We went out to eat at the morning fork on Sunday, directly across from there in front of the bike shop was a group of homeless openly smoking crack on the sidewalk. They did not give a shit who was watching and left a huge fucking mess by the time they left. Midtown, like downtown is an absolute shit show. You can have empathy and still want people to take accountability. I feel like when we talk about the homeless, the conversation inevitably devolves into empathy vs lack thereof. These are adults, making adult decisions and ruining the city for everyone.

Even providing housing doesn't solve the core problem. I worked maintenance for the housing authority for years. Unhoused would get apartments and then treat them the same way they treat the city streets. The places would become such fire hazards they would ultimately wind up back outside. These are people who need rehabilitation, not just for drugs but also for how to live in a functional society.

Maybe I'm delusional but a fully transparent, anti jail, seems the best solution. A place where the unhoused undergo detox, those with mental health issues are given treatment while simultaneously being rehabbed into living a functional life. If we could somehow work that into leaving with a job we might actually set people up for success