tungwaiyip.info

home

about me

links

Blog

< July 2016 >
SuMoTuWeThFrSa
      1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
31      

past articles »

Click for San Francisco, California Forecast

San Francisco, USA

 

Beyond Homelessness

The Chronicle is running a series Beyond Homelessness. They call the problem a civic disgrace. They have an editorial proclaim the reduction of homelessness to the extent humanly possible must be San Francisco’s No. 1 priority.

I applaud their call of civic duty. I am frustrated by the problem as anyone do. But grandstanding aside, I am not optimistic that the city will make much progress. 10 or 20 years we will revisit the issue. I am afraid what the future may not be much of an improvement of compares to today.

Their language concerns me. We talk about political will, about holding public official responsible. But what if this is a problem so difficult that nobody really know how to solve them? I compare this to some recurrent campaign to "cure cancer". It makes a good slogan for a rally. The problem is, to the best knowledge current science, we do not really know how to cure cancer. Some ambitious politician might "declare war on cancer", or set an arbitrary time line like solving the problem in 10 years. But I can see little scientific basis that would lead to such solution. As much as we wish, these political campaigns, without scientific basis to backup, will just fizzle out sooner or later.

Unfortunately I think this is likely what our current campaign on homelessness heading. If it is about provide enough funding and services, these will be easy problem well within the capability of the politician. After all, we are already pouring sizable resource in the tune of 240 millions dollars a year into this. But I am afraid these resources only scratch the surface. The deeper problem is that some people who has lost their capability to take care of themselves and function in the society. Fixing people is much harder problme than fix things, which mostly call for more funding. I don't even know if the bureaucracy has any place in fixing a person. Much more helpful than the bureaucracy is perhaps the support from a social network.

To further the cure cancer analogy, it is commonly accepted that the best way to fight cancer is to prevent it from developing in the first place. Living a healthy life style, proper nutrition, early screening are way more effective than to treat cancer after it happens. So our attention should go beyond fixing the problem after it happens to minimize someone ending up in the street in the first place. In the long run, if we can reduce new homeless by prevention, it maybe the most effective way to keep the problem under control.

2016.07.04 comments

 

 

blog comments powered by Disqus

past articles »

 

BBC News

 

Prague gunman killed himself on roof as police approached (22 Dec 2023)

 

Bodycam footage shows police hunting Prague gunman (22 Dec 2023)

 

Alex Batty: Police launch abduction investigation into disappearance of British teen (22 Dec 2023)

 

Banksy stop sign drones art removed in London (22 Dec 2023)

 

Martin Kemp refunds disabled ticket after fans' difficulty with seller (22 Dec 2023)

 

Queues at Dover as Christmas getaway begins for millions (22 Dec 2023)

 

New £38,700 visa rule will be introduced in early 2025, says Rishi Sunak (22 Dec 2023)

 

UK at risk of recession after economy shrinks (22 Dec 2023)

 

Mohamed Al Bared: Student jailed for life for building IS drone (22 Dec 2023)

 

Andrew Tate denied request to visit ill mother in UK (22 Dec 2023)

more »

 

SF Gate

more »


Site feed Updated: 2023-Dec-22 09:00