[M1EK]

Most successful urban areas have maintained livability despite annoying, obnoxious, and dangerous bums - because they were so livable before (they achieved critical mass). Some, though, like San Francisco, teeter on the edge of failure even given that critical mass.

We don't have critical mass here, at least not now. It's really important that Joe Suburbanite not be hassled by bums while downtown so that when his CEO talks about moving their company down there, his very FIRST response isn't about how awful the street environment is thanks to all the bums.

Note I keep using the 'b' word. That's what it is; ignore the apologists for the homeless; and NEVER listen to jerks like Richard Troxell; the homeless-by-no-fault-of-their-own aren't the ones hassling you for money. The people who just lost a job and are trying to get by are in the shelters getting fed; the guys on the street are taking your money and putting it directly into alcohol and drugs. Yes, they could be addicted. No, that doesn't make it any more excusable to be public nuisances (or worse).

A few months ago, I had to shepherd my 5-year-old around such a creature at Toy Joy, for f*ck's sake. The whole time some clueless naive do-gooders on the neighborhood lists kept going on about how noble the 'travellers' are. GMAFB.