When “Beer City” Becomes “Fear City”: How the Billionaire Class Paints Over Poverty

None of the Placard Beggars is needy. The vast majority are housed and do this for a job. The few homeless are drifters. I am homeless, and have been in and out of Trotter. The Placard Beggars are pros, or they're shift homeless/drug/alcoholic/punks. I've had words with some, and ran once I believe. I don't like them.

I'm not going into the homeless situation here. It should be said, that the city does a fairly decent job of taking care of the population, and the mentally-ill, psychologically impaired (myself), and lifestyle homeless take care of each other (I'm not really in their group). The real addicts are down between Division and La Grave, and they do beg and you can tell they're just crackheads or alkies. You're not doing them any favors and your instincts are right.

Most of the homeless men in the city are either CSC and harmless, returning from the joint and employed/collared/ankle-braceleted, or they're taken care of.

Catholic Charities does a good job of taking care of the women and children. They get the posh part of Trotter, as it should be, and the men leave them alone for the most part. Many are battered. I don't know their stories too much but most are transitioning back fairly rapidly.

The one very skinny black woman, probably in her '60s, who is a true 'Bag Lady', is quite mentally ill due to drug addiction. She bothers no one, but if you spared something for her she's probably not going to spend it on crack. She's just terribly isolated and you can't do much and she doesn't beg. If you see her in trouble in the winter, do the right thing, keep an eye out for her. Most of the homeless do for the ones that are weaker.

There are a batch of mean ass homeless and you know who they are right away.

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