Quote:
Originally Posted by Comrade
I bet most people who visit Salt Lake aren't aware of these camps, either. When you visit a city, you rarely venture into the seedy areas that offer little in tourism or hospitality. Why would you be aware of these areas if you didn't go out of your way to find them?
Just a quick Google search found...
SLC is not unique. We're just aware of it because we live here and know the areas where the homeless camps are set up. Go to Phoenix or Portland or Denver and their locals are well aware of their problem, too. But just because you haven't seen it while visiting doesn't mean it's there. It's there. It's always been there and, sadly, will always be there.
|
It would be pretty hard not to be aware of them here because they are in close proximity to our major freeway entrances and places of interest.... and I think you just reiterated the point that some people are trying to make... In most cities you don't see it because it's restricted to seedy areas... that is not the case in salt lake and that is the difference. Gateway was a major shopping destination up until the past couple of years... it's becoming seedy because the panhandlers/Homeless/druggies and the crime associated with them is driving out customers and retailers... and we are talking about turning gateway into an entertainment district and rio grande in to a market district...
When you go to San Francisco you don't see transient camps when your getting off the Bay bridge and driving up market street. You don't see them at Union Squar or fishermans Worf... there are many homeless people but not camps...I'm sure they are there... but not in places of interest.
Rio Grand and gateway are high value areas that are striving to become places of interest... they are really the first and last glimps of our city. It's really difficult to redevelop that strip into a viable places of interest with all the homeless and crime...
No, it's not unique that salt Lake has the issue, but where it exist in relation to Viable developing parts of down town probably is... this sounds horrible but it's reality... if a tree falls in the forest then who cares. People don't talk about seeing this when they visit other city because most of those cities are good about controlling where it exist... if we want gateway and rio grand to continue to develop and become viable, and if we don't want transient camps to be one of the first and last things on people's minds when they come to and leave salt lake, then we need to get better... for gateway and rio grand to rise... the homeless shelters need to move somewhere else... it's just as simple as that...
As tax payers and people who provide these homeless shelters and services... we get to deside where we put them. What locations work best for us.... the rio grande / gateway areas are no longer places that work for us... but the good news is most of those people can chose to get off the drugs and work on making their life better... it's their choice. I feel bad for legitimately disabled people, but not those who choose to be on drugs or refuse to work... there are lots of people willing to help other people get their lives together... and McDonald's is always a good place to start.
Threaded Mode