The presence of fecal bacteria in water is usually the result of problems with sewer systems and septic tanks. But water quality officials agree that the source of at least some of the fecal bacteria is California’s growing homeless population, most of whom don’t have reliable access to toilets.
“I’ve carried 5-gallon buckets that were unambiguously being used as toilets,” said David Gibson, executive officer of the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, describing his experience cleaning up homeless encampments. “They were taking it to the San Diego River, dumping it there, and rinsing it out there.”
There's the homeless shitting everywhere, which turns the entire area into a contaminated toilet. Anyone who's been to Los Angeles can tell you what the Los Angeles River smells like as it rolls through the San Fernando Valley. That ain't roses, son. I've actually gagged and vomited from the smell as I was running over a bridge that crossed the river. Hot days and shitty water don't go well with exercise.
And Victor Davis Hanson has described on multiple occasions the tents and encampments of illegal aliens in agricultural areas, who get away with trashing the environment in ways that would get a legal citizen locked up for decades.
When you allow flagrant homelessness, flagrant illegal encampments, flagrant violations of every civilized norm, well then, you get shit everywhere. Enjoy your Hepatitis A and B, possibly C, and then some cholera on the side.
To stop calling it a homeless problem would be a great start. What it is is a relativism problem. Anything goes, your truth is not my truth and so on, that is the problem. Small wonder there are aimless people when living without aim is tolerated and even encouraged. The fight has been to remove the stigma of the layabout rather than demanding the principals of a civil society be upheld. Society is therefore unstabilized. The standard is dismissed and actively disregarded.
ReplyDeleteOther people have pointed out that this isn't a problem of housing, it's a problem of addiction. The vast majority of these people don't want housing, they want drugs. Their addiction has led them to the streets, because they care more about getting high than about paying rent.
ReplyDeleteStart by dealing with that first, and you'll see the homeless population shrink. But that goes to your Relativism problem. Nobody is willing to cut off an addict. Well, I'm willing, but I'm only one guy.