Money From Cars

The Oakland Athletics went 18 Innings against the Yankees yesterday, but they won! Rookie Nate Frieman comes off the bench and plays hero!  The A's are now tied for first place in the AL and tied for second place in all of baseball!   Couldn't ask for more from my A's... I was listening to this game as I read a comment by some joker who's handle is JJR accusing me of inviting homeless people to come to Livermore. I had to laugh when I saw that. JJR, you don't know me very well, obviously. But my invitation for you to come down to Tommie's Café and get to know me stands... any time you want.

What is true is that the homeless are being invited into Livermore. Not by me. Not by the various volunteer services. It's those of you who hand money to people flying signs.

“Need Help” is often what you'll see on a cardboard sign outside Safeway, or Walmart or Grocery Outlet. I saw Scott flying one outside the Walmart in Pleasanton yesterday on the way to and from court. I know Scott only by sight. But having never talked with him, he instantly lost my respect when I saw him flying a sign. I saw a car stop to hand him cash both times. (By the way, there are no homeless in Pleasanton! The city government sez so, so it must be true! So, keep this under your hat!) Anyone can fly a sign. But you have to look the part. I don't look the part, so if I flew a sign out there, you probably would think me insane for holding one. I'd have to quit shaving for a while, and wear the same clothing for at least a month so it becomes ragged and dirty... uh... no... sorry, not playing that.

I've heard people bragging about scoring two hundred or so odd dollars a day flying a sign.

Think about that for a moment. $200.00 For a day of sitting around holding a piece of cardboard. That's equivalent to $22.50 an hour for eight hours of work, and that's tax free! Seriously, you think people flying signs pay taxes? A lot of them not only don't pay taxes, but also are on food stamps and get general assistance.

I am proud to say, I'm not one of those, either. I was, however, up until November of 2011 for about two years. The day I went into the multi-service centre and cut my card in half was a very happy day, but enough about me... I did my pathetic self indulgent bit last entry...

The main issue with handing money to random homeless people is that it not only perpetuates that person's bad habits, but is also an open invitation to others from elsewhere. I've met folks who come in from all over the place to fly signs in Livermore.

At the edge of the parking lot of the 1st and P Street Safeway I met a guy from Richmond just the other day. His sign said something like “Please Help Make a Difference for the Homeless” or some such nonsense. He was talking about the 501c3 he was planning to start to house and feed all the homeless people he knew! He was going to get this massive grant from the Federal Government, build this incredible facility make everyone's life easy. I was remembering this guy when my friend Lynn talked about how it seemed like a lot of the homeless had an angle... (see my KINDERGARTEN blog post).

I've never once seen this guy show up at Open Heart, or Monday Morning Showers, or anywhere else the Livermore homeless go. Who the heck told this guy to fly a sign in Livermore? Wasn't me!

But word does get around about where people are giving away money. If there's money to be had doing some activity, people will do that activity. It's simple economics.

In Street Guide: Tips for the Newly Homeless in Livermore (my second blog posting) I detail how to get food, showers, clothing and support in Livermore. You do not need money in Livermore to survive if you are homeless! You need money to get out of being homeless, true. But I guarantee you, those who are flying signs are not getting out of being homeless. The money is way too good.

The problem is not the homeless people flying signs, much as I despise them.

The problem is you folks who hand them money. JJR, if you really want to dis-invite out of town homeless from coming here, stand next to one flying a sign with your own that says: “This person does NOT need your money!”

I would, but I'm too busy following my Athletics...