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Open thread
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted Oct. 3, 2006 at 12:05 a.m.
- Filed under Open thread
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37 Comments
Yesterday, we had interesting comments about the HOMELESS PERSONS situation in downtown Wichita especially at the Central Library. These were in the thread about five down titled “Downtown Library not a homeless shelter.” One blogger asked how this problem is being addressed in other U.S. cities.
I hope bloggers will continue this conversation either on this thread or on the Downtown Library thread below. It’s a vitally important issue to Wichita.
AMERICA HELD HOSTAGE:DAY 2081….
Hey Eds…
The military payday loan thread is not opening up.
JW – I would add KsSam’s update on the stand-down. It would have been nice to have seen some coverage in the Eagle on that. I wonder if that could be built upon with veterans connecting with other veterans. Perhaps, at least for this segment of the homeless population, Legion posts could provide a setting.
Ben..
There are certainly models and federal funds available…
http://www.nchv.org/background.cfm#questions
Thanks kssam – I’ll pass that along to someone on the task force.
Ben, I wonder if it’s because we did a whole hour on it last week.Heaven forbid the Eagle acknowledge us on a day other than Saturday.
Mark Foley checking in for alcohol treatment as some kind of cover for his misbehavior should raise the anger of all recovering alcoholics everywhere.
Is this the excuse of the day- I’m alcoholic therefore I am excused? Or at least that explains everything?
What a pig!
Mr. Controversy: Wasn’t the “standdown” project discussed by your substitute talk show host last Tuesday evening on Channel 5? I can’t remember the fellow’s name but he sure knows his stuff about veterans’ affairs.
The standdown activity didn’t seem to get much publicity. As I recall it provided camping equipment and other supplies to homeless veterans — am I correct?
“File this article under “Things That Make You Go Hmmm….””
http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=24078
I wonder what would happen …
if a veterans group organized a “camp-in” at Veterans Memorial Park.
No heckler – they all make me go HAHAHA! Watching the Party of BushDaBum reap what they sow is great!
Ben..That would be AWESOME… it should last all weekend!!
I can tell you though.. we walk alot of the parks and along the river at night.. but for some reason the Veterans Memorial is dang scary after dark!!
Since this is an open thread:
I sincerely hope there is a corner of hell reserved for people who go into a school and shoot children to death.
JWink–not that I know of.Tents were provided for the event by the KNG.
KsSam – maybe you and MrC need to get together and do his show.
JWink…
You are correct about the Stand Down… they gave out camo clothing and bunches of sleeping bags.. and they also provided a hot meal!
Ben.. I didn’t know MrC had a show until now. I am nothing but a servant of the Lord.. it would be more appropriate for him to get some of the coalition members on his show.
Sam – if you know the Street and the situation firsthand – especially if you are a vet yourself – I can’t think of anyone better. MrC?
Ben and Ksam
That sounds like a plan!
Ksam I’ve met mrc. he’s pretty cool and very easy to talk to.
Ben…sorry.. I’m not a vet.. they didn’t want me and classed me 4A.
Gotta get going.. keep the discussion going.. someone will come up with a good plan!
even not a vet I agree with JR. MrC is “street” in a sense – you sound that way to.
I’ve lived in places that had public-interest community-access cable channels. Wichita doesn’t have one. You’ve got (Cox) channel 7, given to Wichita and Sedgwick County, WSU channel 13, and USD 259 given channels 17, 20, 21.
Your “public leaders” have monopolized the public-access channels. They’ve implemented feudal-hinterland-ideology distortion to thwart Congressional public-access-media intent. The public is denied access. Do you know how to run a public program? Suppose you don’t. Do you think you could LEARN, if given a fair opportunity to TRY?
Most of you realize I am at heart a “Green”, if a label can approximate me. Would I want to control a public-access channel? Not at all. I’ve never been a control freak. Call me a radical, but I think if the vast majority of people are given true information, and not sent into a fear state by phony propaganda designed to make them fearful, they can make wise democratic decisions.
Would I like to participate in a TV forum that presented a wide information base, and debate with people who disagree with me, and let the public decide what to do? You betcha.
Would I always expect to win debates? Not at all. Because, I’m a learner. If somebody beats me on debate arguments, I say, “You’ve made a good point. Thanks for edifying me.”
The deep problem with Wichita, in my opinion, is that there is not enough public information disclosure and public debate. Is there such a thing as “too much” public information promulgation and debate? It depends on whether you want effective democracy, or a plutocratic pseudo-democratic substititute.
Heartlander: Unfortunately I don’t think you will find the situation you are looking for with the local affiliates of NBC, CBS and ABC … their programming beyond local/national news is basically an intellectual wasteland.
You might try the smaller local TV stations, channel 8 on cable, channel 5 not on cable, and channel 49, also not on cable. I believe that channels 8, 5 and 49 are all small, progressive and open to new ideas for local programming.
However, your interest reminds me of a late evening radio program in Kansas City back in the 1960’s … on either KFH or KCMO. I can’t recall the talk show host’s name right now … but I think he might have pioneered argumentative political talk radio. As I recall, he didn’t have many guests but took lots of inbound telephone calls.
In retrospect, I am reminded of Jack Paar, the old late night TV host.
As I recall, he was on the radio in Kansas City for several years and developed a huge radio audience. Of course, that was before TV got really big. I believe he later moved on to the west coast. In the late 1980’s, I was surprised to learn he was retired and living back in Johnson County again, not far from where I lived but I never met him.
So my suggestion for you is to visit some radio stations in Wichita to see if there is interest in trying a similar late night radio talk show.
heartlander, jwink – I would direct both of you to local station KCTU
Thanks, Ben.I’ll be on the air in about 25 minutes…would love to talk about this!
Good discussion tonight about the homeless situation.Now, if the viewers will just DO something about it…
Ben: KCTU is channel 5, rabbit ears, not on cable. Mr C. had a good conversation about homeless this evening on his TV call-in show from 7 to 8 PM. I had a couple of telephone calls during that time so didn’t get to hear every word or call in.
I wish we could get a survey of libraries in cities around the U.S. to find out what they have done successfully about homeless people. On one hand I think society has to do something constructive with homeless rather than to run them out of every park, bridge and building where they congregate. On the other hand, I think it is a very poor practice to mix homeless people with regular people who go in the library. The bottomline is the regular people won’t go to the downtown library and the valuable book collections will be destroyed as is being done now.
Also the library employees are being asked to do a different type of job than they were hired for. Some library staff members will probably move on because of it.
And if the homeless are going to be permitted to gather in the library, then recognize that fact and place social services staff in the library who are trained to handle that situation.
JWink…
The library is just a symptom of the much bigger problem. Give them another place to go out of the heat and cold and the library homeless population will decrease drastically!
I often wonder why they couldn’t open up some of those giant rooms at Century 2 when they are empty.Bathroom facilities.. easy to clean… controlled environment..Then I remember the City of Wichita has no heart…. they just want them out of sight.
Kssam: Might be better to build some kind of dormitory/barracks for homeless than the proposed expensive jail expansion. Of course, I don’t have any numbers but perhaps a low security “homeless” dorm/barracks would offset the need for a new high security jail.
Then hire ex military sergeants rather than prison guards to motivate the inmate-guests to do better.
Kssam: And offer less expensive sandwiches and light snacks at the barracks rather than delicious well-balanced jail cuisane.
Thanks MrC et.al. I think JWink has a good idea – some sort of dorn style for SOME. However, I would also look at a part I consider even worse – families with children. They will need a different sort of help.
I think we need to look at the fact that this problem is multi-faceted. Many (most?) have mental problems. In many of these cases the problems stem from their military service – service for US!
A take on JWink’s idea for sergeants instead of ‘cops’ makes a lot of sense for helping reconnect. A Marine ‘guard’ and a Marine ‘guest’ might be able to relate to one another. I would add using former homeless etc as ‘counselors’ – LAY counsel, not necessarily professional. Counseling cannot be forced – but if it is available maybe it can attract.
HolaDo you like Ramstein?
Very impressive: Ron Paul nets $3.5 million in 20 hours, using mostly online fundraising in conjunction with Guy Fawkes’ commemoration day.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071106/ap_po/paul_fundraising
I’d say the GOP has fires breaking out all over the place. Paul’s got some mojo going. My guess is that he freaks out the GOP money boys even more than he freaks out liberals like CF2K.
Remember, remember the fifth of November–the Gunpowder Treason and Plot.
I know of no reason the Gunpowder Treason should ever be forgot.
HailWhat do you think about this? When it happens?