New Orleans clears out homeless camp of 160 people
Source: Associated Press
New Orleans clears out homeless camp of 160 people
By JANET McCONNAUGHEY, Associated Press | August 14, 2014 | Updated: August 14, 2014 11:29pm
NEW ORLEANS (AP) City workers wearing gloves and a few in face masks threw sofas, armchairs and quilts into garbage trucks Thursday, clearing out a homeless encampment of about 160 people. Officials said it attracted rats and called it a public health hazard.
By the end of rush hour, an area underneath an overpass less than a mile from the Superdome, where the NFL's New Orleans Saints play, was empty of tents, clothes, cardboard boxes and other items. Workers hosed down the concrete.
City officials gave the homeless about 2 1/2 days of notice and said there were enough beds in shelters. Most of them went to a shelter, but some didn't.
"I have no desire, no inclination, to live in there with a hundred men," Billy Holmes said, gesturing to the nearby New Orleans Mission. He said he had been living under the highway for more than a month after he damaged a disk in his neck in June, ending his construction work.
Holmes said the city wanted the encampment cleared because it looks bad to tourists the city's biggest business and because the Saints have their first preseason home game Friday.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/us/article/New-Orleans-clears-out-homeless-encampment-5688968.php
TT_Progress
(67 posts)How much does a city like New Orleans spend on tourism marketing? How about taking a fraction of that and providing services to house and help these people back into normal society instead?
obxhead
(8,434 posts)I'm betting that NOLA could house, feed, and provide training for GOOD employment if they just taxed large corporations appropriately. Hell, I bet the tax breaks the Saints owners and shareholders get could cover that alone.
obxhead
(8,434 posts)littlemissmartypants
(22,632 posts)Are you protesting next week? ?1407963193
And the week after?
obxhead
(8,434 posts)Moving all next week. 3500 miles to drive and a 26 foot truck to load twice.
littlemissmartypants
(22,632 posts)Dustlawyer
(10,495 posts)and why they are having trouble with them in the first place. If they (we) focus solely on outlawing ALL CAMPAIN CONTRIBUTIONS and substituting Publicly Funded Elections we would get our Representatives back. Right now the politicians represent Donors, and Donors only! That's why these issues they mention are a problem in the first place.
Yes I know it will take millions of people protesting/demanding this to happen, but if we can mobilize that many and remind the politicians we will all vote, it can be done. They will throw everything in the book at us to keep their power, but that is the fight we need to focus on. That is the fight that will make all of the difference! As long as campaign contributions and Super Pacs are legal, any "victories" on these issues will be temporary.
It's the SYSTEM, not the issues that are the real problem!
The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)Good job America! A Christian nation!
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)well managed shelter, though.