By Roger Gitlin – EYE ON DEL NORTE – December 2, 2021
Our travels across the country show us a truly beautiful view of America… but not everywhere.
Here are some of my observations:
As we traveled from the Golden State to our destination in Arkansas for Thanksgiving, Angie and I visited Texas, Oklahoma and of course, Russellville, Arkansas where we observed a much different America than my home California.
New Mexico was a big disappointment !!
The Land of Enchantment wasn’t so enchanting with strict Mask Up policy, no shortage of homeless and beggars in NM’s largest City, Albuquerque and a big spike in fuel costs like our Golden State. Candidly, the City reminded me of a deteriorating Los Angeles. Those of you folks pondering a visit and possible relocation to New Mexico, you might want to re-think that move.
My message to BLUE Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham and Albuquerque BLUE Mayor Tim Keller is clear: Change your misguided Pied Piper direction in following the misguided Golden State. Vagrancy conditions were commonplace all along I-40 through Gallup where I experienced a so-called homeless man tending to his bloodless wounds from an earlier altercation, in the men’s room at the Cracker Barrel in Gallup. This bold chap attempted to garner some sympathy, attempted to panhandle me for an Alexander Hamilton. I politely declined. Upon my exit, I reported the incident to the local manager/hostess who stared at me with “crickets:”
Gallup, New Mexico.
Along I-40 through Arizona nary a beggar was observed in RED Flagstaff. Our route took us north to Las Vegas and Clark County where ALL must adhere to a strict Covid 19 Pied Piper Masking protocol. I always ask lots of questions to those who follow these misguided mandates, including police and other local government officials. I’m told the so-called homeless are predominantly local. FALSE. If that were true, where are all these so-called homeless individuals in Texas (excepting BLUE Austin), Arkansas and Oklahoma? Those who live this lifestyle are very mobile and move where conditions are welcoming from local government. New Mexico is California-esq in welcoming those who bring nothing to the table except a myriad of problems and providing no viable solutions.
What we can ALL agree on is those who live this lifestyle are adversely affected by drug abuse, alcoholism and mental illness. There is an infinitesimal amount of homeless, devoid of drug abuse alcoholism and mental illness who have fallen through the economic cracks of life. Jobs abound unfilled.
Sadly, the Del Norte County Department of Health and Human Services pathetically follows a misguided Sacramento and squanders millions $ (locally) and billions $ ( State-wide) of your taxes on feebly trying to help those in need while observing a complete failure in its Mission, and standing by as more of those ” in need” move to our poor County. A moribund Del Norte County Board of Supervisors, Crescent City Council, a soon-to-be former and hopelessly BLUE Sen. McGuire and Assembly member Wood who will be re-aligned to peddle and pander their politics elsewhere, while serving to further deteriorate the Districts each represents, respectively.
Our local elected remain pathetically quiet in the midst of dire circumstances within their constituencies.
My observations.
I’ll pray for you, Roger. Like the Grinch you so resemble, may your heart grow three sizes this season, and may you find empathy for your fellow human beings, despite their being inconsiderate enough to be too poor to afford housing and medical care. Gee, people can be so difficult! Surely their poverty is their own fault. If the Gitlins of the world are doing fine, anyone who isn’t must be lacking bootstraps with which to pull themselves up. How very disappointing. Poor Roger, who had to SEE homeless people. Those people should hide themselves away from the delicate eyes of Roger. It must be hard to be you, Mr. Gitlin.
Kathleen, it is not so much the homeless that Roger has highlighted; but rather the failed Democrat (Corporate-Communist) solutions to homelessness which keep the homeless in poverty. Democrat run California has more homeless than any other State; and most congregate in the Marxist poster child cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles. New Mexico is another example of a Democrat run cesspool. There is a difference between compassion and enabling self-defeating behaviors. The Corporate Communists that run these Marxist dumps, and the big cities within them, facilitate the behaviors of drug addiction, crime, and unrealistic thinking leading to mental health issues; all of which cause homelessness to proliferate. Instead of providing an approving nod toward failed policies; perhaps a study of States and Cities which have low homeless rates might provide a solution.
There has never been a more ripe opportunity for the homeless to find a job. Employers are begging for workers. Sure, they may not be able to afford an apartment of their own in a big city; but they most certainly can share rent with others who are working their way out of homelessness. When I was young, after exhausting the GI Bill, I shared accommodations with other student-workers while earning the balance of my degree. All three of us, who had full time jobs while attending college, got better marks than those who’s parents payed their way, or took out student loans. Most of the kids on easy street didn’t study hard because they were too busy partying or finding the next date. Those of us who worked for a living, room and board, along with tuition books and other supplies, had an incentive to get good grades and graduate as soon as possible. Why? Because it was uncomfortable and exhausting. No time for parties, much less a bunch of dating or fancy Spring-Break vacations in Mexico. True competition existed in the world back then, and a degree was our ticket to get away from the crap jobs that payed peanuts.
The Homeless have been conditioned for failure through co-dependent enabling from Marxist “Social Justice Warriors” that believe in “Equality.” We are all born equal; but that is where equality stops. The strong survive, and the weak fail; unless they find ways to compensate, exercise and get stronger. Those who embrace the challenges of life prevail because they exercise strict self-discipline to meet the everyday struggle to survive. Giving people a free-pass is cheating them from attaining the pride of overcoming adversity. Teaching children that they somehow have a right to success, irregardless of their personal behavior, is nothing less than a crime!
As much as I hate to admit that there could be such ignorant and short sighted “adults” in the world, Ms. Cleaver, you certainly check all the boxes. Perhaps you should pray for yourself with that kind of philosophy on display as it is far more destructive to those you profess to have compassion for than society’s expectation of being a responsible individual and not be a complete leach. I find it unbelievable that you “think” that people can and do become so dependant that they are unable to do anything about correcting their situation without help. I find your thinking abhorrent as a solution to homelessness…give them anything they require without any buy in by the homeless person. You are aware of the fact that getting a job, earning a reasonable living, paying for housing, and medical care is not exactly an impossible task in the current employment climate. Take the progressive “bag” off your head and check out reality, not the fantasy world you obviously live in…..
You must not have stopped in the towns east of Flagstaff, like Winslow and Hollbrook, AZ, where drunken Native American beggars abound, just like in Gallup, NM. I agree with you about ABQ: It’s an absolute s***hole.