Thanksgiving and BAD LOCAL POLITICIANS!

I am thankful that we have been able to meet the needs of most of our clients, and thanks largely to a few last minute donations we should be able to fulfill the needs of every one of them for this holiday. Gearing down from one holiday and amping up for Christmas time which will be ab bit more difficult. Donor fatigue is setting in for those who have the ability to help, which becomes fewer and fewer due to the locally depressed economy.  Our unemployment is over 13%, and Charolotte County just passed several ordinances aimed at “cracking down on homelessness”, which at first sounded like they were going to help the homeless. They’re not, instead they have made it so that they can now legally harass the local needy with stiff “fines and jail time” for panhandling, vagrancy which can simply be resting your eyes at a park bench, mandatory jail time and fines for open alcoholic containers, etc. Their lists of “offenses” and punishments is steep and severe. One wonders where a homeless person will be able to find the money to pay these ridiculous fines. The jail time might be a good thing if for no reason other than “3 hots and a cot” for free. The county does little to nothing to help those in need, and as I have blogged before, even I am constantly harassed for so much as stopping to talk to these folks and share the knowledge of the places that they can go to get the help they need. I try to put my disgust at the local politicians and zealots in order to do what it takes to help people out, but really some days, like today, really drag me down.

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