Linn County Citizens Air Thoughts on Homeless People

Scroll down to the newpaper letter response comment in bold, to see what I believe is a call to harm "bums" by one poster.


A letter to the editor by an Albany woman:

The day I saw three bums

The day after Labor Day I was driving down Waverly on my way to Costco. There on the nicely manicured lawn of the First Assembly were three homeless bums. They were eating and had a half-gallon jug of something in a milk bottle. When I returned from Costco I noticed the men were gone but had left all their trash and milk bottle. I really don’t think it is First Assembly’s job to clean up after these slobs. They should be escorted to a shelter and if they don’t stay there maybe they will be one of the first clients to the new mental facility to be built.

The citizens of Albany are proud of their town, but we have to get rid of the spoilers. If you want to see a homeless man run, offer him a job.

Their excuses are quite unique. They all get checks from the government, but they would sooner spend their money on booze and lottery tickets than a place to live.

Margaret Hanson, Albany


Charles wrote on Sep 11, 2007 5:28 PM:

" Bravo Margaret Hanson, great letter. I couldn't agree more. Albany rolls out the red carpet for homeless people and that's the very reason that we have a so-called homeless problem. I have lived a lot of places in my life and I've never seen a city with so many homeless people in their 20's and 30's who are perfectly able to work. Lazy, lazy, lazy. Sometimes in today's climate of political-correctness you can't call something what it really is. You're right Margaret, they're bums, plain and simple. "



Kristi B. wrote on Sep 11, 2007 5:55 PM:

" Margaret Hanson, While I agree people should find a place for their trash I think your thoughts about homeless people are too sweeping and narrow. Sure there are homeless people who don't want to work. There are also many who are struggling with mental illness and substance abuse issues. Where to dispose of garbage is the least of their concerns. "


Barefoot wrote on Sep 11, 2007 8:25 PM:

" What makes you think they were homeless bums? that they got checks from the government? Many homeless have nothing to do with shelters, and many homeless aren't bums. "


Bums wrote on Sep 12, 2007 4:39 AM:

" Bums are certainly not the only ones who litter. I see people tossing trash from their cars, and dumping their own trash at the recycling center. People in really fancy cars drive up and unload their trash at the recycle center. It's unbelievable. I took photos one day of the pickups and minivans and SUVS rolling in to unload their trash at the recycling center, which is illegal. The paper should do that. Most homeless people do not get any government checks. The ones who do, are on disability, and some on disability are on disability from military service. "


DDJ wrote on Sep 12, 2007 12:36 PM:

" Hey Margaret: Your letter is idiotic! When you were at Costco, did you partake of the free samples? Did you properly dispose of you refuse or did you just leave it in the cart, like the other lazy people? You said you thought the guy was drinking milk, but bash him for only buying liquor and lottery tickets. You know nothing about this guys spending habits or where he gets his money. Maybe he picks up popcans??? every think of that? "


Genuine Democrat wrote on Sep 12, 2007 2:04 PM:

" Don't pick on the housing challenged! They're people too, you Bushlerites! "

Patience wrote on Sep 12, 2007 2:53 PM:

" Margaret Hanson, you sound like you might be one of those who "proclaim to be a Christian." If you are, then why the bad rap for those who appear to be unfortunate?? Is this how Jesus treated these people?? I think not!!!!! Sure is funny how many proclaimers we have, but when it comes down to it, they forgot the word of God and the teachings of Jesus. Sounds like the Republican Party today!! "Be ye not just hearers of the word, be ye also doers of the word." Doesn't sound like you know what a "doer," is.. "

just a thought wrote on Sep 12, 2007 5:14 PM:

" Perhaps the "bums" are people who have some sort of mental health issue. This population has been underserved, overlooked, ignored and misunderstood for far too long. (There, but for the grace of God go I!) "


Dangerous Dave wrote on Sep 13, 2007 7:51 AM:

" Patience, your whole argument rests on whether or not she is a Christian. In the end, you don't have much of an argument other than the fact that you seem to be ready to pounce on anyone for being a hypocrite, you're just waiting to find out if they indeed own a Bible. Did it occur to you that the fellows she was writing about were likely perfectly able bodied men? Should we be stealing from the pockets of working single mothers and retirees on fixed incomes to help out those who will not help themselves? What does the Bible say about leaching off of others? There's more than one time in the Bible where Jesus scolded people that were expecting him to serve their needs where they could have served themselves. Granted, I have no problem with charity, being a giver myself, I just wouldn't tell anyone else that they need to live up to a standard that I see fit. "

Why profile wrote on Sep 13, 2007 6:19 PM:

" I am trying to figue out how Margarete knew the men leaving their trash were bums, were they wearing a sign that said so? Just because someone is dressed in work clothes does not make them a bum or homeless, or a mental case. If you examine the facts, the crime these men committed was littering. Marge must of never been down on her luck or put in a hard days work on a labor intense job, or her judgement might of been different. Compassion is lacking here. Some folks live in glass houses "


And then the next day, after another letter appeared in the paper, that said some percentage of "bums" were Viet Nam vets, these comments appeared beneath, in the paper's blog section:


Astonished wrote on Sep 13, 2007 1:04 PM:

" Ms. Kizer- Where in the heck did you get that statistic? How about this, 42% of all statistics are made up on the spot...Thanks for the laugh. MAKE TRADE FAIR AND POVERY HISTORY. "

Charles wrote on Sep 13, 2007 3:43 PM:

" Ms. Kizer, care to cite a source for that stat? Because I think you made it up. Have you seen how many homeless people around Albany are in their 20's and 30's? How could any of them be Vietnam vets? And even if a large percent of homeless people are veterans, so what? What difference does that make? Does military service make it okay to litter (the original letter writer's complaint)? Of course not. It's just another excuse for people to be lazy and live off the public goodwill. IF YOU CAN WALK AROUND ALBANY ALL DAY WITH A HEAVY BACKPACK THEN YOU CAN WORK. PERIOD. "



just a thought wrote on Sep 13, 2007 4:46 PM:

" Where does one apply for the job where all you have to be able to do is walk around with a heavy back pack all day? My son is disabled and could do that. If it doesn't involve reading, math, thinking on his feet, listening to, understanding or remembering directions, communicating a thought or need or interpreting facial expressions, gestures and other body language, basically just walking a set path the same each and every day, day in and day out and pay a living wage, my son is the man for you. You should make up flyers and post them (use pecs though!) because I bet there are many people out there who are physically healthy enough to walk around carrying heavy back packs and have "hidden" disabilities who would love that job. I do understand they could not be confined to a small area (say a corner) and wave a sign --THAT would be a nusiance right? .....anyway, homeless people aren't the only ones who litter. If that were true there would not be all the debris around the Lebanon Wal-Mart parking lot and across the highway from the parking lot. That is an eyesore and should not be tolerated. Wal-Mart should quit having "greeters" who stand there and gripe about their jobs to each other and should put them on litter patrol. "



Factual or Opinion (bums) wrote on Sep 13, 2007 6:31 PM:

" Did anyone ask the men littering if they were bums, received state aid or if they were just on a lunch break. Drinking milk probally means they are bums yeah wrong. Litters yes: bums not enough facts, only an opinion "



No more bums wrote on Sep 13, 2007 6:41 PM:

" Personally I have reached the top of my tolerance level for bums and it's time to start doing something about it. They seem to be everywhere these days. They are moving beyond a nuisance to a threat, and no one in public safety or government is going to do anything about it. Ask and they will tell you. Please do your part to help remove the problem in whatever way you feel OK about. "



Charles wrote on Sep 13, 2007 7:45 PM:

" To just a thought: wow, that's quite a listing of afflictions. Do you really think that all the homeless people in Albany are physically or mentally disabled? I had no idea that the guys standing around outside the Helping-Hands shelter chatting with each other and smoking cigarettes were disabled. I was completely unaware that the guys I see walking around downtown in the morning, and then see again later using the Internet in the library were handicapped. If I guy can walk around, check his Email, and communicate with other people, what do you think is wrong with him? I'm sorry your son is disabled, really, but I don't see how that makes all homeless people disabled. Or maybe you just took the last sentence of my rant a little too literally. If I recognize that some homeless people have problems (self inflicted and otherwise) that prevent them from holding a job, will you recognize that some are simply lazy and CHOOSE not to work? "



ust a thought.....don''t waste your breath wrote on Sep 13, 2007 10:49 PM:

" These people do not care. Some of them are alcoholics. Some of these posters who are the meanest about the bums are exceedingly heavy drinkers, too. They will not listen to anything. I meant a homeless man, who first broke his leg on the job. He worked construction. He then was laid off while his leg healed. His girlfriend became tired of caring for him, and kicked him out, with his tools. He hid them, but someone dug them up, because they'd been watching him, and stole them. he told me he'd also been down on homeless folks. And suddenly, he found himself homeless. His second night sleeping out, he was assaulted by local teens. He couldn't believe what had become of him, he told me. Here he was, limping along bloody, without a possession to his name, "one of them". He owes now back child support and taxes. If he works, it will be taken from his check. He's pretty much given up, due to his age, and the fact his leg never healed right. He cant' figure a way out. These things can happen to pretty much anyone. "



A. Sprague wrote on Sep 14, 2007 1:35 AM:

" The war ended 34 years ago using it as an excuse for poor behavior and disrespect to others is unreasonable. It is worse than unreasonable, it is a lie. As long as we continue to give them free food and money they have no reason to improve themselves. As a veteran of viet nam I am aware of the fraud commited by people claiming to be veterans, demand their DD214 before believing them. "

Momogone wrote on Sep 14, 2007 8:12 AM:

" Sorry just a thought but that situation you described can not happen to just anyone. If you hurt your leg on the job and can't work due to your injury, you get workers' comp. If you get laid off from your job, you get unemployment insurance. If you haven't been able to keep a job for more than a couple of weeks and rely on a girlfriend that you just met two weeks ago to support you, you are going to get booted out on your posterior if you are a slacker for too long. Yes, there are bums and there are disabled people and they aren't in the same subgroup. "

just a thought wrote on Sep 14, 2007 12:09 PM:

" Many people who are working and barely making a living wage could get workers come or unemployment and be in that situation. Sorry to burst your bubble, but neither of these programs pay your FULL salary. If someone was having trouble making ends meet and found their income slashed by 1/3 they could indeed find themselves in big trouble. "