Mike FraserAug 5, 2023
I'll relay a story a friend of mine just told me.
She was at the store and noticed security had detained a person. They were going through a backpack and acussing the person of stealing cans of food. My friend went up to them and pretended to know the person. She then said "I was going to pay for these items, I must've forgot, let's go pay for them now" security reluctantly allowed her to pay for the persons items and let him go.
$22.00, was the cost to feed someone and keep them out of jail.
Show threadLisa HamiltonAug 5, 2023
@mike
"If you saw someone stealing food, no you didn't"
Show threadAnneTheWriter

@3x10to8mps @mike
Recently, I saw in the news that a Walgreens (I think it was in San Francisco?) was locking up all kinds of items-- including many food items, like ice cream and soda-- because shoplifters were taking things several times a day. In the short time that the reporters were interviewing workers & shoppers for the story, three more #shoplifters took items and left, while the cameras watched.

That Walgreens is talking abt closing down, even though they are the only such store in walking distance for many residents, because they can't afford to stay open with all the theft.

I do see why stores have to stop theft. I just wish there weren't so many people needing food.

I'm seeing so many more (seemingly homeless) people standing in traffic intersections now than ever before, begging for money. I've even seen a small family with a baby in a stroller.

The fact that there are also so many billionaires who could support these people without even noticing the cost sickens me.

Aug 6, 2023 at 4:26amWeb
Show threadLisa HamiltonAug 6, 2023

@mike @AnneTheWriter1 Oh I hate this. I've no answer to this dilemma

I always carry stuff to give away because I can't walk by

But I lived in Berkeley, where panhandling became a sport. Some people rent their babies and puppies to other panhandlers because people give more out of sympathy. A guy always parked his car around the block then aggressively tried to shame me for not giving him $ when I couldn't even afford a car. So have a grain of skepticism

Show threadgirlfreddyAug 6, 2023

@3x10to8mps @mike @AnneTheWriter1

Unless you've actually seen that happen those kinds of stories rank right up there with Reagan's wide-brush "welfare queen" BS (story here https://jezebel.com/the-long-shadow-of-the-welfare-queen-1838856900).

Studies have shown there will always be a few who try to con a system (usually between 2-5%) but that number in way, shape or form should be used to demonize the whole ... and yet it is, mostly against the poor.

The Long Shadow of the 'Welfare Queen'

When Ronald Reagan and his advisors wanted to undermine the very institution of social programs, he turned to a news story out of Chicago—the tale of one Linda Taylor, who’d bilked the government benefits system out of so much money she was dubbed the “welfare queen.”

Jezebel
Show threadLisa HamiltonAug 6, 2023

@girlfreddy @AnneTheWriter1 @mike Are you able to read or just spoiling for a fight? I told exactly what I saw. Are you calling me a liar?

I lived with it every single day for the years I was at Cal. You go spend a day on Telegraph Avenue with your eyes open.

And you owe me an apology

Show threadgirlfreddyAug 6, 2023

@3x10to8mps @AnneTheWriter1 @mike

So you've seen people renting their babies and puppies to street people ... like street people who can't afford a place to live or food to eat so are forced to panhandle, but according to you have money to rent babies and puppies to look poorer than they actually are.

Riiight. Excuse me for calling bullshit on that.

Show threadAnneTheWriterAug 6, 2023

@girlfreddy @3x10to8mps @mike
One of the families I saw lived out of an old crappy RV. I doubt seriously that they "paid to rent" the children who happened to look so much like the adults.

Another was a couple with a stroller. The lady picked a baby up out of the stroller to calm the crying child, so it wasn't an empty stroller.

One of the begging individual males wore a medical boot for a diabetes-related foot problem, and spoke to me of his diabetes meds. He had spent his entire month's govt money for the boot. I know a few people who are diabetic, and he was not faking it, that's for sure. He stood at the intersection for over an hour on that painful foot.

I'm not sure why you feel you have to dismiss reality. It's not a gentle or a kind reality, but it is reality.

Show threadLisa HamiltonAug 6, 2023

@mike @AnneTheWriter1 @girlfreddy I am not dismissing reality! I know how awful the homeless problem is. But sometimes things are not what they appear. That was my point of mentioning my experiences. Most people would never think there's any manipulation going on. It doesn't mean the people you met weren't in trouble

I tried to bring this up because it's useful to know. It doesn't take away from the problem or our collective need to do better

Show threadgirlfreddyAug 6, 2023

@3x10to8mps @mike @AnneTheWriter1

It's not useful to know when it's a lie or a fabrication with zero proof to back it up.

If you are unable to provide proof, just be quiet please.

Show threadLisa HamiltonAug 6, 2023

@girlfreddy @AnneTheWriter1 @mike Well "girlfreddy" with 17 followers, you are clearly just trying to make trouble. So take your virtue signaling elsewhere

You have zero grounds for slandering me

You don't know me. You have no right to accuse me of lying. I only tell the truth whether you like it or not

I will not spend one more second defending myself to a troll like you. You don't deserve to be on social media among decent people

Show threadgirlfreddyAug 7, 2023

@3x10to8mps @AnneTheWriter1 @mike

Who's sLaNdErInG who here?

Show threadLisa HamiltonAug 7, 2023
@AnneTheWriter1 @mike @girlfreddy It's not slander when you've shown yourself by your awful unwarranted words
Show threadgirlfreddyAug 6, 2023

@AnneTheWriter1 @3x10to8mps @mike

Sorry Anne. I was responding to 3x10to8mps, not you.

Show threadAnneTheWriterAug 6, 2023
@girlfreddy @3x10to8mps @mike
I think I might have also mis-tagged some of my responses. My apologies for any confusion on my part.
Show threadLisa HamiltonAug 6, 2023

@girlfreddy @AnneTheWriter1 @mike HOW DARE YOU! Who the hell do you think you are?

I AM TELLING THE TRUTH

And don't distort what I said. There were homeless people who made extra money renting their pets and kids to other homeless. My understanding is that they would get a share of what was brought in with their pet or child. It was a way to make money even when they themselves couldn't be out panhandling.

You are completely out of order!