My Dad always told the stories of those folks who would stop at his parents farm back in the days of the depression. The farm was located not far from the train tracks in Coloma (Waushara County). The ones who rode the rails were like so many others then in the country. Seeking something better somewhere else, not sure of the future but looking to find it. My grandmother–a woman I would never know personally–would offer some food and the men who stopped by would work on this or that project for a day or two on the farm.
I have thought about those stories often over the past week as Madison seems embroiled in yet another spasm of news stories about the homeless that deserve our attention along with some of their actions which deserve our scorn.
We all understand that people are homeless for a variety of reasons. Some lose their jobs, health insurance, and hope. Some have medical issues ranging from depression to drug addictions. There is no end to the sad stories. There is also, it seems, no end to the attempts to create a homeless shelter in Madison that will impact this segment of our community. That in spring 2015 we are still only talking about this matter is truly upsetting.
But having said all that there is also another part to the story of the homeless in Madison. They too must play their part in making sure we all can move forward on this issue.
No one can be pleased to hear–as we all did last week–of the problem inside the city-county building where feces is too often found and now infestations of vermin are reported due to the collection of bags and debris that is piled up. No one can be content with the garbage or worse yet the number of used hypodermic needles left on the streets by homeless people.
Mayor Paul Soglin, after waiting what some would argue was too long a period of time, has finally said conditions are so bad that enough is enough. Last week the mayor restricted the homeless to only sleeping outdoors at the city-county building. That makes sense so to reduce having problems spread throughout the downtown area. Soglin also called for an end to street feeding programs, and limiting the use downtown of park benches to an hour.
I applaud the actions of the mayor. It is not heartless to implement some common sense measures to make sure that while Dane County and Madison grapple with how to effectively combat homelessness that our city not suffer from the increasing numbers of those who come here to live on the streets.
While some are snarling at Mayor Paul Soglin for his crack-down we also need to keep in mind that there is an array of services that can make the life of those who are homeless somewhat better. But for those who turn down drug and alcohol counseling or find ways to get thrown out of affordable housing once given the chance to live off the streets should alert us that sometimes there is never going to be an answer to every case. But that does not then mean the entire city must endure bad behavior from those who can not find the path to self-responsibility.
We have long been a nation where we reach out to help one another be it my grandmother giving bread and vegetables to the ones from the train tracks or Madison taxpayers who truly want to fund a homeless shelter. But between the giving of help and the receiving of it must also be a sense of how to act responsibly.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 