“it says that in order for a person to afford a typical two-bedroom apartment here in Madison, they would have to be making $13.77 an hour.”

Then I think they should move to someplace where it is cheaper to live. Perhaps Mexico?

PS. A two bedroom apartment? Wpould that be with steak three times a week also? Cognac instead of brandy?

The only reason someone is “homeless” in Madison is because they want to be.

I agree for the most part, except that I don’t think that not giving out change because they may very well spend it on alcohol and/or drugs is necessarily ignorant. In fact, many homeless organizations echo that same point of view.

“The only reason someone is “homeless” in Madison is because they want to be.”

Yeah, there’s a huge problem with people quiting their jobs, leaving their families, throwing away everything they own, and sleeping on the front steps of churches because they like the “vibe.”

the real reason that madison has so many homeless is because of all the stinky hippies that come to uw, enroll in some pointless degree program (like english) just so they can waste all of their time complaining about/protesting the government instead of studying (because their classes are so friggin easy and they dont have to), and then after they graduate they can’t find a job (again, because they majored in english) and they end up homeless and even stinkier.

hey 5:23 p.m. I am not even an english major and I don’t think that is fair to say. And if you are an engineer or something and trying to make your major sound so hard that is stupid. I am an art major. But I’ve taken classes in Biology, psych, stats, calc. and they’re not that difficult! And I never whine about any classes. Do your work and shut up! I think you are just dumb. Why don’t you take an english class or art class and see how you do in it???

This will be a long post, so don’t read it and complain about the length, just don’t read it and I am sorry in advance for my poor spelling, grammer, etc. Also, don’t get me wrong, I have given homeless money. Most whom I have seen many times and I think they really would put my money to use.

Quote: (“His friend responded, "I know, like I would give my money to some bum who is just going to spend it on alcohol."
These ignorant points of view are very commonplace among the students here, but an adequate knowledge of the plight of the homeless in Madison is much rarer.”)

I don’t know if you have actually followed any homeless person around, but I myself have lived next to Kelly’s Market and U-Haul on West Washington for 2 years, which is a regular spot for the homeless, where I walk past everyday. Each day I am asked by multiple homeless for “Spare change?” and I frequently walk to Kelly’s Mart (Gas Station). On over 100+ occasions I have seen the same homeless people buy alcohol in all change over and over again.(and I am well aware of it being change, because I normally am waiting behind them in line.) Just about every homeless person that has spent time asking for change, whether it be for a few days or for spans of over a year and have mostly the same outcome.

Now there are some homeless that I see, that don’t follow this same process each day, and seem to actually need the money. Now the amount of homeless that I see buying some type of drug, either being Cigarettes, Alcohol, or other to the amount that I have never seen buying some type of drug are around 50-5.

Quote: “Then I think they should move to someplace where it is cheaper to live. Perhaps Mexico?”

This poster actually makes me think of another experience I have had. Let me start with telling you, I used to live on a ranch in Texas for the most of my life. Over my years in Texas, when I lived in a small town outside Austin, I came across many homeless or extremely poor people. Most of which aren’t the same you would see here in Madison, the difference is they are illegal immigrants from Mexico. Now just about all of them have no money and don’t speak a word of English. Now you would think they are even worse off than the homeless in Madison, but there is one difference, they actually work very hard to earn money and get back on their feet. On my ranch we need lots of manual labor and sometimes we need more than we have already. At this time we would drive up to town, to the post office where there would be up to 30+ Mexicans standing and waiting for ranchers, etc. to pick them up for random jobs they need done. If you need anything done alls you have to do is point at what ones you want and they jump in the back of your truck. When they are picked up most of the ranchers aren’t able to communicate with them, so they basically show them what they need done and then the Mexicans start to work as hard as they can and for as long as you want and normally ask if they needed anything else done. I have seen it personally. They will work and work and work and they EARN all of their money.

Now coming to Madison, I was going to build a firepit in my backyard and needed to dig a hole and build a ring of bricks and rocks around it. So, as I went to Kelly’s for a Gatorade, I saw multiple homeless men sitting around in front of the U-Haul and they asked for their “Spare Change” and I got an idea. So I said “how about a job? I need some manual labor done and would like to hire you.”, they responded with “what do you mean?” and I told them my project. They looked at each other and laughed at me and said they make enough money sitting on this bench and don’t have to do anything, especially dig a hole and everything I needed done in this heat(being around 90 degrees at that time) for only minimum wage(I offered them a little above minimum wage), why would they want a job?.

Quote: ‘“The only reason someone is “homeless” in Madison is because they want to be.”

Yeah, there’s a huge problem with people quiting their jobs, leaving their families, throwing away everything they own, and sleeping on the front steps of churches because they like the “vibe.”’

I sorry, but my view on this is that most have opportunities to change their lifes, but either decide not to or don’t have the drive. (some I know have very serious mental and/or physical disabilities and are not who I’m mainly talking about) How do you think the Immigrants from Mexico that don’t speak a word of English make money and get their feet set and in a few years, I see them with their own house and family, but we see in Madison these homeless stay homeless despite the advantages that they start with that the immigrants don’t have, yet the outcomes are so different?

Thank you for reading and feel welcome to respond, just please don’t flame my opinion and/or experiences,

Johnny Horton

At the 5:23 comment, just because i picked a major i like doesn’t mean I am going to live in a box for the rest of my life. English is a great major for those of us who aren’t set on anything particular. A very good general degree.

I would personally like to say I belief that we are all given a choice in life and that choice is what an individual makes it. Yet some of us are blessed with the potential to be a blessing to those less fortunate then you and we don’t follow that responsibility. Therefore making it impossible for some of those people to have hope. Some of us rather than taking time to speak with that person and ask them why they are where they are jump and assume right away that they are an alcoholic, instead of thinking maybe they wern’t born into a perfect family or they lost there parents, or never had that person in there lifes to lead them the right way, step up and say somthing rather then judging let he who is without sin cast the first stone. I see someone homeless wheather i believe they are gona get drugs or whatever it maybe I give them the help they need and leave it between them and God where they go with it but I also try to talk with them. When a buisness highers in a teen to work and they mess up, do they say well we can’t higher anymore teens? no they are a buisness and they realize not everyone is perfect so remmber just because one or most homeless people may spend that money on somthing rather than what they said, consider those few out there who are actually trying to move on, and instead of jumping to conclusions and saying they will spend it on somthing else prayer and think before you speak, and this is to those who judge others who are less fortunate then others. I am 20 one of thee youngest ordained pastors in the U.S. and I also would like to say that 13.77 is a perfect price for a couple that maybe less fortunate than another. I bless your organization and May God bless you tremendously and he knows your heart. Jeshua

i wouldn’t consider myself a stereotypical homeless person, though i haven’t had a home since last year. at first it was a choice to save money to visit my sisters and work for food on farms in Europe. Then I came back without any money and had to get back on my feet. Poverty really is a cycle that is very difficult to break away from. I not only had school loans to pay off, but I also wrecked a car I was borrowing to look for a job. And on top of that I had to go to the hospital because I tore cartilage in my ribcage. With all these expenses I can’t seem to make enough to pay for rent. I have been working 50 hour weeks at various jobs and get burned out from sleeping on the ground, looking for a couch to crash on, and just not sleeping much. So I guess what I’m trying to say is that most issues don’t have a single face and it’s going to take multiple tactics to fix any of the problems we face. anybody have a couch?

To say and not be is to not understand