WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9Storms further unsettle the unsettled. Two days ago San Diego finally got much needed rain... as much as three inches of the stuff fell all in one day. I enjoyed the wind and the rain... from the comfort of my warm home. All of the people I know were either snug in their homes or safe in their workplaces. The aftermath of a heavy rain and wind storm littered the valley where I went out for an early morning bike ride. It was obvious that some people didn’t fare so well. On my way across and beside the swollen river, I saw several usually invisible homeless people trying to dry and reorganize their belongings.
Several times I’ve spoken with a shaggy man whose home is his bicycle. He sometimes sits at an outside table at a shop where my friends and I have coffee. He is known by regulars as “Butterfly,” Today he was especially scattered mentally. As I came out of the coffee shop, he recognized me and motioned for me to come over so he could speak to me. What he said was gibberish. He is among the hundreds of slightly or thoroughly mentally ill homeless people in San Diego. The storm left him more unhinged than usual.
Of course, it can be said that there are shelters for these people; but shelters don’t fit into the “reality” of many of the mentally ill homeless. Most of the ones I saw today could have taken shelter from the storm if they had managed to get themselves down to Market Street, but they are staying close to the places that are dry and relatively safe most of the time. Behind a Friar’s Road bus stop two homeless men had spread their wet possessions on bushes to dry. One of them is someone I often see sitting on the bench at the bus stop throughout the day. He obviously has no place to go.
As I started up the hill toward home, I spotted a naked toy doll that had washed down the street and onto a storm drain. It seemed an appropriate image for today.
2 comments:
Good morning, Jerral,
The mentally ill are a legitimate problem among the homeless, compared to those who would just rather not be responsible for their condition. I don’t know what other states are doing, but I remember, many years ago, when California government decided it could or would not spend the money for institutions in which to house the mentally ill. They turned them out on the streets and left local communities to deal with them. As a result, many migrated to more benign climates, like San Diego, where they could survive more easily. With our constant publicity about the homeless, and the push to provide ever more services with no income source to match, it is becoming increasingly burdensome on local tax payers to deal with the situation. It is patently unfair.
It seems to me that, like Welfare programs, the expenses to deal with the homeless problem need to be broad-based geographically, so that all areas bear the financial burden of housing and related services. We support Father Joe, the Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, etc. because there is effort made to help people get jobs and regain some normalcy in their lives. However, there are still far too many who just like the climate, the “free” services (which others pay for) and are an intrusive presence on the San Diego scene. Having the state dump the mentally ill onto the streets makes it difficult to separate the truly needy from the lazy. It seems to me that part of the financial solution would be for the state to support facilities for the homeless, spreading the support among many rather than just among us “few”.
Personally, I wish we still had vagrancy laws to keep indigents out of the city center. Many times, on the way to the Civic Theater, I have passed by vagrants installed in store front openings, some having open sex right there. The problem is currently better – there are fewer indigents lying about, but it is a vexing problem!
When I arrived in San Diego some fifty years ago, I observed it was a “big city with a small-town feeling”. The streets and freeways were clean – very little litter – and well-maintained. People took pride in their city, and I wanted to live here and add to that good attitude. Now, we have too many who have migrated here, who have too little identification with the city and who litter, vandalize, and prey on our community. Paradise lost. I constantly look for ways we can improve our San Diego quality of life and join the effort. It often seems like an uphill battle.
I love San Diego. Ann and I feel blessed to live here, and we try to contribute to our community’s quality of life. However, it takes constant, sometimes frustrating, effort.
Have a good day!
Ron
Ron,
Of course, I share your frustration regarding the homeless population in San Diego. Most of the homeless in our area of the city seem benign, more trouble to themselves than to others. The San Diego River Bottom is a jungle that hides many people. I wandered into the area between Linda Vista Road and Sea World one day not long ago and was shocked at the number of people who were camping there.
The homeless, however they got to their state of homelessness, are a mirror held up for me to see how very fortunate I am. I had parents who gave me a sense of pride in work and a sense of responsibility for myself. I have been blessed with uncommon good health. I have been able to put aside more than enough personal resources to take care of my financial needs in old age. Declining health is inevitable if I live long enough: I have good health insurance.
I don't know any of these homeless people, so I have no idea how they got to the homelessness that makes them alien in our city. I too see the tent city and the sleeping bag crowds downtown when I go there at night. I am filled with a great sadness for these wretched people, and with the Psalmist, I can say, "My cup runneth over."
Thanks for your comments. I appreciate your frustration.
Jerral
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