Las Vegas Mayor Insults The People Who Help The Homeless

[dogday]

I have about had it with these people

Showing the sensitivity and compassion that earn him praise throughout "his" city, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman took time out from his busy schedule Thursday to insult a room full of people who try to help the homeless.

Goodman called the "good people" in the room "enablers" who, by feeding the homeless sandwiches and giving them water, "enable them to remain homeless." His words hit homeless advocates present like a stinging two-cheek slap challenging them to a duel.

The setting: A meeting of the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition's committee on homelessness, a workshop in Henderson at which elected officials would give staffers direction on priorities. The audience was packed with people who work with the homeless, including government workers, church workers and volunteers.

Calling someone an enabler is not a compliment. For Oscar Goodman to call people who hand out sandwiches and water "enablers" is outrageous. Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army are enablers?

http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2005/Jun-18-Sat-2005/news/26740928.html

[Miss Chybil]

1. I suppose if they died from starvation, or dehydration they wouldn't

be homeless anymore. I think he has a point.

/sarcasm

[oscar111]

12. Die at 3 X normal rate: 1OO OOO/yr

one mill hmless any one night, 3 mill involved over a year's time.

Churning explains the two numbers... some rise up fm hmlessness and then some fall into it. A churning situation.

heat, cold, rat bites and hunger kill them.

ancients called it "death by exposure to the elements".

[Deja Q]

2. I wish he'd become homeless. That filth needs to wake up.

Being homeless is not a damn stereotype that the person is lazy. When the jobs no longer exist or are moved out of the country, what's a person to do - apart from starve and rot to death? Or employers that see workers as expendable, no matter how talented or good they are.

[DefenseLawyer]

22. Like it or not

there is a percentage, and I'm not saying a large percentage, but there is a percentage of street folks who choose to be there. I'm not saying we shouldn't try to help them,(or defending Oscar's stupid comment) just pointing out what I think is a fact. It is my practice to always give money to someone on the street that asks for it. Now that being said, I think most of us can tell the difference between the guy down on his luck and the guy that is panhandling. The panhandler usually has a pretty good story down as to why he needs two dollars for the bus or gas for his car or whatever. Now as I said, I generally will give anyone money on the street that asks for it without trying to be the judge as to who "really deserves it". But it doesn't make you uncaring to acknowledge that not everyone who is on the streets is in the same set of circumstances.

[Deja Q]

29. Inevitable, "it takes all types to make a world". But as I use an extreme,

they use the opposite. And theirs is more convincing because of its cynical nature. :-(

[oscar111]

36. duplicate oops

xxx

[oscar111]

37. any evidence some are tricksters?

if you are wrong, result is death.

if i am wrong, result is just wasted coins.

[DefenseLawyer]

45. Thanks for not reading what I wrote

before accusing me of killing the homeless. Very nice. If you had read it you would see that I said that I give money to just about anyone that asks for it if I have it, regardless of whether I think they are hustling or not. As I said, I don't presume to judge whether someone that asks me for money deserves it or not. That was not the point. By asking if there is evidence, can I assume that it is your opinion that no one who is asking for money on the street is hustling? It would be wrong to refuse to help people on the streets because some might not really be buying milk for his baby with the two bucks he asks for. But please, there is nothing wrong with living in reality by acknowledging that not everyone on the street is there for the same reasons.

[EFerrari]

47. Are you out killing the homeless again, Defense Lawyer?

:)

You know, I agree that people on the street got there in different ways. Just from my small bit of experience working with folks in my own neighborhood, I find the difference between someone who is "down on his luck" and someone who has a polished story and seems fairly functional is, the latter has been down on his luck longer and has developed some skills to deal with it.

We don't know what is under all that polish.

/typin'

[DefenseLawyer]

48. No we don't

which is why I always assume that if someone's asking for money they probably need it more than I do. That doesn't mean, I hope, that in order to have compassion and in order to believe that helping the poor should be a priority in this country, that we can't point out that reality is complex.

[EFerrari]

51. ComplexRUs. Agree.

:)

[Elidor]

49. As a former homeless person, I can assure you

The percentage of those who truly choose to be there is insignificant. The vast majority of them are desperate to find shelter.

[EFerrari]

60. Highfive me, Hardhead! Right on.

:grouphug:

[dogday]

50. Can I ask something?

Does it really matter how you got into the situation or just that you are in that situation?


Alot of us like to say we are one paycheck away from being homeless ourselves. But there are many aspects to life and everyone has a story. I believe the homeless are out there and let us do what we can to help all of them...

[EFerrari]

52. Makes sense to me, opafbh myself but for my family network.

[DefenseLawyer]

53. It doesn't matter as to whether we help them

but I would say it does matter in determining the kind of help they need. It would be silly to say "all homeless people are mental patients" or "all homeless have been downsized" or "all homeless have a substance abuse problem". We should acknowledge that different people got there for different reasons. At the same time I see nothing wrong with acknowledging that there are guys with "will work for food" signs that don't really expect you to offer them a job on the exit ramp any more than they expect you to hand them a sandwich. Do I help them? Yes? Should we as a society do better for our poorest citizens? Absolutely. The reason we don't feel comfortable admitting that a tiny percentage of street people are hustlers, is because wingnuts take that fact and argue that ALL homeless people are there by choice, which is ridiculous of course, but it lets them rationalize their callousness. But I would still maintain that being compassionate does not require being naive.

[DS9Voy]

74. Not to forget vets

and those with mental illness.

[jeff30997]

3. And his name is Goodman !

What an heartless bastard.

[tmooses]

4. Does this guy fancy himself a "good Christian"-just wondering.

n/t

[oscar111]

5. 2/3 cut of housing vouchers CREATED mass homelessns suddenly

so there is the real cause proven.
Not some myth of "enableing" things today.

Look at the early '8O's sudden appearance of mass homelessness under monster RR.

Homlsnss is due to his cut of 2/3's in housing vouchers.

OBVIOUSLY SUDDEN MASS HOMELESSNESS WAS NOT DUE TO SOME ENABLING ACTIONS FROM RR.

So there is PROOF.

==========================
Cuts are causal, not any enabling actions.
============================

Cuts cause it still today. Cure is end the cuts: cost 4 billion to end homlessnss.

Rollback taxcuts for the rich, 35O billion by bush.

Early eighties "we were pulling in frozen bodies from the Detroit waterfront"... democracynow.org site, page on RR funeral week.

[Cerridwen]

18. Doubt it. Former "mob" lawyer.

He's Jewish and therefore not Christian, though I don't know if he "keeps" or practices his religion. Though I know for a fact he subscribes to capitalistic dogma.

Spent years denying there was/is a "mob" then tried to open a museum dedicated to the "mob" soon after he became mayor.

The nearest I can tell, he's a heartless prick who's only God is money.

[htuttle]

6. There are few cities in the US more doomed than Vegas

Except maybe Phoenix.

When the millions that live there finally have to leave the desert because they can't get enough water pumped in there, Mr. Goodman better hope that some of those 'enablers' help his sorry ass out.

BTW, wasn't Oscar Goodman the Six Million Dollar Man's boss at 'OSI'?

[madmark]

73. Actually phx is at the confluence of 3 signifant rivers and couple of

lesser ones (Salt, Gila, Verde, Hassaympa and one other I don't remember). We really only use the Colorado water for some agriculture. Phx has a ton of water compared to NV.

[medeak]

7. what do you expect from a mafia lawyer?

LOL.. I can't help but love the guy. He's an open book unlike most politicians... can't keep his trap shut. Best thing that has happened to Vegas.

[Cleita]

8. Since a lot of the homeless are children, how are they

at fault? Should they be denied food and water too?

[jeff30997]

9. Those lazy children just have to find a job.

:sarcasm:

[oscar111]

10. 14million Job Shortage forces hmlessnss: No laziness involved

see sig for tiny size of job openings.. 3 million vs 17 mill looking

Feds tally the few job openings as a natl total. Just three million jobs exist for seekers.

Debunk the RW myth "plenty of jobs, just look at the pages of ads in the paper!"

[Cleita]

11. With all that hotel space in Vegas, we should demand that

the hoteliers set aside rooms for the homeless. They should also be provided free meals at the buffets. It's the Christian thing to do IMHO. After all, they probably became homeless losing money at their casinos, so it's time for them to give back a little.

[oscar111]

14. Hotels, warehouses, churches..much shelter exists

great guilt on the heads of the owners who do not make the shelter available.

Negligent homicide comes to mind for their guilt

[anitar1]

72. Surely you jest! Vegas is comprised of 2 towns actually.

I lived there for 5 years and was so aware of this. The tourist part is corporate and money is the bottom line. Once in awhile a few crumbs are thrown to the city. Then there is the other ciy, ordinary working people and the very poor. Some drug addicted, some gambling addicted and others who cannot crawl out the the hole without help. But there are also some very good people there who have a heart.

[Cerridwen]

13. Scrooge.

"Let those poor go to the prisons and the Union workhouses," is Scrooge's reply to the plea for Christmas charity. "And if they would rather die, they had better do it, and decrease the surplus population."
A Christmas Carol. Charles Dickens.

[oscar111]

16. Recommnd for Greatest Page, button bott of OP orig post

ccc

[oscar111]

19. moved to another forum by oscar

bbbbb

[EFerrari]

15. Contact information for this clueless f#ckhead:

Link to contact form on this page.

http://www.lasvegasnevada.gov/mayor_oscar_b_goodman.htm

Mayor's Office: [phone]

Contact info for the reporter (an attagirl would be nice):

[e-mail]

[dogday]

17. Thanks for that inof sfexpat2000-I will let him know how I feel

[EFerrari]

21. I added the reporter's email addy. She did a good job! n/t

[patdem]

34. Thank you for the contact..I have not been this angry since 2000 election

my email to the repuke 'compassionate conservative'

WOW, I am glad you are rich beyond ever losing your wealth, because most Americans are a paycheck or two away from homlessness..and you think a sandwitch and water is enabling homelessness...no I think the government policies are enabling homelessness...with outsourcing and no accountability for anything the corporations or the government does. Only the individual is accountable and blamed for all the wrongs perpetuated on people in the name of 'patriotism' 'freedom' and 'democracy' which are code words for unfettered capitalism..You should be ashamed!

[frictionlessO]

41. I was just getting ready to PM you on this SFexpat!! What a big stinky

piece of turd this jerk is!!

[EFerrari]

43. Yeah. Wait until someone in his family goes homeless from

undiagnosed mental health stuff or because they can't afford their rent because they got laid off or their medical bills are ridiculous. :(

[Warpy]

20. The more I hear these heartless pieces of shit the more I think

the Buddhists are correct, that we just keep getting reborn again and again until we get the fucking POINT.

This asshole sounds just like the preachers in England during the Irish potato famine, the heartless, soulless, ignorant fucks who said that feeding the starving Irish would only make them weak and dependent.

Ireland started with 8 million people. At the end of the potato famine, they were down to two million. Many had attempted to emigrate, but most had died.

My curse for these unchristian bastards is that they spend their next several lifetimes homeless. That's the ONLY way they'll ever get the point.

[Dark]

23. Isn't he an alcoholic? Talk about enablers. . . n/t

[EFerrari]

24. This statement is an important one to remember and this is why.

When you help vulnerable people, you are helping them to survive -- because some people need that support -- hell, maybe we all do at one time or another.

When people like Goodman actively discourage you from lending a hand by calling you an "enabler" or a "codependent", they are actively threatening the survival of vulnerable people. They are trying to destroy a vital network. They are trying to thin the herd.

These people are wrong AND they are casually dangerous.

Challenge their @sses. Call them on their b#llsh!t.

[dogday]

27. It Really Is The Republican Mantra

Everyone is on their own. Help, you don't need no stinkin help!

Sorry to see how they could take that attitude as we are taught as kids to help those less fortunate than ourselves. Where is the sense of Mercy and Goodness that most people have?

[EFerrari]

31. They flip it into a problem with YOU. You are an ENABLER.

Pretty neat trick, eh? Turning someone's sense of justice and making it into a character flaw? :eyes:

[sandnsea]

32. From a strict enabler/treatment stand point

Providing people the actual food is exactly what you want to do, it's the love part of tough love. Don't give the $20, give the actual food or clothes. These people are using strategies that people use to STOP enabling to excuse their selfishness and greed. Real pieces of work, they've driven me bonkers with this distorting of enabling and tough love for years.

[EFerrari]

35. Yeah, they just appropriated the words and turn them to their

miserable uses.

I have a problem with that whole model anyway because it focuses on the negative aspects of relationships (including your relationship with yourself) instead of tapping into a family's strengths.

[sandnsea]

38. Not really

Half the strategy is to stop enabling. The other half, and most important half, is to build or rebuild strengths and get the family moving forward and happy. Then the alcoholic has nobody to look at but himself, and can either join the happy family or stay in his misery. He usually chooses to get help, but even if he doesn't, at least the family is happy and healthy.

[EFerrari]

40. In my experience, this is unnecessary and does not work over

time.

"Then the alcoholic has nobody to look at but himself, and can either join the happy family or stay in his misery."

We disagree.

[sandnsea]

62. I would guess so

It's my experience that it's the only thing that does work.

[hfojvt]

25. Sniff, sniff, sniff

Do I smell a nomination for the "top ten conservative idiots"?

If the people of Las Vegas do not vote for his opponent they are just enabling him to keep his job, and enabling him to spout idiotic and vitriolic ideas to large audiences.

[EFerrari]

28. Maybe we could enable EarlG to this story?

:)

[quaker bill]

26. Not to be a buzzkill but

Not every homeless person is there because of oppression and unemployment. Some are there because they have substance abuse problems, some because they have made horribly bad choices, and some because they can't seem to adjust well to the work environment.

Not all of these folks are helpless victims, though no doubt, many are.

Regardless, all of this is no excuse for the sort of crap the mayor is dealing out. It is no justification to stop feeding them and tryng to help.

Before you get all lit up, I have been volunteering at shelters for 20 years (since Reagan started cutting back on services). Specifically, I purchase the food, prepare it, and serve all the residents of a local shelter, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, one day a month, on my own dime.

[EFerrari]

30. Notice all three issues you've named require treatment

and or training, not punishment or neglect.

My husband was homeless for a year because of all three -- that masked major mental illness.

And lots of people told me to walk away, to stop "enabling". (And at that time, I didn't know to remind them that the average time it takes for a family to secure appropriate treatment is EIGHT YEARS.)

They were as wrong as possible. And now I have a perfectly good, healthy and active husband to prove it. :hi:

www.dougzilla.com

/typin'

[Cleita]

44. Good point and it also it

shines a light on the fact that cutting dollars on programs for the homeless because of these problems penalizes everyone who needs help of another sort. There are also people who prefer to be homeless, like hobos, however, they shouldn't be denied help if they need it.

[sandnsea]

33. You're not enabling

Writing checks would be enabling. Food and an occasional "there is a solution" is the right way to go and it is NOT enabling in any sense of the word. I know folks who have used services such as yours and gotten sober eventually, sometimes in their 40's & 50's. They remember kindnesses such as yours, it matters.

[noamnety]

39. FEMA & Red Cross = enablers

That's just sickening.

People hardly need enablers to help them be poor.

[Cleita]

42. Just heard on the radio.

Albuquerque, New Mexico, once a year hires the homeless or whoever wants to do it to clean up brush on public land and roadsides. They pay $50 a day. (Sounds like a good job for *.) The program has been so successful in helping many of the homeless earn enough to get permanent residences that they are going to do the program all year. What a concept!

[EFerrari]

46. What a great sollution! n/t

[Nikia]

54. More fortunate people are not homeless

There are some people who have a harde time holding down jobs, have financial difficulty and get evicted, have mental illness, or other unfortanate problems that cause them to be homeless. Some of these people are homeless. Some of these people have family or friends who take them in despite these problems. Families with money have more resources to get their family member treatment, help with other problems, network with employers, and materially support their family member. Why should people without this be condemned to starve?

[EFerrari]

56. I really agree that a familial network can make a difference.

My husband's remaining parent has problems herself, so that left him pretty much me before he went homeless. After 6 years of dealing with untreated illness on my own and being the sole support of the household and a bunch of other stuff, I caved. And he went homeless -- pretty much until I was up and running again.

Two things: The stigma around mental illness gets it underfunded and understaffed no matter who you are or what kind of insurance you have. It's an equal op problem. Also, under recognized and everyone pays for it one way or another.

The other thing, our networks are our most precious possession. And boy, do I know that to my toes now. :)

[UdoKier]

55. Thanks for reminding me why I despise Las Vegas.

Like anybody in that town is making an honest living...

[EFerrari]

57. I f you think about it, Las Vegas has a ton of service jobs.

Not everyone in and around town is a mafia lawyer or a casino owner.

Doug plays there several times a year, and I can always tell how the local economy is doing by how worried the staff is.

[UdoKier]

58. I know, I exaggerate.

But I really do dislike Vegas. The fake-glitz tacky casinos & "resorts", the feeding-trough buffets, the endless sprawl of cheesy stucco "houses", the oppressive heat, and the atmosphere of greed and corruption that pervades the town. Oh, and did I mention the freeperish political climate?

[EFerrari]

59. "This would be a great town if it weren't for

all the goddam vampires."

-- Lost Boys

:)

[progressivebydesign]

61. Never thought I'd see the day when housing is expensive in Las Vegas..

I have to ask.. WHY? The only reason people started moving their in droves was because of cheap housing. I can't fathom why anyone would pay top dollar to live there.. aren't they running out of water there yet?

The Mayor sounded a bit scattered in his comments. Did he not realize what he meant by "enabler"? Sounds like he was having a bad day, or is he always like that? I couldn't tell by the columnist if she was trying to be sarcastic about his sensitivity and compassion.

[amazona]

69. consider the source -- goodman a former mob lawyer

I don't know why he is mayor of any city, but the voters of Las Vegas apparently like him, so let it be on their conscience.

I'm confident Goodman knows exactly what "enabling" means and that he stands by his remarks. He's a jerk.

[EFerrari]

63. Response from Jane Morrison (the journo)

To: "Elizabeth Ferrari" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Re: Thanks for your article on Mayor Clueless
From: [e-mail]
Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2005 11:06:25 -0700

Beth,
Thanks for writing. So far my emails and calls are running in favor of those kind-hearted enablers, although 15 percent or so are telling me the mayor is right! You know better than most that he's wrong.

Jane Ann Morrison
Columnist
Las Vegas Review-Journal
[phone]


Elizabeth Ferrari <[e-mail]>

06/18/05 12:29 PM

To
[e-mail]
cc

Subject
Thanks for your article on Mayor Clueless






Hi there, Jane

I'm Beth Ferrari. My husband is the comedian Doug
Ferrari, and we work with the homeless here in San
Francisco.

Doug went homeless for a year due to mental illness
and a lack of mental health resources. We're lucky,
we survived as a family and finally were able to
secure treatment for Doug.

I'm going to try to be good and not pick up the phone
and call Goodman. I sure would like to, though.

best,
Elizabeth Ferrari
San Francisco
www.dougzilla.com

[dogday]

64. Great Letter, I cannot believe she would even get 15% that think

helping the homeless is enabling. As Dean says, it says help the poor over 300 times in the Bible...

[EFerrari]

65. Well, I'm glad that you put up the thread. I'm sure that helped

her get a better idea of how people feel.

:hi:

[TNOE]

66. Starving Terry Shiavo was COLD BLOODED MURDER

but not feeding the homeless is THE RIGHT THING. Okay then. Got it. It's so confusing on which side of the right to life they're on sometimes.

[patdem]

67. Got an answer from an e-mail to Jane Morrison the writer of the article

Thanks for writing. So far my emails and calls are running in favor of those kind-hearted enablers, although 15 percent or so are telling me the mayor is right!

Jane Ann Morrison

I was surprised she took the time out to write back! I am sure she needs more of us to lower that 15% who think the homeless should just starve to death!

[EFerrari]

68. Super. Thank you for taking the time to write her.

:hi:

[anitar1]

70. Old Oscar, former lawyer to the mob,is such a jerk. n/t

[otohara]

71. Another Example of GOP Compassion

Is he a member of the "Christian Coalition" too?

[killbotfactory]

75. Let them eat cake!

No wait, don't, let them starve in the street like they deserve.