h a l f b a k e r yWith moderate power, comes moderate responsibility.
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Find a relatively unpopulated area where it doesn't snow with a relatively unpolluted river. Set up small channels in the river, diverting some of it sideways into an artificial river. Run this artificial river straight into a sewage treatment plant. There is now a source of clean water, a place to relieve
oneself, and places to bathe.
Set up a town hall with a combined police station, fire station, social services department, and a very small school.
Set up an urgent care center.
A free trash service and mortuary must also be present.
Offer plots of land free and rent free to anyone. You only get one plot, you don't own the land, you can't force anyone off of theirs, and if you move away for six months anyone can move onto your land and take your stuff.
The idea is a very large homeless camp that's still reasonably safe and sanitary. Most of the expenses of city "projects" are done away with, as no buildings are offered. No electricity is given, although I'm sure a charity would step in with solar panels. If you want water you go and get it. It's not the modern lifestyle but many people can't afford the modern lifestyle and just need a place to live without being harassed and forced to move every few days.
Businesses are allowed to move in (rent and local tax free!) to provide food.
The relatively low cost of services and administration, the additional load on the sewage treatment plant, and the cost of police is paid by those grateful large cities whose residents no longer have to suffer the indignity of stepping over those less fortunate.
Winter warming of shanties and tents must be provided by charity.
Camps for homeless
http://www.markedby...eat-depression.html solved for farm foreclosures [Sgt Teacup, Feb 08 2021]
Canadian model
https://www.thecana...oyment-relief-camps on which US camps were based [Sgt Teacup, Feb 08 2021]
British model
https://en.m.wikipe...org/wiki/Grith_Fyrd [pertinax, Feb 08 2021]
A Better Tent City
https://www.abettertentcity.org/ [Voice, Jul 31 2023]
[link]
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Baked in the 1930s by the Farm Security Administration in the US, and R.B. Bennett in Canada (see links). |
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// residents no longer have to suffer the indignity of stepping over those less fortunate. // |
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What if said resident(s) view "stepping over those less fortunate" not as an indignity, but as an enjoyable pretext for smug, misanthropic gloating ? |
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Acceptable, but be sure to step over and not upon. |
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You're no fun any more ... |
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//enjoyable pretext for smug, misanthropic
gloating ?// Isn't "Homeless People Hurdles" a new
Olympic event? This is where elite athletes hurtle
around a measured circuit, but periodically have to
leap over homeless people sleeping in makeshift
cardboard constructions placed at regular intervals
around the track. |
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// homeless people sleeping in makeshift cardboard constructions // |
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SLEEPING ? Fie, egad, how cometh it that such idleness and slacking is permitted ? Is there no coal to be mined, no chimneys to be swept ? |
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They need not be entirely homeless; there are plenty of nice, warm, dry chimneys where they may be permitted to roost for a few hours, for a comparatively modest fee. |
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Presumably they have the receipts for the cardboard ? |
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Sounds intriguing, but BART subway stations in San
Francisco provide the aforementioned services with the
addition of a roof, climate control, and begging
opportunities. |
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I visited a FEMA camp once. It was depressing. I saw
people living in "temporary" trailers permanently, nice
accommodations but nobody seemed to have a plan to
move out. I also saw two middle-aged
women get into a fight over a case of Gatorade. |
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// low cost of administration //
I'll believe it when I see it. This whole setup of tents with
water running through the middle sounds like
Andersonville Prison Camp. Nevertheless, have a bun for
optimism. |
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It's sad and bizarre that this is necessary. Interest rates have been near zero for decades, but somehow building permits were kept artificially limited. I read recently that 1/500 of people in the U.S. is homeless. |
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New buildings in rich areas would decrease the
value of the existing buildings, so they are not built.
Someday, someone will find a way to commoditize
and sell access to people/communities separately
from access to buildings. This will extract the wealth
from existing real estate without violating any laws,
as the wealth is transferred into "community
membership tokens" or some such. This will
obliterate Bay Area real estate prices as people rush
into "community membership" in the new (virtual)
Bay Area. Unfortunately I cannot think of a realistic
way to organize this without replicating the same
problems inherent in real estate. |
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How is this any different from planned new towns such as Milton Keynes, Glenrothes, Craigavon? |
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//How is this any different from planned new towns// |
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No land ownership, no utilities, no local taxes |
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You own what you protect. |
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