Monday, November 22, 2010

ASPAN Should Not Manage A New Homeless Treatment / Prevention Program

Hi Yupette,

Happy Thanksgiving. Another Thanksgiving where we overfeed the homeless only to ignore them the rest of the year.

I'm all for a new homeless treatment / prevention facility. I don't want ASPAN running it. Their name says it all. Arlington Street People's Assistance Network.

This keeping the homeless homeless has gone hand in hand with Yuppieism and Gentrification. It's completely irresponsible to spend tens of millions each year to keep people on the street, and build an ever-larger shelters and an ever-larger bureaucracy to manage "street people".

If the County Board of Recreation, Entertainment, and Gentrification ever decides to fund a new homeless treatment / prevention facility it should look for an organization that drastically reduces homelessness to run the program.

Kathy - 22204

52 comments:

Pikester said...

Earlier this year the County Board voted not to allow on-site affordable housing at 1900 Wilson Blvd., so most people who work in ground-floor retail will not be able to afford to live in the building where they work.

County Board are worthless human beings, just a bunch of damn hedonists.

Anonymous said...

Barbara Favola dislikes anyone who isn't wealthy.

Anonymous said...

Where has $20+ million spent each year in Arlington keeping the homeless homeless gotten us? More homeless.

Margaret said...

We have to be the only county is the civilized world that still uses it's library as a homeless shelter.

Anonymous said...

BTW, Arlington is the 5th richest county in the USA - and there are more than 3,000 counties in the USA.

fed up Dem said...

The most pathetic human being in Arlington County is Chris Zimmerman, who designates a couple of his Democratic shills to talk up a homeless shelter whenever the subject comes up at County Board meetings, but he won't speak out forcefully himself.

Barcrofter said...

Next time some pro bono law firm defends the "right" of some homeless person who is off his/her meds to wander Arlington's streets, I want to see that law firm prosecuted for criminal negligence and sued for legal malpractice.

Kathy said...

Which law firm represents ASPAN? Anyone know?

Anonymous said...

After visiting ASPAN's Web site it's clear that ASPAN is a big bureaucracy dedicated to keeping the homeless homeless. In fact, it appears that there is at least one ASPAN employee or volunteer for every homeless person in Arlington County.

legal beagle said...

Time to also prosecute ASPAN and Arlington County for criminal negligence for putting so many homeless persons at risk of death and serious physical harm from being on Arlington's streets.

ThanksGiving? Why? said...

Stray dogs are treated better than homeless humans in Arlington County, Virginia.

Anonymous said...

Putting homeless persons on Arlington's streets is like Arlington's bar and restaurant owners telling patrons who've had too much to drink to drive themselves home.

Arlington Sucks, Here's Why said...

Most pathetic spectacle occurred last week when the "Keep the Homeless Homeless" Coalition threw itself a Gala.

Jeremy said...

Hi, A.Y.,

Could you please keep this thread going until Thanksgiving? I want to know who the most effective homelessness treatment and prevention people are and where they are active.

Anonymous said...

USA added 60 million to our population over the past 20 years, outsourced millions of jobs and allowed massive immigration. Foreclosed millions out of their homes. Gentrified millions out of their homes. Then the Republicrats wonder why Americans are angry.

Ted --- 22204 said...

Favola, Fisette, and Hynes don't want a homeless shelter. They also don't want poor people in Arlington at all.

Cindy said...

Start by doing a Google search on "homelessness prevention".

Anonymous said...

Notice who just gave ASPAN a "Thumbs Up" - the Sun Gazette's Hedo Pig in Chief.

Anonymous said...

It's not just ASPAN. Arlington Free Clinic is another big bureaucracy that promotes healthcare as a charity activity not as a right under a comprehensive national healthcare system.

22206 said...

Scott McCaffrey is Arlington's most pathetic person. Constantly moralizing, then supports these bloated pig bureaucratic charities that keep the homeless homeless.

Anonymous said...

For what they spend on synthetic playing surfaces for soccer fields they could have a program in place that drastically cuts the number of homeless in Arlington.

Tired of Yuppies said...

Bloated bureaucracy? Go to ASPAN's Web site.

Anonymous said...

I refuse to assist another homeless warehousing organization feed the homeless this Thanksgiving.

Anonymous said...

We need a homelessness prevention / treatment organization that will cut the number of homeless by half withing two years.

Larry said...

People, we are talking about a County Board that made excuse after excuse for delaying the construction of a new homelessness prevention-treatment facility yet voted to spend $421,000 on bicycles and $715,000 on a synthetic surface playing field.

Anonymous said...

If ASPAN did not want to build a bigger bureaucracy for keeping the homeless homeless ASPAN would have been out in force at the last County Board meeting.

Peter said...

I assisted a 'homeless' non-profit at Thanksgiving for five years. That did nothing to get people without homes off the streets. Enough of these Yuptards who gentrify the homeless out of affordable apartments, buy and live in expensive condos that replace the apartments, rhen volunteer to serve Thanksgiving dinner to 'street people one day a year.

Anonymous said...

A dog or cat rescue group would be better managers of a homeless human rescue group than ASPAN.

Terri said...

A dog or cat rescue group actually solves the homeless dog or cat problem. Solving problems isn't the Arlington Way. Spending millions of not solving problems is the Arlington Way.

Anonymous said...

County Board meets again on December 11th at 8:30. I e-mailed them about this but never received a response. Last meeting they made some vague promises about a year-around emergency shelter, which does not solve the homeless-on-the-streets problem.

Anonymous said...

Dump ASPAN.

Dump Tejada.

Dump Hynes.

Anonymous said...

They don't want to talk about homelessness, they want to talk about the upcoming Gay-Lesbian party at the Artisphere.

Anonymous said...

I could not believe that press release about the Artisphere.

Anonymous said...

The people who run the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (who are also big Artisphere boosters) are also big proponents of keeping the homeless homeless.

22205 said...

Remember the woman who lived on the streets in Westover Village for years? She would talk to herself and become angry whenever anyone spoke to her.

Know what happened to her? She didn't die - her family got totally pissed off with Arlington County and threatened to sue the s--- out of anyone who had anything to do with keeping her on the streets.

Last I heard she's living a very quiet retirement with some other nice old folks at an assisted living center.

ASPAN? Worthless a--holes. Like most everyone else in County government, starting with Jay Fisette.

Anonymous said...

What is the name of ASPAN's law firm? They have to have one.

2100 said...

Know who else likes the homeless being homeless? Arlington Police Department.

Anonymous said...

No, who are the K Street law firms who have been working 'pro bono' for the past 30 years to keep homeless people on the streets?

Marisol. said...

Walter Tejada is responsible for Arlington's population of homeless day laborers.

Geraldo said...

Walter Tejada? You mean Nada Tejada, El Rey de Futbol? Nada for nosotros, todo por los ricos Tejada?

Anonymous said...

Si

Anonymous said...

Terri is correct - spending millions not solving the homeless problem is the Arlington Way.

Linda said...

For what this huge bureaucracy cost everyone we could have built a thousand attractive and affordable apartments for the homeless over the past decade.

fed up Dem said...

Don't hold your breath waiting for any affordable housing to be approved for Crystal City when it's redeveloped. Favola, Fisette, and Hynes don't want any. Anywhere.

Let's Be Free said...

Jay Fissette and Sally Baird say if the homeless want warmth and comfort they can join the gay and lesbian kiss-in at the Artisphere.

Buffy Muffington said...

Mr. Zimmerman is pathetic. Mr. McCaffrey is awesomely pathetic.

Anonymous said...

Buffy, once again you are correct. Chris Zimmerman only has to shill for the REITs and a few other special interests. Scott McCaffrey is a shill for everybody who's upscale and has an agenda.

Arlington County Sucks, Here's Why said...

ASPAN has a marketing director and a director of development - so they see a bright future in keeping street people on the streets.

22201 said...

Fisette's next big project after the live theater party zone in Ballston is...his aquatic center.

22205 said...

The list of Salvation Army bell ringers reads like a Who's Who of the Inside the Beltway Elite.

Where are they the rest of the year when proposals (that go nowhere) are made for more affordable housing?

gerald said...

I know that ASPAN is an imperfect organization with many poorly paid employees, but what do you want for $6/night/homeless person? It costs $160/night to keep that person in the Cty jail.

I am a strong advocate for a year round shelter, but one with effective programs that deal with the underlying problems like the working poor not having a living wage job, addicts having no treatment, and the mentally ill with no treatment options.

Probably a third or more of the homeless had jobs or have p/t jobs that do not pay enough for even a room in a shared house. With a job that pays $12/hour and 40 hrs/week, that person could probably get off the street and out of the shelter system.

Anonymous said...

A-Span has thrown me out twice- their staff has no psychiatric backround
whatsoever. They have treated me, and some others, in the most disrespectful
way. Nobody anywhere has behaved this way with me. I've also been robbed
right in the a-span shelter, and things have been stolen out of my car.
My back car window was also smashed while I was parked on s. Nelson St.,
where their 'AFAC' is located. (Oh, my car's transmission is now totalled-
just guessing how that happened.)
Am sure they will 'dismiss' me again-and dream up some lie-which they will
also tell the police. They are outrageously self important, and feel superior
to others.