and work together. It seems to me, some people want all the glory but fail to back up what they are saying or just like to hear themselves talk. "One agency may think it can help the homeless better than others" is one of the problems the speaker mentioned in past organization of other shelter programs, instead of working together, they want all the glory to themselves,Greed! Who is better? Which religion is right? Republican or Democrat? This homeless problem affects us all as a community and it affects democrats, republicans,... even rich people with fancy cars and nice houses. I suggest people to put their egos in their pocket, put their money where their mouth is and search for a solution to a problem you can't sweep under the rug and act like nothing is wrong. Wake up and take action! I'm doing my part, I'm homeless, I'm the problem, you would have nothing to solve if it wasn't for me..lol. I just looked at the clock and I missed the soup kitchen and I have 77 cents on my food stamp card until October 7th. Oh well, I had to vent and share my point of view to whoever is reading this, feel free to share and spread the word!

I'm homeless, not hopeless!
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