A productive incentive for the homeless

(note: I have been very busy with major projects for my LIS @ UH-Manoa, so I haven't had as much time as I would like to write my blog posts. But this should be a good short one).


Here in Hawaii, a state legislator Tom Brewer has been taking the law into his own hands by confiscating shopping carts, returning the labeled ones to the stores, and destroying the ones where the label was either broken or faded beyond recognition.

http://www.staradvertiser.com/newspremium/20131118__Lawmaker_takes_on_shopping_carts.html

There has been a backlash against the homeless presence. But where do the homeless go?

Some are down-on-the luck guys who just been laid off and can't make ends meet.

Others are long-term homeless who haven't worked in years (or decades).

Some want the police to harass them out of existence, chasing them out of parks, sidewalks and other places.

Others have a better solution.

One of my facebook friends mentioned this

pay the homeless to collect trash. Give them free living space in a shelter and pay them to clean up trash. Pay them state wages as well.

That is one way to give the homeless a job, one way to get people to pick up the trash. Win-win situation

I also believe that if the homeless want to live in the parks, then they can stay if they help keep the parks clean.  They can

- pick up litter
- paint over graffiti
- scrape gum
- water plants
- mop bathrooms


I mean who better to help keep the parks clean than those who live there. Give them incentive to work and do something productive.

If they refuse, then they can't sleep-over. Nothing comes for free.


Now, will that idea solve all the problems. No, but it's a start!