Mayor Littlefield's Folly

Downloading the book; thanks for the link.

Good post, Josiah...worth reading even in its nascent form.

"Is it really just about leaving a "legacy?" Is one's "legacy" reason enough to spend millions of dollars on an impotent solution to a problem which may not even exist?"

I see this not only in government, but also in corporate business. People feel like to be effective leaders they must cause change, prove themselves, flex their muscles, earn their keep, etc. Keeping the status quo, or choosing incremental change over radical change is often frowned upon. I think that this mentality comes from within (i.e., driven by pride) and also by outside pressure. An example of the latter is when the Democrats regained control of Congress, the media asked, "Now what are you going to do?" Uh...pass just and only necessary laws? Nah, instead it'll be more like a revolution.

Also, no need to apologize...except for I think you meant 'pejorative' and not 'perjorative.'

Thanks for the thoughts. Scanning the book brought back memories of my time in St. Louis when I worked as a social worker in the Pruitt-Igoe area and in the Carr Square Village complex. I later helped plant a church in that area.

Your thoughts also apply to the issue of gentrification which I have been hearing more negative buzz about in St. Elmo. In his book Sidewalks in the Kingdom, Eric Jacobsen writes: "We tend to associate poverty with crime and other antisocial behavior. But as the police chief of Charleston, SC observes 'Urban problems are caused not by poverty, but by its concentration.' It is when a certain percentage of the population in an area is poor that we begin to see problems. This not only supports the need for at least some gentrification, but it also requires us to rethink our assumptions about low-income housing."

Remember, this is coming from the man who ran on a platform of revitalizing Chattanooga's economy by promoting manufacturing. If that doesn't say "My social and economic policies are from the 1950s" I don't know what does.

The only real "benefits" of centralized, government-run attempts at poverty "control" are that they concentrate poverty in a smaller area where the rest of us don't really have to deal with it. Yeah, there are a few blocks, or even neighborhoods, that are completely hellish, but that's okay if you don't go there. This, I suggest, is not a particularly honest or compassionate way of dealing with the problem.

The problem does exist. I have read and really agree with most of what Mr. Newman says in "Defensible Space." I, for one, haven't heard much about what the campus would actually consist of. Would there be housing on the campus?

While trying to tackle a problem like homelessness is admirable, the problem is so much bigger and complicated than people not having homes. People lacking basic education, people with psycological disorders without health coverage, people with drug dependency problems, etc. are in need of much more than a place to live or something to eat.

The AIM Center here in Chattanooga is a great model for dealing with these problems. I do think alot of the thinking behind a centralized campus is, as Ryan said, an attempt to hide the problem rather than solve it.

I think the MAIN problem with this whole issue is that NOBODY -- including the staunchest proponents of the proposed campus -- know enough about what it will consist of to either argue for OR against it.

No kidding. I've been trying to find info on this for about a week and I still don't know anything concrete about the project. That's what irks me about the whole ordeal. All this money has been spent on contaminated land and the public only has a vague idea about what will happen to it. That just seems irresponsible.

Seeking real clues? Want to express an informed opinion? Know in your heart and soul there's nothing to be gained by puking up half-baked conjecture, ill-informed critiques and pusillanimous platitudes?

Begin here:

http://www.chattanoogacrc.org/

After you're done perusing that website hit this one:

http://www.usich.gov/slocal/NationalProjectHomelessConnectPromo.html

Then do a little research on violent student-on-student crime on the UTC campus. You know, the geographical area on the other side of Merri Mae Williamson's little elitist urban enclave. Or you can always just pick up a copy of last week's The Echo, the UTC student newspaper, for a real-time glimpse.

Now visit (or volunteer at) one of the 48 social service agencies in the immediate vicinity of M.L. King Boulevard.

Now don't you all feel better, you smart cookie you? Please feel free to offer up something in the way of constructive input. As opposed to showcasing just how little you all actually know about the wicked ways of the world. And I ain't talking Warcraft. Bitches.

(Special Closed Circuit Transmission To One davidm: You're going to have to work especially hard. You do know how our representational government works, don't you? The mayor's office is listed in the phonebook, after all. I mean you are a citizen, taxpayer and property owner residing in the City of Chattanooga, right? Or an otherwise legitimate stakeholder smart enough to go straight to the pure source, right? Right?)

Neither of those sites gave any of the following:

1. statistics about the homeless problem in Chattanooga
2. statistics/analysis/etc. about best practices for caring for the homeless
3. statistics/analysis/etc. about best practices for caring for the homeless in Chattanooga

And even moreso:

Do you have any reasons for why a "homeless campus" is the best way for caring for the homeless in Chattanooga?

Is there something deficient with the current organizations caring for the homeless in Chattanooga that would be solved by creating a Homeless Campus?

Does the homeless campus plan on bringing together the numerous organizations in Chattanooga that care for homeless? If so, how? If not, why not?

And perhaps most importantly, what exactly is the "plan" for the Homeless Campus i.e. what is it going to do and why?

I've got all manner of intuitions about the best way to go about addressing the homelessness issue, but were I in our Mayor's position I'd

1. do my homework
2. do my research
3. and most importantly, bring the relevant people together, especially those who are on the ground and already dealing with the problem, who know better than I do what works and what doesn't
4. and after all of that, present a clear vision and gameplan for what's going to be done to address the problem.

Unfortch, neither you nor the Mayor has answered any of those questions or done any of those things.

Dear Pink Shinester,

Can you read? Moreover, can you read with comprehension? I have my doubts. Anyway, the Union Gospel Mission says there are roughly 8,000 homeless in the central city. Is that the statistic you seek? Are you at all concerned with the larger ramifications of reducing a living, breathing human being to a number on a chart or graph? Would it surprise you to learn the combined local expenditure for dealing with the homeless and their issues exceeds $7,000,000 annually? As for something being "wrong" with exisiting facilities, they are all popping at the seams due to outdated structures and swelling client ranks. That said, the intuitive wisdom of offering a consolidated contact point/base of operation for down-and-out folks - who don't drive and may be suffering from mental problems - should be plainy apparent to anyone with walking around sense. It seems to me that as a self-professed "Christian" you sure are quick to judge. In closing, let me say you are just the sort of narrow-minded and intolerant little zealot the real fightin' werewolf Jesus would take serious issue with. Barring a change of heart, it's my belief yours shall be a painful doom.

Robert, I'm sorry but I do not support mayoral initiatives as a matter of faith, no matter how "good" they may seem.

Did The Union Gospel Mission give any further information on the number of homeless in Chattanooga? Do you have a link to an article somewhere?

Also, where did you get your number of $7 million? I'm not asking out of skepticism, but because I'd like to know more.

While I can appreciate that to some a centralized "solution" might seem the intuitive thing to do, unfortunately they've been show to be unsucessful. Please see the document I linked to.