Trouble Is, It Is Unworkable Bullshit
by Bob Walsh
The legislature of the formerly great state of California is semi-seriously thinking about creating a legal right to housing for residents of the state. The legislature believes that they can successfully end the teeming homeless encampments in this fashion. Of course, most of them are stoned and most of the rest are idiots.
One of the major problems is it takes YEARS to get permits to build ANYTHING in California. Then of course you have to allow for a small but definite minority of the homeless who LIKE living outside. They are strange but they are there. Then you add in the drug addicts who are so wasted that they can't function in an actual residence and the mentally ill who can't really function at all in an open society. How do you force housing on these folks? (Answer, you don't.)
I strongly suspect this proposal will slide into the crapper of legislative history, as it should. The scary thing is that somebody who is at least allegedly in charge of something thinks this is a reasonable idea.
The problem, however, is not totally negative. It has led to a whole new industry. Property owners are now purchasing and installing blocking devices, like large planter boxes, that narrow the sidewalk to the point where the homeless can not camp on that particular chunk of sidewalk without unduly restricting access. The cops can then move them out. At least for now. Irritating music played on public address systems in public parks has had some success. They haven't tried turning loose packs of rabid Rottweilers trained to attack blue tarps. Yet. Another possible retirement job opportunity.
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