Poverty and Despair (PT.1) ....

The City of San Francisco (CA) is currently installing meter's (parking meter type)to collect money for its homeless population. It is said that this already is done in cities like Portland (OR),and Baltimore (MD). What brought about this idea was citizens of the City of San Francisco complaining about the panhandler's that line the street's. In Dallas a couple years ago they started to issue citation's to those panhandling in certain area's/ district's due to similar complaint's. But the panhandler's just throw away the tickets ... they dont pay them, of course unpaid tickets go eventually into warrant status ... but I knew several panhandler's when I worked on the street, that have 20 warrant's or so ... the police never arrest them in most cases. So ... its a moot point. In Dallas for instance, you can have a half a dozen or so warrants on various petty misdemeanor citations, traffic or otherwise ... go into the jail in person to turn yourself in ... and be lucky if they even take you into custody ... in many cases ... they will turn you away. Why? For one ... the jail's here are overcrowded ... as in most major U.S. cities. Secondly ... because they want your money, they DONT want to feed you in the jail!

I am opposed to this, and basically think that it is insulting to the homeless, as some Bay Area homeless advocates are as well. San Francisco dont expect it to raise even more then $10,000 a year. How much of that little sum will actually be used by those living on the streets? I know a man currently that runs a soup kitchen in San Francisco for the homeless ... he's told me plenty when visiting family here in Dallas about how the homeless operations work there, although they are better than Dallas'. It's insulting in the respect that you are telling these homeless people that they are not capable of managing and collecting their own money. Those for this, complain that these homeless spend the money on things besides food ... like booze or dope (my goodness ... your kidding!) It doesnt matter what the Hell they spend it on ... if I give money to one ... thats my choice ... and what they spend it on ... is their choice, and as far as I'm concerned ... it's no one elses business or choice! If one BS's me about what their circumstances are and what they need it for ... I wont give them nothing ... because they are INSULTING my intelligence when doing so, I grew up on the streets! Be straight up with me, and I will be with you.

When I worked security in Uptown Dallas' West Village as well ... I made an effort to know everyone out on the street. A guy who owns a nearby business asked me one night (who I also protect his property) how come so many drug addict's and homeless know me and ask where I am? And why do I know so many? I told him (duuuuh) it's in mine and his best interest that I do know everyone on the streets ,alot of these folks are my bread and butter so to speak, cause they feed me info about what's current, and I return the favour to them in some way. I knew them all (in that sector) and what their vice's were per individual, whether its rock (crack/ coke) or crystal (meth/ ice)booze, blunts (chemical laced pot in cigar wrapping's) or what ever else one may prefer. That was my job basically. To protect the spenders, yuppies, the college crowd from getting jacked (robbed/ assaulted) at night while in the area. I had help from other commissioned/ non commissioned officers as well as the sector patrol of DPD and other contract officers of DPD who work after hours on a contract basis. We all depended on the info of these people to helping crack repeated cases in the area, knowledge of where undercover deployment is needed, extra patrol/ rounds or what have you. So it was common for me to give extra's to the homeless folks out there ... whether it was some food, or cigarettes, and even a few 40- ounce bottles of Malt Liqour (which I called "soft" drink's). Many of these people are not helpless ... or not needed ... their a 24/ 7 ear and mouthpiece to what is happening, you can say many of them ... contribute in their own way to society. And giving them a few bucks here and there was all part of the routine. I didnt care what they spent it on, I am looking for people that break into vehicles, rob folk's or whatever ... not those who ask for change, have a few drinks and smoke a blunt! "Blunt" is marijuana stuffed in a cigar wrapper sometime's laced with crack or "whacky" dust, like homemade formaldehyde based PCP.

One of the most irritating things is all the veterans you find out on the streets. And they all have a story ... many of those folks had a life at one time or another like any of us. Many had family, spouses, fought in various wars in our military, etc. Many have shown me more about life than I could ever know reading a book or a survey. Some just received one hardship after another ... and simply were in the wrong place at the wrong time. And these things gradually resulted in their social decline. You will find alot of despair wherever you find poverty. And its then that you realize that race or gender means nothing. this is something that hits all humans in todays world with true "equality". Some use drugs ... and therefore never can save enough money to ever establish a place to live, they simply cant kick the vice, and there's simply a lack of services to help them ... they become to where ... this is the only escape from the tragic reality in which they have to exist. For many ... that drink or bump (dope) is their way of getting a day off or a night of R&R to us. They have nothing else going for them.

The requirements for them to get back into society are a task in themselves, and a Hell of a task at that. I hear folks pass them by ... like young college type's or the types that I wrote about in earlier posts such as the case I ran into in downtown L.A. Where these folks ... tell them ... "Go find a job ..." Do these people realize how difficult it would be for any of these to find a job? Place's that hire folks want an address, a phone number, in more cases ... an email address, a person who is bathed,shaved, I could go on and on. Dallas wanted to make it citatable to give money to these people at a time ... because it seems "inviting" ... as to motive for these folks to panhandle. My money personally speaking I will give to whoever the Hell I want ... period. And if they use it to buy a 40- ounce of Malt Liqour ... that's fine too. I'll be damned if I will hand the money over to someone who reads surveys and does nothing but make ass prints in their seat at their office to handle it for these people! Once you get in a rut like that ... it is not easy to get out of it ... talking about how to do it is one thing ... getting out there and actually having to do it is another.

CASE/ STORY: One night I see a male/ white, late teens/ early 20's, 5'11"/ 6' back of a newer SUV in a dim lit parking lot ... he catches a glimpse of me ... and started to act suspicious ... walking fast down a neighboring alley, the lighting was dim, and it was close to midnight, so I couldnt get a good make on his clothing and if or what he was carrying ... I followed cautiously ... he quickly turned and asked if I was following him? ... I acknowledged and confirmed it. I told him I wanted to know what he was doing at that SUV. He told me nothing and said he can prove it, if that is what this is all about. I said ... "Sure ... " why not. He took me back to the spot, went into a shrub and pulled out a plastic grocery bag, handed it to me. It had condomes, tampax, soap, shave cream, razors, and other snack's and personal hygiene products in it. He told me that he thought the store sent me to get it back ... that he just shoplifted it from down the street. I told him ... that no ... I dont work for the store or am concerned with the products, I was simply trying to stop some of the many vehicle break ins that we encounter on a nightly basis. He asked.."Your not gonna call me in?" I said "No ... go ahead" he said ... "Thank you sir!" he started to quickly take off ... and I yelled to him to take his bag of stuff he stole with him ... he looked suprised and in question ... but grabbed it and took off. A few minutes prior to that ... out of curiosity I asked what all the personal hygiene stuff was for? He said him and his old lady (girlfriend) were staying in an abandoned building, they were homeless ... and it was just for them. I looked at it as charity ... I mean ... who the Hell steal's soap, Tampax and such? As far as the store, it was one of them chain's ... with 50 store's locally and a multi million dollar operation ... a few thing's like that wont make them or break them ... Hell ... it's a tax write off anyways. As far as I'm concerned ... the man is not a criminal ... he is only in "poverty and despair " ....


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"War" and "Capitalism"....

Richard Clarke, former U.S. counter terror advisor ... has released his new book called "Your Government failed you" . Mr.Clarke has some good points that he brings out in this book. And I want to point out a few here. First of all ... this terror/ war crap is nothing but a political wedge being used during things like these primary run offs. We are not at war with global terrorism, and the original al Qaeda which was the ones behind 9/ 11 are reconstituting currently in Pakistan. The al Qaeda that is in Iraq for instance is just a splinter ... and smaller. He said that this is not a war against Islam, or terrorism, but a war against some fundamentalist movements that simply use Islam ... but is ideological. He said that this trillion a year that we spend on national security is getting mostly ate up by pork barrel crap domestically ... but all in all hasnt actually done much of nothing to fix the vulnerabilities that we have always had. I am sure alot is wasted on contracts, after all ... this is business and look who runs the Oval Office ... figure it out. Such as the billions in wasted cash that is shelled out all over Iraq ... that they not only have any or little actual invoices to account for any of it. This war has made a fortune for many ... bottom line. And of course Iraq is important because of the amount of oil that it sits on ... its oil rich. Mr.Clarke says most importantly in my view not all of this ... because I suspected all of this since day one despite what any ones thinks or believes this war is about, but when he said that ... no President can fix the problems that we have ... he/ or she can act and contribute to try to change things ... but the bottom line is the system no longer works ... period.

You see ... we are basically a "mark" (mark being the target of a hustle or scam), we have been had ... period. And boy oh boy ... this was a BIG bite! Put it this way ... ask yourself ... are we any better off with Saddam out of power? Has this not actually strengthened Iran too? And gave another ground for insurgent/ terrorists to be deployed to? The contractors want it for the pay off. The oil companies want it because no business group likes folks (Saddam) that go through the black market and dont play ball with the rest. The politicians like it cause it gives "cause", in this case ... ranting on about freeing people, fighting terror, democracy, human rights and any other thing that gets people soft or frightened in the heart or mind. We havent even done much to decrease our vulnerability domestically ... like I said in earlier posts ... this isnt about fighting terror ... that we need to stay in Iraq out of fear, this is simply now a case where we need to get something out of all that we sacrificed and put into Iraq ... period. I mean we are walking away with our head down like we just been sold something on the street that we didnt recieve yet, and just realizing ... we been had. Cause ... well ... we have! Anyone who's hustled the markets or streets can see this one. And as far as President Bush and his partner Cheney, well, heh, heh, heh ... even a blind man can figure that one out.

But ... like the ole saying ... "Aint no use in cryin over spilt milk" ... in other words, its happened ... and its over. We need to move forward. We need to get our tails free from the clenches of this mess over in Iraq ... period ... the longer it takes ... the more it will drain us and our resources. Theres evil fists and dictators all over the globe ... and we have things of our own to fix. We got alot of problems. And many of these countries abroad will gang up on us, in other word's, when in war in one, the other's will assess our progress, to see what we do, then how they can capitalize off it, and if we are engaged in enough war's, or what were told are "rescue's" to free folk's or other nonsense ... they can basically run us dry, moneywise, troop- wise, etc, etc ... the contractor's/ mega corp's are those who make a fortune off war's, and it's mostly diverted into offshore investment's/ account's. Our dollar is becoming weaker and weaker by the week. We are putting ourselves in debt to people like communist China ... and Arab's ... this IS a big problem ... because if they become the shareholders along with our elite ... who can we turn to? And all of these interests are intertwined with our current political system.

So ... what do we do? Well I sure as Hell dont have the answer. But what I do know is that unless we make some serious change to get government current with the here and now ... instead of just talking about getting America back to the good old days, and the way it was ... we can only decline further. Which we will for some time, but that depends on how quickly we act and what hands are played out. That sure as Hell doesnt mean to throw in the towel either ... it simply means that we need some serious reconstruction work in Washington. We need to get rid of all this dead wood.

These folks were great in their days (most politicians) ... and I give them all credit for their dedication and faith in our country and its system. We have had some truely great leaders and still do. The problem is the "system" need's an overhaul. And need's to be brought up to parr to meet the new conditions that we are challenged with. We have only one of 3 candidates who speak on issues of actual "change" (even Clarke agree's with this) and thats Senator Obama ... and even he is barely speaking out of the box, but more than anyone else. Clinton? shes a good hustler, and could sell a used old car in a heartbeat ... she has the walk and talk, she's been around the block, ... but she plays old school ... but she isnt saying anything new, same ole same basically. Senator McCain? A great man and American ... as far as his service in military, and put up with commi Hell in Nam for 5 years or so ... the poor guy cant even lift his arms over his shoulders because both shoulders of his were beaten by those commi bastards while in captivity ... and I have always liked McCain ... but ... he's in a time warp on his thinking for America ... he's just talking what he knows and understands is all. But there comes a time to either change drastically by taking drastic measures ... or simply stepping to the side and letting the younger ones with fresher idea's try to take a crack at it with some of their unconventional approaches is all. This is the reason I wanted Obama in ... I could care less if a black made Presidency ... or a woman, or a party ... although since we only have 2 parties to elect in ... I choose the democrat simply to lessen the chance of a one sided Supreme Court ... and to try to keep out any that are too close to the current administration ... at least as many as possible. I would settle for a non- human if it would make a difference and lead us to a solution and better future outlook.

One of our biggest other obstacles is our mindset ... we see everything as left/ right, red/ blue, black/ white, good/ evil ... etc. As long as we keep bickering about each other and our values ... our beliefs, personal sexuality, and all the other wasteful things that dont make us or break us any way you all slice it ... we will take that much longer to move forward. Our damn elections turn more into bitch fights and family feud's then dealing head on with the issues. How can you expect work to get done without actually working? How can we expect change ... without actually changing? How can you make a movement move ... without moving? Thats ... the reality!

Selling Lie's for Vote's, Campaign Strategies, and Transgender Children ....

It is said that no Presidential candidate ever stopped to campaign in Clay County,KY. Boarded up businesses line up throughout the town...the most popular diner the town has,has nothing over $3.50 on it's menu,unemployment is high,the average per capita income is $9700...lot of folks couldnt even go to find work since they cant even afford the gas to drive much. The majority of the town is working poor white folks...I guess those who dont work are "po white folks"...this would be right up Senator Clinton's alley if she was to campaign there..but too...you cant expect her or any candidate to campaign at a place they know nothing about..I'm sure they have all their stops pre planned by others for them. (Obama certainly could have made an impression by going there..he needs it!...McCain probably could have been told...but cant remember) When reporters interviewed towns people..they couldnt find anyone that voted though. Most folks said that...they dont care,and have no reason to vote...cause it aint gonna change a damn thing...cause no one in Washington cares a damn thing about them,and nothing will change for any poor folks in America unless a poor person wins the election. My point here...is this is the mindset that I have encountered over and over again from working poor Americans all over the country...alot of folks...simply gave up.

I stopped by one of my favourite corner stores in Central South Dallas the other day to get some chorizo/egg(chorizo is mexican sausage)burrito's. Its one of them places that isnt really a restaraunte..but has a few chairs and a bench if you care to sit down and eat the fattening things that they grill out of the back of the store,but them burrito's are really good! The neighborhood is mostly poor...almost 100% black besides the middle easterners and asians that run alot of the stores and no tell motels(hourly rate motels that is). The foreigners that run these small over priced businesses...dont seem to ever hire any of the folks that actually spend money there or live in the community...just their own...family or culture.(Alot of good they do for the community who supports them...heh?)Anyways..I was talking to 3 young men who were hanging out,just bought a paper out of the corner machine to look at the "want ad's" for work. These guys were all in there late teens. I asked them..how much they paid for the paper? They said 50 cents. Then I asked them if they ever wondered why they have to pay for the Dallas Morning News to read in english...when the paper stand next to it is free and its the spanish version put out by the same paper? No, it never even crossed their mind...but it sure made them think. We had some small chat...and during that chat...they told me it was common amongst their school friends back in high school to join the military. But they confirmed to me...after I said..."This is a hell of a time to enlist.." that it wasnt just about freeing Iraqi's from the clenches of evil...but more because they wanted to get that education loan to further their education,cause otherwise...they couldnt afford to go to college. My daughter when in her senior high school year previously told me this was the case with alot of young folks as well. Then I hear about some of the loan shafts that these young people get on many things. I guess this is...."Thinking about the kids.." ...heh? God Bless America...cause someone sure as hell needs to, Washington sure as hell dont!

Why is this sad to me? because..I hear folks on one hand talk plenty about how the taxes are so high of some of the E.U. countries,and how great we have it as far as taxes. Well...theres a flip side to that too. Alot of them countries dont make loans to their young and charge interest to further their education...or give them a rifle and tell them to put their lives on the line for folks they dont know to get an education..alot of them...just give the education for free. In some of these countries also..they have medical attention for any citizen that needs it, in other words...you dont have to worry if you need surgery...that the insurance might contact the surgeons prior and tell them to throw you out...cause they wont pay. We are taxed quite a bit ourselves...especially if you live in a place like California,and all the other added taxes...state,local,sales or what have you. Yet in alot of urban America...your lucky if you can get the potholes in the streets fixed...or a cop to run quick to your rescue after you just been shot and robbed,let alone trying to get medical needs and an advanced education. Our President said back around 2004 that his goal was to make sure every Iraqi household has a computer. Well thats nice of him...but since its we the peoples tax dollars...what do we get? I'll leave it at that. God Bless America...cause somebody sure as hell needs to!

Now...I know that several fundamental christians will tell me...that America suffers only because its punishment from god for our sinful ways. Well you all..thank you for your idiotic opinion. Some of these folks act like they have gods personal cell phone number and they get direct instructions from the man himself. But they should wonder...if its actually god directing them...or their own masochistic oppressive brains?

A clinic at Childrens Hospital in Boston(MA) wants to start offering sex change procedures to patients as young as 7 years old. This is so that those kids who are struggling psychologically because nature accidentally put them into the wrong genders body can find some peace of mind and get corrected if needed. Of coarse the parents will also have a say so in it since they are so young...you know...to make sure the kid..is doing the right thing. Now...advocates of this argue that some kids at a young age like that ...know that something is wrong...when say for instance that they might be a boy...but feel they should be a little girl instead. And this would enable them to get their heads psychologically straight and get their penis removed or what have you. After all..transgender kids have a higher suicide rate. Well...this is nice...you know...to be .."thinking of the kids". However...say a kid is 7 years old and its a boy and he decides that his penis is a mistake of nature and he feels better in silk panties than in boys boxers,and of coarse mommy and daddy understand the psychological frustration...so they ...well...remove the mistake (being the penis in this case). What if later...when in those teen years,the kids hormones or what have you get to runnin wild and he see's some gal he wants...and decides he will need his penis...uhhhh.... does he get it sewed back on? Can this also bring a whole new wave of medical lawsuits with it? Is it not true that when we are that young and our minds are still in its early stage of development that sometimes we decide to do things that we only regret later a few years down the road? Just thought it was something to think about.But to each his own...just dont ask for our bloody tax dollars to do it. Like a case in California a few years back...where a prisoner who was doing time for armed robbery decides all of the sudden he wanted a sex change while in prison...and if I recall correctly...a California court actually went in his favour and it would be the states responsibility to foot the cost...in other words...the peoples tax dollars. California in 2008 is having a very bad money crisis. I wonder why?

D.C. Madam : (PART 1) ... and HER decision on the issue of Suicide ....

This posting is to look at another issue that will not have much spotlight, and most in our politically correct ultra perfect moral society dont give a damn. But since I pay for this service to have this journal, I will continue to talk about these issue's, and for personal reason's in this case. I have been following the "D. C. Madam" case on and off in the news for several months. Well Deborah Jeane Palfrey is now dead by her own hands. Hanging herself at her mothers property in Tarpon Springs, Fl. She basically felt that even going to prison for 6 to 8 years would release her into a world where she will be in her late 50's, penniless, broken, and alone ... and that suicide was her only solution. Plus you take into consideration the parole which would be for the duration of the complete sentence, the morality classes to attend, community services perhaps and an array of other penalties that come along with those releases, including ... all of the "moral" folks draining you for every last penny they can, in her opinion ... just wasnt worth it. And I certainly cant blame her. One of her former employees Brandy Britton hung herself before the trial. But these charges? racketeering, money laundering, mail fraud,etc. Please spare me! We release the most disgusting back into society quicker and with less penalty then folks like her. This is all about morality from the right, exposing hypocrisy from the left and all sides are the ones who make folks like her into evil villians. As far as I'm concerned ... she's an intelligent business woman ... period. And there isnt a damn thing WRONG with prostitution. Her words before her death were fitting ... that this was nothing but a modern day lynching. I feel that some of our morality has us twisted ... when we embrace and love, forgive and hug thugs and pedophiles, drunk drivers and others that do harm to our citizens ... and throw a lady like this to the lions. We are much better than what we offer ... we are not a society of 1500's europe, or any other era ... we are only what we allow ourselves to be, and curse the minds of our offspring sometimes with idiocies. We can do far better than this. Yes ... I found it sad that she killed herself.

As far as suicide is concerned. Alot of folks just look at it as unatural, I mean, our instincts tell us to live at whatever costs. But we have evolved into beings of reason. Reason meaning ... where is the sense in living if you know damn well that your life can only consist of misery. Some folks dont want to die ... they just get sick of the ratrace and living that our society creates. They are not insane ... they are actually ... very sane, because they are not deluded into counting on dreams and fantasies that are just that. One of the reasons why I talk about this and even in earlier posts a little more in detail is because in the near future you will see a rise in group/ mass suicides ... unlike anything in the past ... rest assured. I totally support ones choice to end their life ... I might not like it ... but its their life ... not mine. I also want to add, that I say this is her decision base3d only on the info that I've obtained through the media ... so I cant say there is foul play involved here, although it has crossed my mind ... Why would this cross my mind? Because of the information that she know's of too many importante people. But ... I will just conclude this the only way that is visible to the fact's that are shown, and say it was strictly a choice of her own ... however ... our society strongly influenced that choice.

PART TWO HERE