My take on the homeless issue is that there are three distinctly separate groups.
Group 1:
Yes, you lost your job, you lost the ability to pay your bills, and then you eventually lost your home. You never imagined yourself in this position, no job, no money, no food, no home, living out of your car if you were lucky enough to still have one. You’re homeless. You had always worked, paid taxes, contributed to society never thinking you would be that person asking for help — help to simply live. So you swallowed your pride, for yourself and your family, and you reached out to social services for help.
Help to find a job. Help to feed your family. Help to find a safe place at night, a roof over your head. Yes, you picked yourself up and did what every human being who cares does — one foot in front of the other, slowly, steadily, until your footing was strong again. Many people helped along the way, helped you find your stride, helped you get back on track, helped you live again, work again, feel self-worth again.
Isn’t that part of what we pay our tax dollars to the local, state, and federal government for? Federal tax, state tax, TAT, sales tax, gas tax, alcohol and tobacco tax? These people deserve help and funding for work programs, food programs, and housing programs.
Group 2:
You can’t remember how you got here, laying on the street with a bag of trash for a pillow. You vaguely remember another time, another you, but could’ve just been a dream. People pass by, or step over you, talking and doing things that make you mad and so you just yell at them, angry at everyone. You dig through a trash can for your next meal, then you wander aimlessly, looking for cigarette butts that are still smokable.
Or you’ve been in a wobbly wheelchair for quite a while now. You know there are services available, you used to use them. But lately it’s just gotten too difficult to access them. So you just sit in your wheelchair hoping someone will help. Offer food, give you a dollar or two. All the while knowing that you’re drifting further and further from anything resembling a civilized life.
Is this part of why we pay tax dollars to the local, state, and federal government? Federal tax, state tax, TAT, sales tax, gas tax, alcohol and tobacco tax? These people deserve professional rehabilitation/mental health programs along with programs for the handicapped.
Group 3:
You love this life. You can set up camp wherever you want. On the beach, an empty lot, anywhere you damn well want to. You know you and your friends can steal, panhandle, and work the system, all to supply you with never-ending supplies of food, drugs, alcohol, and tobacco, and of course the tattoos on your body that you’ve somehow managed to pay for.
You defecate wherever you want, you harass anyone you care to, and you thumb your nose at law enforcement. Knowing if you are arrested, you’ll be back on the street tomorrow or the next day. It’s a beautiful life. You don’t have to work, don’t have to contribute to society, don’t have to pay taxes, all you have to do is whatever you want to do, whenever you want, however you want, and you’re always taken care of.
How can this be part of the tax dollars we pay to the local, state, and federal government? Federal tax, state tax, TAT, sales tax, gas tax, alcohol and tobacco tax? Really? Really?
Robert Patterson is a
resident of Kailua-Kona
