Schwarzenegger Opens California Fairgrounds to Homeless Camp

[RamboLiberal]

Source: Bloomberg.com

March 25 (Bloomberg) -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said a make-shift tent city for the homeless that sprang up in the capital city of Sacramento will be shut down and its residents allowed to stay at the state fairgrounds.

Schwarzenegger said he ordered the state facility known as Cal-Expo to be used for three months to serve the 125 tent city residents, some of them displaced by the economic recession. The encampment may be shut down within a month, said Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson. The move comes after the Sacramento City Council last night agreed to spend $880,000 to expand homeless programs.

“Together with the local government and volunteers, we are taking a first step to ensure the people living in tent city have a safe place to stay, with fresh water, healthy conditions and access to the services they need,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement. “And I am committed to working with Mayor Johnson to find a permanent solution for those living in tent city.”

California, home to one of every eight Americans, has been particularly hard hit by the housing market collapse after many residents turned to exotic mortgages to afford homes. The tent city, which has long existed along the banks of the America River, gained national attention last month when some of its recently homeless residents were featured on the Oprah Winfrey Show.


Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aKqkjyYkFN8w&refer=worldwide

[Lone_Star_Dem]

1. It's a small improvement but what happens to them in three months?

[tekisui]

3. They expand.

[wroberts189]

35. Well lets look at history.. police in swat gear ,tear gas, bulldozers.

Sorry but I am a bit cynical at times. I hope I am wrong.

[XemaSab]

37. The state fair starts

and they can get jobs as roustabouts and carnies? :shrug:

[marshall]

42. Won't he have had time to work the stimulus money by then?

A sizable chunk was eesignated for something like this.

[tekisui]

2. Alright, America is getting shanty towns.

It's been a long time coming.

[AwakeAtLast]

36. Bushvilles. n/t

[Arctic Dave]

4. Oooohh. Will they have access to the water slides?

How does moving them from one area to another help them from being homeless?

[dixiegrrrrl]

9. It doesn't..but it helps Sacramento look nicer

with the homeless more out of sight.

[juno jones]

24. Pretty much.

Right now they are mere blocks from the guv's mansion and capitol.

In Cal Expo, they can forget about them until water slide season.

It will be instructive as well to see what kind of rules and conditions they set upon use of Cal Expo by the homeless.

[cali]

10. how does it help them? the answer to that is in Schwartznegger's

statement in the article. If he carries through it will indeed help.

"Together with the local government and volunteers, we are taking a first step to ensure the people living in tent city have a safe place to stay, with fresh water, healthy conditions and access to the services they need,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement. “And I am committed to working with Mayor Johnson to find a permanent solution for those living in tent city."

[Arctic Dave]

19. So how does living in an upscale tent city help?

That is what my real question is.

[cali]

21. there will be (according to the gov)

services provided. That's a big deal. Safety, water, food, aid in finding houses, etc.

[Arctic Dave]

25. How about affordable housing. Not nicer tent cities.

The token is nice but in the end, it is just a token. Until "real" housing is made to these people they are chasing their tails.

[cali]

27. how about that doesn't happen just by the gov snapping his/her fingers

this is a step forward.

[Arctic Dave]

29. I am aware of that. It would seem that waiting until crisis

occurs is not sound planning. Homelessness in California is not a new issue.

[AtheistCrusader]

22. Showers, sanitation, etc

Food prep facilities for the volunteers that will probably be helping, shipping and receiving points for donated food.

Lights. Centralized security. It's no four star Hilton, but it's better than some parking lot or underpass.

[Johnyawl]

32. Sanitation, indoor plumbing, showers...

...

[EFerrari]

5. This is the first humane act I've seen from Ahnold.

[Irishonly]

14. Me too

There is a tent city in Ontario or at least there was. I've not been out of the house in quite a while. Seeing all of the homeless just breaks your heart. Most of the shelters are full to the max and they try waiting lists. I have never been able to figure out how making a waiting list for homeless does any good. One of the churches in my area fixes breakfast and another dinner. My church can't keep enough food in the the food bank. We are talking about using the yard as a community garden. There are too many homeless as well as too many families going hungry.

Most of the time Ahnold can't breathe to suit me. I am glad he was able to finally show some humanity.

[tavalon]

16. He's mostly always been a social liberal

I have to admit, I did enjoy watching him get his ass handed to him by the California nurses. I wish I could belong to California's nurses union instead of the roll over and play dead one I'm involved in.

[EFerrari]

17. One of the first budget cuts he suggested was for building

handicap access and to reduce the holding time for shelter animals to 24 hours. I've never been able to stomach him after that. It may not be fair, but there it is.

[tavalon]

18. Well, that was bad and bad

He's a fiscal "conservative" who takes on easy pickings. He thought the nurses would also be easy targets. Oops.

[wroberts189]

33. "reduce the holding time for shelter animals to 24 hours" ..heartless bastard

So a persons lost pet gets picked up ..has 24 hours to live unless found.

I wonder how many small children had to get told their pet had to be exterminated ....because the state could not afford a few more bowls of food and cage.

Cruel Arnold ..very cruel.

Hail the great Arnold ..terminator of lost dogs and kitties.

[EFerrari]

44. It never went through. We probably melted his damn phone lines

and he dropped it. But I notice he picked two groups that couldn't jump in their cars and head over to the Capitol.

[wroberts189]

50. Thank god for that. And thanks for the info. nt

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. I was thinking the same thing

He does seem to be softening up a bit. He sure acts like he likes Obama.

[EFerrari]

23. He's not really a Republican. But, he sure can be rigid sometimes. n/t

[tomreedtoon]

6. Camp Terminator.

This is where all these homeless people will gather...and those robotic killers the Army is building (the T-2000's) will wipe them out so their existence won't bother anybody any more.

[file83]

26. Camp with me if you vant to live.

[Semi_subversive]

7. Just another photo op

[bluesmail]

8. This Tent City is organized.

It even has a mayor.

[superconnected]

11. These people are lucky. The Seattle Mayor will not do the same.

We call our tent city here Nickelsville after him. They have to go from church parking lot to church parking lot because Greg Nickels won't allow them to stay on public land.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

15. I suggest contacting the major media outlets

The only reason the people in this tent city are being addressed by the governor is due to the media making them a National story. Nothing like some bad press to get your local politicians off their lazy butts. Or so my experience has been.

[daleo]

12. Our State Fair is a great State Fair

It's the greatest State Fair in our state.

Let's update this musical for the 21st century.

[tavalon]

13. There are few solutions available to the states to handle these folks, especially broke California

I've never quite understood why Schwarzenegger wasn't a Democrat, he's so liberal on social issues. Notice he said first step, I'm fairly sure he's trying to puzzle out the next steps. And yeah, it wasn't noticed until Oprah brought it up and that's too bad, really, but our Democratic mayor and Democratic Governor haven't even done as much.

[barbtries]

28. i have to admit

Schwarzenegger doing this surprises me. hopefully among the services offered will be help with employment.

[and-justice-for-all]

30. that is exactly what he needs to do! Good on you Gov!

“Together with the local government and volunteers, we are taking a first step to ensure the people living in tent city have a safe place to stay, with fresh water, healthy conditions and access to the services they need,” Schwarzenegger said in a statement. “And I am committed to working with Mayor Johnson to find a permanent solution for those living in tent city.”

That is very unrepublican of you, be careful of the wolves!

[scytherius]

31. Good for him. At least doing something about the awful situation here.

Not a solution but at least protects these people til something can be done. Like, oh I dunno, get rid of the GOP that got us here?

[4lbs]

34. Sadly, I think we'll hear about more Bushvilles in the coming weeks and months.

The previous administration really screwed up millions of peoples' lives.

[XemaSab]

38. Downtown the homeless are near services

Way the hell out by CalExpo there are no homeless services.

This may not go down the way Ahnold wants it to.

[EFerrari]

43. Sounds like outreach people will be sent there.

But, it always sound better in print.

[onehandle]

39. Bushvilles. Bushvilles. Bushvilles.

Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

[olddad56]

40. Both Arnold and Kevin Johnson are only in this for the publicity

Cal Expo has been used many times before, but usually in the winter, as a temproary homeless shelter. Arnold and KJ anr two peas in a pod.

[corpseratemedia]

41. Kunstler's every city surrounded by a Bushville shanty town.

Coming to a city near you.

[aquart]

45. Or you could have kept them in their HOMES.

[Kolesar]

46. Give those Oakies hot showers once and they are going to want them every day

It's from Grapes of Wrath.

[warrior1]

47. I live in Sacramento.

If the tent city is where I think they could possibly put it, it will be close to the freeway and least a view of if. And it will be in the dirt parking lot they usually have set up of over flow parking when the state fair is open in Aug/Sept. It's also used for big xmas tree lot and RV/Vehicle sales. It's open, dry and hot. It's close to the mall, horse racing. The fair it's self has an on going garden's that could possibly be in danger of getting wiped out. I'm not sure this is a such a great short time solution for a long time problem.

[olddad56]

48. are you afraid that if it were close to the freeway, people would have to see it?

out of sight, out of mind.

[Odin2005]

49. Is Arnold getting a conscience?