Tennessee lawmakers are close to sending Republican Gov. Bill Lee a proposal that would threaten felony penalties against homeless people who camp on local public property — including in parks — and misdemeanors for camping around highways.
The Tennessee Senate voted 20-10 Wednesday to advance the bill, with four Republicans joining Democrats in opposition. The House already passed a version of the legislation last year.
Both Republican-dominated chambers need to hash out differences in what they approved.
Opponents have said the legislation does nothing to help reduce homelessness, while potentially making it harder for homeless people to rise out of extreme poverty if they have a felony on their records.
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Why is it that the "Bible Belt" states are the states that propose and seek to pass legislation that makes life more miserable for the already down-trodden and unfortunate citizens in their states?
Doesn't their Savior say in their Holy Book to welcome the stranger, and to feed and clothe the hungry? Not make them criminals?
Just recently, Tennessee almost passed legislation that would allow child brides. The bill had no age limit on the marriageable age.
I sometimes wonder why the so-called "Bible Belt" ignores their Christian ideals and passes legislation to make criminals out of their fellow citizens who've fallen on hard times.
Apparently, they don't believe in charity, compassion, and helping one's fellow citizens.
19 comments:
To show the world that cruelty is the point, pretend prolife Tennessee GOPers passed a bill that makes homelessness a crime punishable by $50 fine &/or community service requirements. How will the homeless pay the fine?
Criminalizing poverty is so prolife.
Next up for the Republscumbags; Making it illegal, once again, for anyone other than a white Christian land owning man to vote. I put nothing past these unAmerican pieces of crap. Nothing.
Apparently, they don't believe in charity, compassion, and helping one's fellow citizens.
BINGO!? All they are really interested in is giving the appearance they are Christians. The actual practice of Christ's teachings not so much. IOW they're flaming hypocrites.
"don't believe in"
That's an understatement!
It's not just Tennessee...
Municipalities all over the states, Nevada included, are enacting "no overnight camping" laws, which effectively criminalizes sleeping in your car, at parks, on benches, etc.
The problem is while this is happening, no one, and I mean no one with significant resources, is offering up alternatives.
Sure, everyone is fed up, but how about a solution to a really vexing problem?
We can't keep kicking this can down the road too.
Republicans hate cancel culture so much they decided to cancel, Disney, abortion, math, books, history Colin kaepernick, Nike and many more.
By their actions we know they are not Christians, but CINOs.
They are authoritarians who embrace their powers of judgement, and relish Old Testament cruelties. Nothing more.
My handy response to all CINO hypocrites:
Matthew 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."
Sorry, no love for your fellow man, no free ticket to Paradise. No hypocrites allowed.
Let's try to keep religion out of this and our government laws. One does not have to believe in God to have empathy for a fellow human. Our capitalistic system created this problem and capitalists need to realize they have an obligation to fund what is necessary to relieve the problem. That means more taxes and they refuse to part with more of their money. Their greed overshadows the life, or death of humans.
CINO -- love it. I'm going to have to borrow that, Dave.
So what is the answer other than blaming trump. Even Santa Cruz CA moved the homeless from certain streets and that is not a republican city by any means. I would like to hear what the solution is from Rev and especially ray because I am sure they have the solution. The government must have a great solution because the current administration has a plan for everything and someday one may work.
Many are for allowing the homeless to camp wherever they want as long as it is not in their front yard. Why not take the inactive military bases and turn them into homeless housing.
Good idea skud.
Skud... I'm always proposing solutions. Will they work? Who knows.
But in this case, you go first. Because you'll be the first conservative I know to posit something, rather than just carp or spew snark.
At least us libs are trying some things in some cities. More than the GOP/Libertarian crowd.
Did someone in this thread blame Trump for criminalizing homelessness?
Maybe Skud hallucinated it, since nobody else can see it.
But sometimes Skud makes sense.
"Why not take the inactive military bases and turn them into homeless housing."
We all know who would bitch the loudest if the government paid to maintain housing for the homeless and destitute.
It's tragic that we have this affliction for so many Americans while some multi-billionaires have more wealth than half the countries in the world, and still get off with tax cuts.
Greed is the only American value these days. This cannot end well.
Skud, good suggestion. Homelessness is a man made problem and a man made solution can solve it. We need the Will todo so.
PS. No one is blaming Trump for homelessness. Also, google Santa Cruz and homelessness and see what that city is doing to solve some of the problems.
I see it first hand what they are doing. They have a person who is in charge of the homeless population and is very dedicated to his job. So far the problem just keeps getting worse but the climate is good and the city lets the homeless be and just move them every couple of months. Shelters in most cities are unsafe and the homeless feel it is safer to sleep on the street than in a shelter. Instead of working toward a good solution most cities ignore the homeless problem until the private side raises hell.
What is the impact of the open border doing to the homeless problem. Maybe take some of the millions spent for the illegals and divert it to the citizen homeless. Of course we need to inform the POTUS that title 42 is not about masks but about the border or nothing will be done.
skud, you read what Santa Cruz is doing? Really? Because here are my take-aways -
First and foremost is that there are as many approaches to how to solve homelessness as there are humans dedicated to eradicating it. Second, the system as it exists now is broken. This issue isn't limited to one city but affects the entire nation. And third is a huge lack of communication and coordination between the problem solvers. And that's just from the first article I read. There was a metric ton more.
Blaming government (and an 'open' border) seems to be a thing with you skud and yet I've never witnessed you offering up any solutions which will work for the myriad citizens each issue you complain about (endlessly by the way. Seriously skud, if you aren't part of the solution you are certainly part of the problem).
Here is my take -
Before homelessness and drug abuse can be eradicated We The People need to overhaul our safety net. As it exists now it's more holes than net. A national mental health program needs to be implemented, specifically Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Anger Management, and Grief/Emotional therapies are the basic courses which would do the most good.
Next, if the private sector refuses to pay workers a living wage it is the duty of our government to bridge the gap. My idea is Universal Basic Income. Studies in multiple cities have proven giving humans monies each recipient must account for but can spend without limitation work to improve their life. This study has been repeated enough times to know that it works.
The whole point of having a government is to help us when things are horrible and guess what, things are horrible. Aside from the Pandemic and it's endless mutations encouraged by humans who won't take it seriously, We The People face the encroaching war by Christian Nationalists doing their best to turn the USA into a theocracy, an aging population beset with Alzheimer's and other labels under the Dementia umbrella, and a Greed is Good mentality of those in charge of our economy pulling all the lubrication aka money into their hidden bank accounts where it stays idle, useless, while the machinery of society grinds to a halt.
In my city the waitlist for low income housing is three years. And that's a positive estimate across all the low income buildings. And yet builders are putting up more and more luxury high rise apartment complexes which no one can afford, leading to more homelessness.
Until we do better we have no right to expect better. That's Mental Health 101. And of course I have a plan to address each issue I've addressed. It's just that I'm not in charge, no one listens to me, and I have barely the energy to keep myself going, let alone the force needed to stop humans from making bad choices. Each person has to make that decision for themselves.
Thank you GOts for your very well thought out and quite sensible possible solutions to an ever growing problem.
Perhaps it will tweak some patriotic self interest conservatives into finally considering doing the right thing.
But I won't be holding my breath. Ignorance and greed have a very long shelf life it seems.
My vote goes to Grey One Talks Sass! Seriously, I'd vote for you in a heartbeat with pleasure.
Grey, I never said I read what they are doing in Santa Cruz I said I see first hand. If you read what I said you will see that I did have suggestions, but I guess you chose to ignore that part. Since the great society was formed we have had no decrease in the percentage of poor people after spending trillions to improve the problem. Because throwing money at the problem has not helped how would throwing more money at the problem help. Maybe job training programs would be an answer except that would require participation and doesn't seem to be acceptable. We do have Universal Basic Income which is called welfare. The government program to offer assistance which became a career path and eliminated the need for two parent households. It has worked so well why don't we increase it.
If you read what I posted I did not blame the biden's open border policy on homelessness but that we could spend the hundreds of millions spent on illegals to assist the homeless. If you paid attention you would know that the government, no matter which crook is in office, will spend billions on assisting non US citizens but fight to not spend on citizens, education, homeless.
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