What is Digg?419 Comments
- hambend, on 10/12/2007, -22/+304@soulpunisher
You stupid bastard. How is the town any cleaner? The homeless people haven't gone anywhere. They aren't any less homeless, quite the opposite. They are now more desperate than before, more disaffected from society, more likely to laugh bitterly when they see "to protect and serve" on the side of a squad car.
It is wrong to neglect the homeless, doubly so to oppress them like this. People like you, I think, hate homeless people because it's easier than having sympathy for them. - admirabumblebee, on 10/12/2007, -12/+199I spend a large amount of time in the area where this occured and live within 5 minutes.
As inhumane as this many seem, you can not fathom the number of homeless people in the area. They will take over bus stops, setups tents in front of businesses, etc.. At any given time williams park (1 square block) has at least 100 homeless people just wandering aimlessly and doing no good.
The method they used is horrible. I do not condone what the police officers did, and according to the local news there is an investigation occuring.. BUT
There is a severe homeless problem in st. petersburg. Not specifically in numbers, but the density is thick. And the homeless people here in st. pete are far less 'well behaved' than other cities with large homeless populations. It is a major problem and something needs to be done to alleviate their problem(s), which in turn becomes our (not homeless) problem...
But destroying the little they have? Cmon now. Low class. - sockpuppets, on 10/12/2007, -46/+179I can't imagine what that must feel like, what an inhumane thing to do.
Let's start a fund to buy them all new tents? - unibomber999, on 10/12/2007, -10/+113What a bunch of dumbasses in the mayors office. First of all, the people are still there, except without tents, great job solving the problem.
Second of all, how did they not see this public relations debacle coming a mile away?
And lastly, what kind of ***** is the "fire hazard" excuse? I'm so god damn sick of police just making ***** up in order to impose their will. It seems like for every decent cop, there are 3 ***** that just became cops for the power trip. - mpredosin, on 10/12/2007, -6/+104It looks to me like the police are destroying private property by slashing the tents.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -18/+112Collected from below:
City of St. Petersburg Home Page
St. Petersburg Police Department
1300 First Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL. 33705
Non-Emergency 727-893-7780
Give them a call.
For more information on the City of St. Petersburg please contact:
Robin Mauro
City of St. Petersburg
PO Box 2842
St. Petersburg, FL 33731
Phone: 727-893-7434
Fax: 727-893-7712
Email:
sppd@stpete.org - delta013, on 10/12/2007, -6/+67The tents are the only thing these people have for shelter. Without them they have to sleep in other places where they are more exposed to weather, disease and crime. These people were originally living in a tent city setup by a church, but were kicked out by code enforcement. The tent city allowed them enough protection to get a goodnight sleep and find a job. You try "sleeping" out on the street with one eye open and see if you can hold down a job.
- admirabumblebee, on 10/12/2007, -5/+52@dagonweb
I'd love to exterminate the poor.
(by helping them become "middle class.") - alcoholanon, on 10/12/2007, -6/+51The police have become the criminals in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The citizens have become the criminals if this is permitted to continue. - TheRascalKing, on 10/12/2007, -3/+45Can't you see these are the real criminals. I mean, they are sleeping... in tents! Who cares if there are drug deals and murders happening, these guys are living in tents. We gotta do something about this!
***** cops. - zombiedepot, on 10/12/2007, -4/+44Meanwhile real crimes are being committed somewhere in the town...
- Alphabet, on 10/12/2007, -6/+41I have a friend that works in the medical industry and he tells me that most homeless people have a mental problem(either from drugs/alcohol, childhood abuse, traumatic experience, or born with it). And then there are those homeless people who are normal but have really bad luck.
Anyone saw that Oprah show where they gave a homeless man $100,000? The homeless man then spent all $100,000 in a couple days, while ignoring the plea of the producer to invest the money or see a financial planner. In the end, he was broke again and still homeless. - Protonz, on 10/12/2007, -0/+35There is a reason that Fark.com has a tag for Florida but no other state.
- alcoholanon, on 10/12/2007, -6/+41
City of St. Petersburg Home Page
St. Petersburg Police Department
1300 First Avenue North
St. Petersburg, FL. 33705
Non-Emergency 727-893-7780
Give them a call. - Tenlow, on 10/12/2007, -4/+37Maybe they can stay at the mayor's house till they get on their feet again. I mean it's the least he can do after he took their living space away.
- Xageroth, on 10/12/2007, -6/+38Meetings at the Mayors' office.
St. Petersburg, FL
Mayor: I'm bored. What do you guys wanna do today?
Police: We could harass kids at the mall.
Mayor: Nah, I don't need any parents ringin my phone all day like last time.
Police: Well, there's always the homeless.
Mayor: Excellent idea! Let's piss off the homeless.
... seriously, what good does taking their tents even do? It seems like that would just make things worse. The homeless will have even less respect for the law, hate society, *and* be worse off. Who does this help? I hope someone gets sued on their behalf. I don't see how the police can have the right to destroy someones property like that. - burningmonk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+32You'd be an ***** too if you had no money, no job, and your ***** tent, your only home, was torn down by a bunch of cop with money, jobs, and roofs over there head. I know I'd be an *****.
- dmjarrington, on 10/12/2007, -0/+29Here's a follow up on this story.
"After police used boxcutters to slash and destroy several homeless people's tents, ministries and community members came to the rescue overnight. They set up fire-resistant tents, and brought fire extinguishers. Homeless advocates are now considering legal action against city leaders."
http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2121365&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1 - combatchuck, on 10/12/2007, -10/+36I don't see a homeless problem. I see a ***** society problem. You think it's just a clutter and a nuisance to have them around, how do you think they feel? If the homeless are too numerous in your area, it's not the homeless people's fault, it's the area's fault. If there were no regional problems like this, the percentage of homeless people to everybody else would remain more or less constant over the whole of the country. Instead, we have certain areas where the percentage skyrockets. It's not like the homeless people pack up and move because a particular city has mood lighting hidden in their bridge girders. People are homeless in your city because that's where they went broke. There is no finger big enough to point the blame for problems like this, because it's everybody's fault. We're so concerned with "number one" in this country that we forget about all those other people out there.
Now what am I gonna do with all this soap? - n0sferatu, on 10/12/2007, -1/+25Fact: Wrong, you are the *****.
- 1kewldude, on 10/12/2007, -6/+29Being a local resident here and following the story as the tent city had just recently been moved, i could not believe this when i watched the news - society continues its declination - unbelievable that this even occured - the night before 2 homeless men were murdered in the same area the NIGHT BEFORE the tent city slashing, so as i see it the police are now encouraging murder of the homeless but tearing apart the only place that they have to keep them safe for the night.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sptimes/access/1196623351.html?dids=1196623351:1196623351&FMT=FT&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jan+18%2C+2007&author=ABHI+RAGHUNATHAN&pub=St.+Petersburg+Times&edition=&startpage=1.A&desc=Homeless+men+found+slain+in+early+hours - jodokast, on 10/12/2007, -1/+21Had to be in Florida.
- admirabumblebee, on 10/12/2007, -24/+42@riah
Tent city was (is still technically) less than peaceful. There are often police vehicles there with officers settlign petty disputes, there have been multiple hospitalizations from attacks and fights and in 2004 there was a tenty city a few blocks from where they had it recently and they had very nasty food poisoning instance due to food stolen from a shelter (that's righ, food was stolen from a shelter and distributed by residents to the residents).
It's a massive nuisance.
I really dont think people on digg will understand that unless they live with it daily.
Not all homeless people are evil, nasty, stupid people who forced their will on themselves... but unfortunately here in st. pete we seem to attract the majority of the afformentioned :( I've been all over the united states and due to my interests often find myself in poverse areas and the homeless people elsewhere are signifcantly tamer and moderate compared to those in st. pete. - JonLatane, on 10/12/2007, -3/+20@combatchuck
I'm afraid I have to disagree with you based on personal experience. I'm not familiar with Tampa Bay, but Chapel Hill, NC - the small town that is built around UNC Chapel Hill, where I go to school - has a massive homeless problem. The homeless here are generally good people, although when there are outliers, boy, are there outliers.
Anyway, during a conversation with a homeless man at the bus stop I learned that he, along with (according to him) most of the other homeless people in the area had come from other areas - he was from Brooklyn, and hundreds more came from the Northeast, along with Florida and Atlanta. And asking him if he ever wanted to improve his life, he said he was perfectly fine where he was and had no plans to make any changes.
Why does Chapel Hill have a homeless problem, even though the majority of the population is well-educated? Because they're too damn well-educated. People here are friendly to the homeless, extremely friendly. Apparently word has traveled through the grapevine to many communities that Chapel Hill is a place to be.
So no, a homeless problem isn't necessarily indicative of economic problems in your area, or any area close by. It could just be a homeless retirement community. - alcoholanon, on 10/12/2007, -3/+20For more information on the City of St. Petersburg please contact:
Robin Mauro
City of St. Petersburg
PO Box 2842
St. Petersburg, FL 33731
Phone: 727-893-7434
Fax: 727-893-7712 - amberonius, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17This just killed the good mood I was in today. I personally know someone who was homeless, lived out of a tent for a 2 years and held a full time job. He showered at local churches and YMCA's. Now, years later, he has his own house and a family, and is working hard to help other homeless people do the same. It just goes to show how someone can turn their life around, and I'm just disappointed these people can't find a leg to stand on because of the town government.
- alcoholanon, on 10/12/2007, -5/+20[url]http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=2115929&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1[/url]
Officers destroy tents; Mayor backs melee
Last Edited: Friday, 19 Jan 2007, 5:26 PM EST
Created: Friday, 19 Jan 2007, 5:21 PM EST
ST. PETERSBURG - The city of St. Petersburg's battle against its homeless residents escalated today when police slashed their tents to the ground and threw them away.
Homeless bystanders stood by and watched in shock, many with tears streaming down their faces.
"This is sickening," said Viola resident, whose tent was cut up and thrown out.
The plan was put together by the mayor's office, and the city police and fire departments.
Fire department personnel and police showed up around 4 p.m. near the intersection of 15th Street and 15th Avenue North.
[B]Earlier this week, homeless residents were told they were okay to set up their tents at that location.
But city officials said the tents were a code violation and a fire hazard.
Fire/rescue personnel closed off the street, then about 25 officer went to work with boxcutters.
They cut the tents to ribbons, and then threw some away, but left some on the ground.
They didn't move any of the belongings inside the tent.
The homeless nearby watched in shock.
One man was bent over, in tears.
"What are we, dogs?" said Wilson.[/B] - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+16yeah, it MUST be the homeless' fault for being homeless, and in turn we shouldn't care about them, cuz, well, you know, they're not really people or anything like that.
- thepompano, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15@admirabumblebee
I live in St. Petersburg, I work a couple blocks from Williams Park, and I almost totally disagree with you. In my experience, the homeless were not "poorly-behaved". In fact, I've only seen one homeless man commit a violent act - and it was against a tree. If you listen to the homeless for more than ten seconds, you find out pretty quick that they're not violent criminals or drug addicts: they've got mental disorders that need to be diagnosed.
I think Tent City was a MIRACLE for St. Petersburg - it was a rare congregation of people that who would normally be out on the streets begging for cash and it compressed them into roughly one city block. If you think the homeless should be helped out, then how easily could the police have sent out more doctors and psychologists to their temporary homes - not to treat them - but talk to them through their problems, convince them to seek help, or convince them to go to shelters? And what's going to happen now that the homeless community is going to wander back out on the streets, and the authorities cannot track them down?
The leveling of Tent City was a pointless act of violence against a people who had nothing and the PR disaster could have easily been avoided. As for the "fire hazard" excuse - MY guess is that they decided to rape Tent City because of the commercial development going on in the area. It's easier to send a problem underground and hide it from the public than it is to actually fix it. - fitchmicah, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13and why don't you just explain to me, since you seem to know, how exactly you would go about getting hired when you have no house, no car, no place to shower, and hardly any social capital?
- avolant, on 10/12/2007, -1/+13we the people
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11@ Silt
After carefully considering what you said, I still think you're an arsehole.
Unfortunately, you also strike me as more than a little misinformed and extremely prejudice. - 47f0, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11"Great, well that's nice, but maybe you should try interacting with some of the homeless around here. Trust me, they're not harmless innocents."
No, they're not harmless innocents - in this case, they've forced the police to violate the constitution they were sworn to uphold. They have forced the police to behave illegally. There is no doubt in my mind that you're cheerleading those police at this moment. Are you totally missing the slightly more grim picture here? What, exactly, protection do you have for your rights to personal property when we throw those rights out the window for any section of our citizens?
Jeez, wouldn't it have been easier to just walk through with napalm? And just as legal.
Look - when the police can act in this manner - ***** homeless are the least of your problems - the very least. - Farik, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11Am I the only person who noticed Ray Liotta crying in this video?
- Ajajadude, on 10/12/2007, -0/+10I do believe a large number of homeless are mentally ill and I don't know of too many places that will hire unstable people.
Besides, unless you have a permanent address, it's difficult getting a job: do you really think an employer is going to hire someone who doesn't have a place to live? It's difficult for an employer to put their faith in someone's ability to reliable if they don't even have a home. Go try and find a place that will hire you after you tell them you have no address and phone because you live on the street. - thumperings, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11I just did thanks.
- cptn_cardboard, on 10/12/2007, -2/+12@admirabumblebee
yeah, lets just piss off the criminals, that'll make em less disgruntled. - phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -15/+25GeneralAntilles, I think you are mistaken about the "free" part. Shelter's usually cost about $10 a night, many cost more then that. They probably offer free food, but many don't even do that. Don't act like it's ***** easy to be poor and oppressed in the united states. I've said it before and I'll say it again. You sound like a huge *****.
- combatchuck, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11All of the homeless people I've ever talked to have been completely harmless. When I was working at a local burger joint, there was a guy that would camp out in the far corner of the lobby, just keeping warm. Nobody seemed to mind him, and he didn't bother anybody. A while ago, I saw a woman digging in the trash can outside of a gas station. I thought she was a bottle picker, but she actually picked out a styrofoam takeout box and started picking food out of it. I've never felt like such an *****. I would have offered her a warm meal, but I had just spent my last money on filling up my car. I couldn't offer her a ride to a shelter because it was 10 PM and the shelters here lock their doors at 6. I had to just walk by, and I had nothing to offer for help. It's a sick feeling when the only thing you can do walk past somebody in 30 degree weather to get in your warm car and go to work like nothing happened. I suppose that now I can console myself with the fact that AT LEAST I DIDN'T DESTROY HER ***** HOME.
- alcoholanon, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13Email:
sppd@stpete.org - salinemist, on 10/12/2007, -2/+11I'm a UNIX admin and just became homeless, no one can tell because I smell the same as before.
- CiXeL, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9florida is hideously intolerant towards poor and homeless people
there are few social safety nets here and it is very difficult to get unemployment. most of the time the state wont give you the benefit of the doubt and actively try to prevent you from getting benefits. i know this because ive been scraping by the past couple months as a layed off tech worker after having moved from california where unemployment during tough times is alot easier to come by.
unlike los angeles, ive never seen SO MANY poor people here.
starvation is quite possible down here in miami and i'm sure other parts around the state as well.
a few months ago they were talking on the news about a kid in fort lauderdale who beat and killed a homeless person.
its unbelievable to me the intolerance i see towards the poor here.
you can kind of get a gist for it by watching the movie "Monster" about the serial killer prostitute.
back in LA most homeless people i would see were either insane or heroin addicts. here it is quite possible to find a hard working person on the street unable to better their situation.
we're looking to move back to los angeles. we've seen what its like now when you dont have taxes to support social safety net programs and its very ugly.
my heart goes out to all these people here who are struggling. ive tried to seek out churches to see how i could help out the poor but so many people dont even seem interested. many people down here are wrapped up in selfishness or a "***** you. ive got mine" attitude.
i wish humanitarian aid would get involved and help this place because it seems to bleak. - phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10hey GeneralAntilles, go ***** yourself
honestly, if you were homeless it would be hard for you to get a job too. and don't act like you or other well off people don't get drunk too. your perception of deviance is ***** up. - tcwood00, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11thats kinda ***** up
- phmfthacim, on 10/12/2007, -4/+12GeneralAntilles,
You can't deal with the homeless people because you are an *****. I'm not the smallest bit surprised that you have a hard time getting along with these people.
You still don't seem to understand that you have a house and they don't. You have a shower to clean up. You have toilet paper always there to wipe your ass. You have soap to wash your hands. You have way more clean clothes then they do. You can go drink on the weekend and not get criminalized. You have an education. You have food. You have a computer with the internet. You have heating and cooling. You have access to a car.
go ***** yourself ! ! ! - orientis, on 10/12/2007, -1/+9@Silt
"What you think these poor homeless people are just trying to catch a break? Please. Wherever they roam, crime and garbage follows."
-- Thus they are evil and must be destroyed? You'll find most marginalised minorities in society turning to crime. Why is that? There must be no explanation whatsoever! Let's ignore everything except for the fact that they perpetrate crimes!
"Sure, a few may have just had really bad luck in life...but most are a plague to society. It shouldn't be the government's job to help those that refuse to help themself. ***** that. Why should I put in 40 hours a week and have my tax dollars go to some bum that can't get off his ass to work at McD's?"
-- You have never been homeless, have you? How do you apply for a job when you can't take a shower? When your clothes consist of dirty rags? When you have no address to put on your application form?
I understand that homeless people cause problems. Everyone understands that. It's just that some people have the balls to stand up and take some responsibility for the culture and society they live in, instead of pretending it's all a giant abstract force that just happens without explanation or reason. You throw your hands up in the air and say they're all dirty criminals. You take no responsibility for your culture. You are a prime example of a NIMBY, self-obsessed and selfish. ***** you. ***** you very much. - GeneralAntilles, on 10/12/2007, -17/+24There's a dozen missions 4 blocks from that location where they can get free food, shelter, and work. Only one problem: they can't be drunk or high to go to the missions. They have plenty of places to stay, trust me, I work next to them.
- riah, on 10/12/2007, -17/+24@admirabumblebee
From what I was hearing on local news in Tampa, Tent City was a peaceful settlement for homeless people with it's own laws and codes. Of course, laws restricting living in tents within the city prevents the settlement, but the city should really use their example to build a similar, official area. Better than having them doing who knows what on the streets. - draculthemad, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8A lot of the debate here about the cause and general disposition of homelessness is entirely missing the point.
There is a right to personal property.
It does not matter that these people may have been squatting.
It does not matter how many times they were warned.
If they are violating the law, they must be brought before a judge before they may be deprived of their rights.
This is nothing more nor less than violation of civil rights, without due process of law. - whickywhickyjim, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8More proof that Florida is a toilet.
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