Comments on: Freeze A Bum In the Dark http://houblog.com/wp/index.php/2007/470 Random rants from a civil servant in Houston, TX Fri, 18 May 2012 03:59:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Houblog » Blog Archive » Trash the Fee, Part II http://houblog.com/wp/index.php/2007/470#comment-7274 Houblog » Blog Archive » Trash the Fee, Part II Sun, 08 Apr 2007 20:20:32 +0000 http://houblog.com/wp/?p=470#comment-7274 [...] In the balance of “cost vs. service” lies the biggest problem with this plan, in two respects. In the first place, only a hardcore “social engineer” is going to be stupid enough to want to pay more to get less service. Maybe that “engineer” can afford it, but I’ll bet you a sixty-year-old grandmother with nothing but $819 a month in Social Security can’t. (That’s the poverty level for 1 person.) Hey, remember, according to some folks, 1 in five children in Houston live in poverty! Let’s burden their guardians with more fees. After all, those damn poverty-laden households generate tons and tons of heavy trash every year–they can buy one less pack of cigarettes a month, can’t they? Make them pay! [...] [...] In the balance of “cost vs. service” lies the biggest problem with this plan, in two respects. In the first place, only a hardcore “social engineer” is going to be stupid enough to want to pay more to get less service. Maybe that “engineer” can afford it, but I’ll bet you a sixty-year-old grandmother with nothing but $819 a month in Social Security can’t. (That’s the poverty level for 1 person.) Hey, remember, according to some folks, 1 in five children in Houston live in poverty! Let’s burden their guardians with more fees. After all, those damn poverty-laden households generate tons and tons of heavy trash every year–they can buy one less pack of cigarettes a month, can’t they? Make them pay! [...]

]]> By: Ubu Roi http://houblog.com/wp/index.php/2007/470#comment-4346 Ubu Roi Wed, 07 Feb 2007 03:26:42 +0000 http://houblog.com/wp/?p=470#comment-4346 Actually, I sort of figured that was exactly what was happening, only it was more the private developers and weathy patrons who didn't want any of "those people" near their neighborhoods. I kind of doubt it's the government, or else we'd be hearing rumbles about moving the shelters, given that the city has picked up all they're going to get on the east side of downtown. Frankly, given the pull of some developers, I'm surprised we haven't seen already. Then again, if I start hearing "lets build a stadium for the Dynamo" again, and someone suggests downtown.... Welcome to Houblog, tweell. Sorry about the delay in approving your first post. Future ones will appear without moderation delays (unless they contain links, which is saving my blog, now that someone's found a way past Akismet.) Actually, I sort of figured that was exactly what was happening, only it was more the private developers and weathy patrons who didn’t want any of “those people” near their neighborhoods. I kind of doubt it’s the government, or else we’d be hearing rumbles about moving the shelters, given that the city has picked up all they’re going to get on the east side of downtown. Frankly, given the pull of some developers, I’m surprised we haven’t seen already.

Then again, if I start hearing “lets build a stadium for the Dynamo” again, and someone suggests downtown….

Welcome to Houblog, tweell. Sorry about the delay in approving your first post. Future ones will appear without moderation delays (unless they contain links, which is saving my blog, now that someone’s found a way past Akismet.)

]]> By: tweell http://houblog.com/wp/index.php/2007/470#comment-4305 tweell Mon, 05 Feb 2007 01:46:23 +0000 http://houblog.com/wp/?p=470#comment-4305 My brother is a civil engineer, and had some interesting things to say about the homeless and city planning. City planners use these folks. When planning for new public works in the future in areas they do not own or control, they instead will lease or buy a spot there, then offer that space to charity outreach, soup kitchens and the like for free. The homeless flock there, the neighborhood goes to heck and property values sink to the absolute minimum. When the government is ready, it buys that area up cheap, moves the charities (and bums), then puts their new building in. That's why the charities are downtown. My brother is a civil engineer, and had some interesting things to say about the homeless and city planning. City planners use these folks. When planning for new public works in the future in areas they do not own or control, they instead will lease or buy a spot there, then offer that space to charity outreach, soup kitchens and the like for free. The homeless flock there, the neighborhood goes to heck and property values sink to the absolute minimum. When the government is ready, it buys that area up cheap, moves the charities (and bums), then puts their new building in. That’s why the charities are downtown.

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