Downtown Solutions Forum: Transients and panhandlers

The big attraction?  How about headlines that scream "NO ROOM AT THE JAIL?"  Or the free lunches, dinners, etc.  Or the many people who hand money to the corner jockeys.  Or how about the LTD hub, the public library and the empty hole being a central meeting area.  Or the Broadway Plaza?  My family and I could not enjoy many of the downtown attractions this summer because the drunk and drugged took over Broadway Plaza and other areas.  Nothing like sitting down to enjoy the glorious flowers on a warm sunny day while some guy is puking up his Steel Reserve. 

There was a bicycle officer in front of the library one day who sat and watched people jaywalk, fight, do a drug deal, and an LTD bus run a red light.  All in a few minutes, directly in front of him.  What was he doing that he didn't notice any of this?  Talking on his cell phone.

I live downtown and love the thriving arts scene and the amazing music and community.  But we have had to call Cahoots more times than we can remember for the people who are passed out, pooping in our yard or wandering in the street aimlessly.  We've taken people to detox (Buckley) ourselves when the police and/or Cahoots could not respond.

Everyone talks about the "rights" of the homeless and drunk, but why not about the "rights" of the taxpaying homeowners and people who work?  When the homeless start paying taxes to support the police dept and fire dept and Cahoots and detox and the ER....well, then, maybe their voice should be heard.  In the meantime, the many dollars and resources that are expended on the behalf of these people who are able to sustain irresponsiblity because we take them on will continue to support irresponsible drunkeness.

The report you did with the guy on Meth...that's what I see downtown every day.  It is scary.

If a police officers hands are tied, what can he do? If that officer does do anything, the people cry foul. It's time for some responsible people take over city hall and get Eugene cleaned up.

  And should we be lucky enough to get responsibe peope doing the decission making and they are sucessful cleaning up our city, don't complain. And if you don't like the result, please leave.

I think many people are making the assumption that homeless people are a main source of crime, which is not true. When homeless people commit "crimes," it is usually urinating in public, trespassing (sleeping where they are not supposed to be), having open containers of alcohol, etc. Homeless people are victims of violent crime at much greater rates than they are perpetrators of it. When homeless people do act violently, it's almost always against other homeless people, not against the housed population. I think intoxicated college students, both downtown and on campus, are more threatening then homeless people. Most homeless people are chronic alcoholics who are self-destructive. They are not the tweakers and heroin addicts (most of which are not homeless) who rob people. Homeless people exist in every city and you cannot make them go away. Some of them are homeless as a result of bad choices, but overwhelmingly they are addicts, mentally ill, military veterans, dispossessed and disadvantaged people who may be unsavory but are mostly harmless. Homeless people--along with immigrants, welfare moms, minorities, and poor people in general--are frequently scapegoated for social problems that have more to do with political corruption and corporate greed than their supposed moral failings. As somebody who spends more time with the homeless, mentally ill, and addicts than practically anyone I can speak to this with credibility.

I dunno this town doesn't really have much to offer, the mayor and the city council need to get the heads outta their rears and start thinking on 1. How to bring jobs into this town, 2 figure out how to make a building that will help the homless get cleaned up and detoxed so that they can look for jobs. I have lots of idea's that can be used for that land.

Use it to build a living complex for the homeless to get cleaned up have part of if for the employment office where they can help them figure out what they can do work wise, if they are drug have a programe person there. I have lots of idea that can get eugene cleaned up of homeless and the drug problem.

and if your going to say well they need to help themself first, then your using the wrong mentality.

people can't help themselfs if no one is willing to hlep them first.

I believe that having no room at the Lane County Jail has alot to do with it, but it's also local politics. Mayor Kitty and "others" have an agenda that has nothing to do with protecting people and property. They feel that kicking the homeless and criminals out is treating them like humans with no rights, when really they are supporting the habit of crime. It;s disgusting that our small society is deeming behavior of jumping infront of people as they walk to and from the library, and stairing and shouting at people in cars to give them money. And local business owners get the short end of the stick. they are harassed and receive property damage because Eugene doesn't want to offend anyone.

If we really want to solve the problem open what little more that is available at the local jail, hire more officers,  and hire officers from LADP or NYPD to come pay a visit to EPD to give some pointers. I'm already packing my bags and moving to a really city like Springfield, where they may have problems with crime, but they actually work on them.

P.S.

No Mayor Kitty and "others" a racist DID NOT write this, infact people who disagree with your ideology are not racist, we just know your not doing your job.

Yes, the revolving-door-justice here is real problem- one created by politicians unwilling to support basic law and order.  You see, politicians are very good at telling the people what they want to hear.  That’s how they get re-elected. They know that the voters here are primarily progressive liberals who do not support spending money on public safety. How many times have measures for more prison space been voted-down?- too many to count.  So don’t expect the laws to be seriously enforced.  The cops know the criminals will be back on the streets in no-time.  Why should the cops risk their necks when there is no support for their hard work?    

Did you notice in the video that the guy next to Kitty got HUGE applause when he said we need more social services for the street people and challenged us to help these street people out?  Mayor Kitty no doubt noticed the applause too, and could be rightfully thinking that if she appeals to the seeming majority who applaud the idea of more-services, that will be what gets her elected again.  Why would she support cracking down on these street people when there seems to be no political gain in it? 

So the basic problem seems to be that a large part of the community sees these street people as victims of society, as worthy of considerable expense to feed and house them when possible, as poor souls who actually have a constitutional right to sleep in the streets, and as a population needing our sympathy.  And the city officials, knowing this sentiment, are loath to do something so politically unpopular as to crack-down on the street people’s misbehavior.   You saw it in the video, unbelievable as it may seem to the more rational-minded folks here.

The library has a security guard INSIDE.  Why not get two to stand OUTSIDE, one on each corner on 10th St, and get people to move on.  How simple is that solution?  No gatherings of  so called "musicians" with dope in their guitar case for sale, no homeless, no drug deals, no kids being harassed by the outrageous.  I mean come on....I was there with my teenaged daughter one day and some black clothed, mohawked kid was waving a SWORD.  Yes, a real sword.  And um, Eugene Police Dept?  Please wake up.  Do you realize that many, many of the drug deals are done right there at the library?  There are two young men that are there every day, doing their business.  Now don't get me started on how we cannot go to the river parks, or Washington Jefferson park, or several other spots throughout town because those precious, protected homeless have taken over our community.  Or how about a downtown parking garage?  Tried using one lately?  They are a haven for the kids and other people for sex, bathroom facilities, drug and alcohol use.  Why is Eugene surprised their garages are not being used. Or go to a concert at the McDonald, where you are constantly harassed outside by homeless wanting food, cigarettes, a drink, can they use your phone, and so on.  Get Mayor Piercy a pad downtown and get her to walk to work and see if the problem becomes a tad more apparent.  Oh, and don't do it at 8 a.m.....the homeless, drugged and drunk don't wake up that early.  Come about 2 p.m., just before school lets out.

Paintball would work

I've lived in other places.   Downtown has very few homeless people visible compared to other places.   I think it's the cops on the bicycles that just harass them out to their sleeping spots. 

Nobody is ever going to get ahead in life when they live on the streets.  They use all their energy to just exist.

When we drive by the new stadium being built on Franklin I always think, "how can our society build such a structure to just play ball in, with so many homeless people?" 

If I was in government each city would have something that size with individual rooms for each homeless person to set up house in?    Why?   They are not going to start a normal life without collecting clothes to work in, having a safe place to sleep, a phone and computer to start looking for a job, or services to help kick their habits that hold them down. 

Even the Mission we have can't provide that.  The don't allow computers because of possible porn.   The library charges $3.00 an hour.   Homeless people just don't have a chance sometimes. 

I'm in college.  Can you tell I'd love a job someday helping these people?