Grapes of Wrath-do you know any homeless?
 

http://www.infowars.com/?p=841

one in four doesnt have car insurance and many lost homes because of mortgages

are these people illegal aliens mainly?

YouTube
March 16, 2008

In California, it is the Grapes of Wrath all over again, minus the migration. Somebody please send this link to Rush Limbaugh and the neocons, who seem to think all of the homeless are drunks and drug addicts.

i dont think i know of any homeless

i know of some that were homeless and got apartments sometime in last 7 years

i know people who run up credit cards and still seem to have money for silly things

i think the world is crazy
there was one woman on here talking about her condo problems -i wonder if she is now homeless

cubans also moved in

congress wont look for oil or gas or build nuclear power so can we blame democrat congress? or is it the war?

Personally, I blame Wal*Mart for all of it.

While I don't patronize or agree with the neocons, I do think most homeless are people who have problems which helped to exaggerbate their situations. Drugs, Alcolholl and Mental Illness are a few of thos problems.

People who took out mortgages for little or no down payment and variable interest rates were misguided or misinformed.

The bankers and lenders (not the government) should be held to task for their irresponsible actions.

Still, it is the buyers responsibility to know the details of their loan and to be realistic about what they can afford.

The best way to own a home is to save up for a down payment until you have a substantial amount and can build equity.

As to being homeless, there are many programs to help the homeless. Many will not participate.

Sadly a lot of the mentally ill simply cannot help themselves and families may have given up on them.

Tootsie

I was sitting on a guard rail late one night waiting for my husband to call a cab for us to get home after we locked the keys in the car.

A homeless man carrying a paper bag/bottle approached and sat next to me. I watched people pass us by. They looked at him with disgust and made a wide path around him - I guess to avoid getting "cooties." :rolleyes: Every single person did that to him. :(

After a while, he turned to me and said "It's not easy." He told me about how he lost his wife and kids when his home burned to the ground. Alcohol relieves his pain. There is no training program to bring back his beloved wife and kids or give him back his home. :(

Doesn't society encourage alcohol? I even see scientific research touting the health benefits of drinking alcohol. It is advertised as a way to socialize, relax and get away from it all. :confused:

Does anyone find it appropriate to blame this man for his condition in life? :( Can any of you guarantee it won't happen to you?

Even with drugs. It is highly encouraged - i.e., if you're sad, anxious, or just having a bad day - take a pill to make it all go away. If you're running too fast, take a pill to make you slow down. If you're running too slow, take a pill to make you go faster. :confused:

Declaring one legal and another illegal doesn't take away from the danger of abuse.

And just think - the only thing we've managed to make unacceptable is cigarettes - let's see what kills more people - driving under the influence of either alcohol or drugs or smoking - I would guess hands down it would not be cigarettes - the only thing to check off on a death certificate is - did smoking lead to this death - not alcohol - not drugs - just cigarettes - makes no sense to me -

Alcohol relieves his pain???? I think it makes it worse and what would you want to bet that it had a lot to do with his losing his wife and kids.

What about words like 'self control', logic, alternatives.....

As to the social aspects of drinking alcohol. Yes, I think it is made to look way to good.

I also think that some of this happens at home. Parents tolerate the abuse of alcohol among their teens. They send them on these dumb 'reward' vacations to places which encourage abandonment of common sense (like the Aruba situation).

Wonder when graduating or doing well on an exam became a reason to have a reward? Isn't the good grade a reward in itself???

Look at the Duke case as well. Though I don't absolve the dancer or the lawyer from their part in this, I do think...'gee, if they hadn't had this type of party to begin with (and hired a dancer) then maybe none of this would have happened.

For years, advertisers have mad alcohol and cigarettes look sexy! What a waste of space.

Diane

I occasionally cook meals for our local homeless shelter through our church. The first time, DH and I also helped served the meal. It was heartbreaking to see the many faces, a few were people I recognized. :(

I made a nice dessert to go along with the main dish, and they weren't very interested in that, because most were so hungry they wanted to fill up on the healthy meat and veggies.

It's located near the university and they usually get about 40 per night, but I know they must be just barely touching the surface of all the homeless and/or hungry folks in our area.

Some good things to donate to a shelter are diapers and new pillows. I prefer to cook a meal and try to make something special for them.

I used to tutor the homeless - are children guilty because of their parent's path? Single parent, no job or not very good jobs, so many expenses, drugs and alcohol often used to "self-medicate" pain (emotional and physical.) Mental illness, lack of support. We may all know someone with MS and other contributing factors who are homeless or very close to the edge.

If I did not have DH's paycheck, how the heck would I live on my SSDI!!!!!!!! It's sometimes hard to land in a safety net when falling, not too many effective nets out there anyway. Behaviors learned, Goes on and on and on. I have no answers, just tears. I think "there but for the grace of God, go I". It's not hard to fall over the edge. Extreme Make-over only saves 1 family a week, and don't forget short new season and re-runs. But at least they make a difference in one family's lives.

At the food kitchen next to where I tutored the homeless, the ex-homeless worker came out to make sure my kids got an apple from a contribution. He made us cry and we honored his gesture by accepting it, though my kids neither liked or needed apples. At 7 they knew to say just thanks. They do have respect for others.

Today, I read in the paper that Mary K Blige bought a 13 million dollar house in Saddle Brook New Jersey, with 8 bathrooms and a 14 seat home theater.

Take that image and combine that with the homes that Donald Trump owns, the homes that Bill Gates (yeah, I know he gives away most of his money), and all the rich people own.

Then there's the Queen of England who is purportedly the richest woman in the world.

I saw the film "The Queen" with Helen Mirren. Blew me away that one person can live on so many acres of land and have absolutely no need to do this.

All they do is drink tea and there was a scene where Prince Phillip says to the Queen. "Oh, now, they've made you let your tea get cold".

Turned my stomach.

To live in a world where few people live like Kings and Queens, while others in that country can't get to a doctor, don't have running water, and can't see a dentist for 3 months, because the health insurance problem is so rampant that no one can get a visit to get their health checked, well, it makes me sick.

Why the heck can people be allowed to own all this property, which can be cultivated, built on, and which can house THOUSANDS of people, and no one does a darn thing, well I just don't get it.

There is so much land (I'm speaking about the Royals now), and there's so much undeveloped potential even in our own country, but people are still buying $12 million dollars houses?????

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a socialist and I think people should have as many creature comforts as they can afford....but no one needs a $12 million dollar home. 8 bathrooms (for 3 people), etc. etc.

And the Queen of England (have you ever seen how much property her castle s sit on??). Oh my god. Do you realize how many people she can help if she got off of her duff and just moved to a regular mansion and said to the Prime Minister "here, I am giving you all this property, go and employ thousands of laborers and build homes".

And by the way, build Social Clubs, and recreational centers, so young people can keep busy and not drink all the time.

This applies to my country also.

We need to get the kids off of the streets, and into rec centers, and off the booze, drugs and petty crimes.

We need to start building more affordable apartments for the elderly and the disabled.

But as long as there are Donald Trumps, and rich rap singers, who live in super million dollar houses, well I guess this is not going to happen in my lifetime.

What a shame.

Our young people are going to hell in a handbasket.

Sorry to rant and rave, but I opened up my newspaper this morning, and all I saw were young people shooting each other and doing crimes, because they don't know any other way of life.

There are only two classes now.

Rich and everybody else.

It's not right.

Why did you stop tutoring? Just wondering.

I have become a skeptic in my old age....though I'm sure there are people who are homeless due to legitimate reasons.....I also think choices (single parenting, lack of education, drugs and alcohol, mental illness) are creating a homeless wave.

My son lives in SF where you would often see homeless people and are often besieged by beggars.

DS said at first he'd give them money, but he saw a trend toward pan handlers who were not poor or homeless or people who just used the money for drugs and not food or shelter.

After awhile it's difficult to keep giving.

There are many programs for the homeless. Most entail giving back in a responsible way.

Some people don't want any of that; they just want the handout.

Has anyone ever watched the show "Intervention". That is amazing. So many troubled people who just cannot straight out their lives, especially those who have drug/alcohol problems.

You have to ask what triggered the problems? Are some people just prone to this?

I know I have heard that alcoholism is tied to a genetic factor. I don't know if that's the case, but in families where I've seen the problem it was something that several generations suffered from.

Diane

our church has a ministry to the homeless.

teams make sandwich/snack packs and also take clothing, blankets, toiletries etc with them.
They spend time downtown at the parks etc, and get to know the people they are caring for.

Many stories....many paths lead people to being homeless.
It takes getting to know people to reach a deeper understanding sometimes of why they are where they are in life.

Tootsie: You said:

"I have become a skeptic in my old age....though I'm sure there are people who are homeless due to legitimate reasons.....I also think choices (single parenting, lack of education, drugs and alcohol, mental illness) are creating a homeless wave."

I completely agree with your assessment of this fact. This of course does not apply to people who have been burned out of their houses or in cases of disaster.

What you and I are most upset about is the poor choices that many people make. Why do they make these choices? Because they can get away with it.

I have watched intervention (Also celebrity Intervention).

Absolutely fascinating at the entitlement, at how the people react when family members read their statement, about how the person's addiction is affecting the rest of the family. How do they react??

They could not care less. I've seen many of them walk off the show after yelling at the family members who have tried to help. I've seen this also on Dr. Phil.

Look at the Hollywood Stars. Look at what was revealed on tv last night. Robin Williams (who has been married for 18 years), and has had two stints in rehab because of his drinking. He's getting divorced.

And the only reason he is not homeless is because he's ROBIN WILLIAMS.

Why can some people behave in a fashion and think they can get away with it? It's called Narcissism.

The world has plenty of them.

Very sad.

I believe (and I know this WILL NEVER HAPPEN). I think the world would be a better place if they would close down every bar, every liquor store, and yank all the dope peddlers off of the street and put them away for life.

If kids didn't have all these temptations (and I can't even say if the mothers were watching these kids then the kids would straighten out), I can't even hope for that because I watched a tv special yesterday and the mother of one of those kids is herself a heroin addict. Good Lord.

If they took away the liquor and put every dope dealer away for life, well kids would have to find another way to have fun now wouldn't they?

People might just actually get out of their homes and chat on their porches with their neighbors. (I know, I live in a Leave it to Beaver mentality).

Well, give me the good old Leave it to Beaver days anytime.

I wish I could get in a time travel rocket and go back to 1950's.

Yeah, I'd miss the cell phones and computers, I also could take the train at night and not get mugged for an ipod.

And the neighborhood policeman would keep an eye on your kid, as would your neighbor.

Today, well, forget about it. Everyone is afraid of getting sued.

Society, for the most part, has become so focused on material things that decent moral attitudes and respect have become rare commodities.

yep.

i'm 30 days away from being homeless. working my tail off to try and stop it.

don't judge people if you don't know their story. you do not know why they are there.

i do not drink. do not do drugs. don't even have 1 credit card. i hate to shop, so i haven't ever wasted money. we rarely ever eat out, so no wasted money there.

circumatances that i had no control over has caused this.

just remember, when you point a finger, there are 4 pointing back at you.

Tootsie

The man I referred to gave me no indication he was an alcoholic before he lost his home and family in fire. Alcohol isn't the only cause of tragic house fires. My parents home almost burned to the ground due to an electrical shortage in the air conditioner. Lightning, candles, and stoves can also be a cause.

When my mother was first experiencing symptoms of amyloidosis (though doc didn't know about it at the time), professionals told her to drink a glass of wine at night to calm her nerves and help her sleep. She hated the taste of the stuff, but after a while she developed her taste for wine. She also developed a taste for martinis Over time she needed more and more, but it wasn't enough. So her doc gave her some sleeping pills to help her sleep. Over time, she abused them too because it never gave her back her healthy nerves and body. She also became suicidal.

People don't know when they pass that threshold of dependence when it comes to addiction. :(

I think there is so much despair because there are too many lies being told and hypocrisy displayed. Working hard doesn't guarantee a nice home. Making good grades and graduating from college doesn't guarantee a job. Being a good employee doesn't guarantee you'll keep that job. Buying your dream home doesn't mean it will last forever. :(

At the same time, advertisers push us into believing in order to be happy we need gadgets with all the bells and whistles - and a home with 8 bathrooms. They also encourage us to isolate ourselves on tropical islands and drink beer. :(

We've made it very easy for people of all ages to give up on all their dreams.

Curious:

So sorry to hear about your circumstances. Have you done all the legal appeals so they don't throw you out. My husband was a process server many years ago, and many times he had to serve 30 days notices of eviction.

The people always went to court and got a stay. Usually the court system gives you time to look for another place to live.

Have you exhausted all of your options?

Companys are leaving the US or being sold to countries over seas (a British co. bought the co. where my DH works) because they can get the they can get allot of $ or get the work done in other countries at a lower price. Americans & companies want more, more, more. The 'whatever corporation' doesn't care about you, you want more $ and so do they, so in their minds, why have 'Mr USA' do the job when 'Mr Spain' or Mr____ will do the same thing for less & not ask for or protest for more things along with that job (My bro & the guys he worked with were upset cuz they couldn't drink pop or read books on the job. Next you know they will protest for all the little things they can't have.)

Ummm....last time I checked mental illness was not a "choice". :)

Absolutely, mental illness is not a choice. I'm talking about the people who masquerade as if they have a mental illness. Who abuse the system.

Everybody has issues, problems, whatever. But when the system offers you help, and you don't take advantage and you just go: "you owe me", well, I say: "I don't owe you anything".

Dr. Phil had just such a show about this today.

Very good show.

the sad thing is Mel many people fall thru the cracks in the system:(
or are alone with no-one to help them into the system and incapable of making better "choices" than to continue to self medicate with whatever booze and stuff they can get their hands on

the "system" is overburdened, underfinanced and understaffed and some of the "shelters" or mental healthcare facilities are more scary to these people than the streets.

and I am really not being melodramatic there. I have seen it for myself when trying to help a family member. and my son and I have been on those homeless ministry teams.

some of those homeless people have been abandoned by families since childhood and have been shunted thru abusive foster care in the "system" and are so very scarred by that "system"


also, in reference to what Curious so honestly posted on...........
my own family suffered loss of hubby's health and a business and our home all at the same time as 9/11 happened, and then 2004 when we were just coming back up to breathe we were hit by 3 big hurricanes in a row..........my husband will likely never recover from the combination of his and my son's serious illness and the loss of everything he had worked so hard for. It has taken a severe additional physical and mental toll on him :(

we still struggle, but at least we had family and friends and church to get us thru the worst of times so we could regroup and start over.
some people dont have any support system, and when life knocks them down time after time.........getting up and getting help isnt as easy as some make it sound. And when they are ill, mentally or physically, that makes it so very much harder

I dont care if the homeless guy by the side of the road is gonna go buy a pack of cigarettes or a beer or the hot meal I hope he will get. I will always give him something. I believe its not for me to judge him...only to help when I can.

ok off my soapbox. :o

My prayers are with you....I truly hope you find a solution. :hug:

You're so right - everyone is ready to point fingers and sit in judgement without knowing the circumstances behind someone's plight.

Some of these stories are just so sad, that my eyes got teary just reading them.

My DH and I exsist on or slightly above the poverty line ourselves, and that's because we're both on disability pensions while the cost of living isn't.

We don't have much, but we can always find a little for others worse off than ourselves.

Australia really is a lucky country!

I will always remember the woman sitting on the floor in front of one of the stores near where I live. I was appalled. I said "oh you poor thing, what's the matter" and she said "I'm hungry".

Now I was about to go into the little coffee shop and get my grilled chicken for lunch. But how the heck could I do that WITH A WOMAN SITTING ON THE FLOOR OUTSIDE IN THE STREET!!!!

So I took $5.00, went into the coffee shop and got a burger, fries and a soda (I had asked her what she wanted).

I then told the guy who it was for. The guy thought I was absolutely out of my mind for buying her anything. He said "you are nuts".

I said 'he thinks I'm nuts??"

So I went over to her and gave her the food. People came out and saw what I was doing "honestly, it was not a big thing for me to do this, and I have no idea why people were looking at me but they were".

Then she said "I need fifty cents to get on the bus, I only have a dollar fifty.

So I gave her fifty cents. I asked her what was wrong with her and she said "I have bi-polar".

Now I immediately said to myself "Mel Gibson is bi-polar, Sally Field is Bi-polar, Cher is Bi-polar and Patty Duke is Bi-polar".

Now I have no idea why some bi-polar people sit on the floor and others work in Hollywood, but who am I to question life, right?

Well. the next day, I go for my daily walk on the avenue and who do I see sitting on the street in front OF YET ANOTHER STORE, but the exact same lady. I said "oh my god, what are you doing on the floor again"? And she looks at me and says "I'm hungry, will you buy me something".

I had no idea she did this all the time. I see her all the time now. Everybody feeds her. She lives in a facility for the mentally challenged. She is on SSI. She told me this.

Why is she sitting on the floor in the street? Because obviously her family gave up or she has no family.

I remember (when Alan and I used to go to the NAMI meetings). Every month we would go to two meetings. One was a support group for families, and the other meeting was to meet with professionals who answered all the questions of family members and friends. There were lawyers, there were case managers, and there were also the people who had Shitzo-affective disorders, Shitzophrenia, and bi-polar. They also attended these meetings.

Now this is where it gets interesting. I would be sitting talking and having a perfectly fine conversation with someone and right in the middle of the conversation someone would tap her on the shoulder and politely inquire "did you take your pill?" .

You see, I thought I was speaking to a family member of the mentally ill person, but I was speaking to the bi-polar person herself. I said 'you're bi-polar?" and she laughed and said: "yeah, but I work and I've been working for 20 years".

I learned so much from the NAMI meetings. There is so many resources out there because of NAMI.

It's a sad shame when people either can't get resources, don't know how to access them or are simply alone.

I have no family to speak of. I take care of Alan. He does not take care of me. My family distanced themselves from me when they learned about my son.

Alan and I would be going to support group meetings and one day a friend (at least I thought she was a friend), said to me "where are you going tonight? and I said to her "oh Alan and I are going to a NAMI meeting".

She said nothing (she knew what it was).

But the best was when I went to an Aspergers Support group meeting, and a week later I went to a Gamanon Meeting. My son is aspergers and a compulsive gambler.

It used to be that my life was filled with support group meetings.

So one day my friend and I were having a conversation and I could not remember what I was doing the previous Tuesday and she blurted out "Oh you went to that stupid support group meeting of yours".

Now believe me, I never talk about my son TO ANYBODY. They don't ask and I don't tell. When all this went down (6 years ago), and they saw my face one night when we sat outside, I told them the whole story, and I never mentioned it again. They were not comfortable, and I knew this.

So now she blurts out "Oh I remember where you were, you were at that stupid support group that you attend".

Believe me, once she said that to me, I knew exactly where her head was at. She calls people wackos.

I try to conduct my life with dignity and not be judgemental but when I hit a brick of a mentality like that, well, I wanted to choke her.

She distanced herself from me also. It's like it's contagious, or something, being the parent of a mentally ill young man who gambles.

It's like I'm persona non grata so to speak.

You see, I believe there isn't a soul on this earth who DOESN'T HAVE SOMETHING GOING ON IN THEIR LIVES. Some just cope better than others.

I believe it's better to reach out and touch someone than never to reach out at all.

One night when Alan and I had gone to the Aspergers Support Group in NYC, we came upon a young guy in the freezing cold. He was homeless. He was no more than 20 years old. I immediately went to buy him some hot chocolate. He was grateful.

I'm always doing stuff like that. Can't help myself.

But the funny one was when this young woman approached me in broad daylight and asked me for money. She was very well kept, but she smelled of liquor. It was 8 a.m. . I looked at her and said 'are you an alcoholic?" and she just looked at me and said: "why yes I am". I then said "if I give you money, will you drink with it?" and she sadly nodded and said: "Absolutely".

I then said "I can't give you money but I'll buy you breakfast".

She walked away.

See, we do what we can.

the queen is rich?

she pays for and provides good jobs for all the cleaners cooks and groundskeepers

so she should get rid of her lands and houses? and then all those people wouldnt have work
those places increase tourism for the uk

curious whats wrong with your place or situation?

they have dropin centers here but mentally ill ususlly hate it -the street drug addicts took it over or theyre homeless types

schizophrenics hate places like that i guess

seattle gives drunks free apts where they can drink away lives

ive met homeless schizophrenics who get no help

today i heard lepers in india get one meal a week

what a great world this is

a lot of money is spent on programs and it doesnt get to the people

i blame the democrats
high overhead and they dont know how to get it to the people or wont

but maybe all people are to blame

as for me i distrust democrats

The Queen is the richest woman in the world. And because her monarchy has absolutely nothing to do with governing England, (Parliament runs it), why not just keep a mansion or two (she can employ whomever she wishes), then turn over THE VAST LAND she owns but does nothing with and perhaps build hospitals, dental offices, whatever is needed.

This is land completely going to waste. People can use this. Health facilities, drug treatment centers, I mean, the people are having children, but the children get sick and the waiting for the National Healthcare System (believe me, I know because I go on their dental forums, and these people can't get to a dentist), well, it's horrible.

And in the USA, California is the state that gets the second largest amount of money for the mentally ill (next to NYC) but they USE ALL OF IT.

Someone once told my son (when he lived in Arizona), if you want mental help, and facilities, and want to get any kind of mental health aide, just head to California, they will take care of you.

That guy was dead on the money.

Here in NYC, if you have mental health issues, they put you in Bellevue, or other psych wards, and as soon as you show any improvement, they release you and these people (who should NOT BE ROAMING AROUND), are most definitely roaming around.

Something needs to be done.

[QUOTE=Tootsie;245754]Why did you stop tutoring? Just wondering.



***
I stopped tutoring because we moved 200 miles away. Did tutor "At-risk" kids here for awhile and some high functiong autistic/ Asberger's syndrome students, but NJ teaching license not valid in MD, MS has knocked me off my feet (Power wheelchair buy in progress - insurance!!!), don't drive anymore - so now my kids (16 year old twins) bring here their friends home with assorted life stories, One even had Asbergers!!! Do what I can from my chair., e-mail politicians on a variety of things, etc. Never worked or traveled much in MD, MS came on with a vengence, knew (it seemed) so many in education, etc. in NJ, not here. Was alcohol and drug counselor in Emotionally Disturbed school I taught at. Have seen many in-patient and out-patient facilities in NJ. Here, no.

Two of DS friends with a variety of home life and some school problems have inquired that IF their parents do throw them out (as threatened), can they live here, knowing I'll have expectatlons and conditions.

I do miss teaching.

I know I have heard that alcoholism is tied to a genetic factor.

****
I do believe there is a genetic predisposition to alcohol and drug use, some scientic neurolical studies support this, but environmental factors (Many behaviors learned at home for coping or not coping), also figure in, complicating things. Why do some "deal" and some don't?

I believe many have genetic predisposition to MS, sometimes triggered, sometimes more often not. It's all very complicated and my MS head can't think too much.

Do you see the flaw in your logic. Why or why should anyone have the right to take from another person their lands or their assets?

Countries where this is common practice (most recently Venezuela) usually fall into chaos.

This is socialism at it's worst.

Yes, California has all kinds of give away programs and also high taxes, unbelievable real estate values and many, many homeless.

So, if things are so good there (?) then why all the homeless?

It's one thing to be on the margin with regards to making things meet but still another when it comes to the hard core homeless.

It's a complicated problem.

By the way, the Queen is not the richest woman in the world. She is one of the richest royals in the world, but not even close to being on top of the list.

She is a hard working, no nonsense lady who had devoted her life to charities of all sorts and represents a huge tourist boon to Great Britain. She and her mother also remained in England during the blitz and she drove an ambulance.

She's a tough lady.

In 2007 Forbes said the richest woman in the world is Liliane Bettencourt, who is 83 yrs. old and lives in France. She inherited her wealth by way of L'Oreal Cosmetics.

She gives through a foundation to reward people with grants to do research in biology and medicine.

Many of the worlds rich people are very charitable and many charities would not exist without them.

Tootsie

My hat is off to Liliane. God Bless Her.

And my comments about the Queen, well, I just wish that SHE would donate the land. I don't believe in making anyone DO anything. To bad she's sipping tea all day long.

I never heard about this person Liliane. Thanks for the information.

mel

If not for the kindness of friends (and some select/nice relatives), there is a possiblity that I could find myself homeless - not due to any type of (broadly or narrowly defined) addiction or an unwillingness to work, etc.

My thinking most closely falls in line with what Curious has already noted.

If anyone wants to believe that there's easy money (for, i.e., mental health services) or that living in California is all cracked up to what others rumor it to be, please, by all means: Move to the Golden State. I wouldn't bank on all those reported freebies, however. The "system" is already overtaxed, under-staffed, and with fewer resources to spread around than are needed. (A look at the state's overall population and its density may help explain why it seems the state receives and spends what appears to be more than other states.)

California is a good state; heck, I wouldn't have lived here for so long if I didn't believe it is a nice one. But, unless one has a job waiting, it's not one I'd put high on a list of places to relocate.

The "mortgage crisis" has not solely effected people directly tied to ARMs or lousy lending/borrowing practices. People are also losing jobs and, in turn, housing, because the "crisis" and its fallout hit the economy, which affects everyone.

Kind of interesting -Forbes link to richest ranking-
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2008/10/...ires_Rank.html

royals list is separate -
http://www.forbes.com/business/2007/...oyalintro.html
[movie sensation , The Queen, about Queen Elizabeth II, captured the monarch's lavish lifestyle with footage of her opulent castles and many servants. Not a bad life, but she comes in a mere 11th on our ranking of the world's richest royalty, worth an estimated $600 million. She can take some comfort in the fact that she's the world's wealthiest female ruler and just one of two women to make our list.]

On another site I read that most royals have most of their wealth "in trust" for future generations - it's not something they can just donate away- it's all tied up.

Like most of the issues in todays world, this is a very complicated problem. There aren't easy answers. I've said for years to most of my friends not to be judgemental, most people I knew were only a couple of paychecks away from being homeless. Here's a few of my humble thoughts on the matter. Not that they mean anything to anyone but me. :winky:

• I don't think very many people "choose" to be homeless.
• If you think the homeless should just off their butts & get a job, try to find one when you don't have an address or phone number.
• If you think that addiction can be cured by "self control", you don't know much about addition-drugs or alcohol. Only 15% of addicts can get & remain sober for the rest of their lives.
• Most normal people I know don't take advice or get help with problems, why would we expect the mentally ill to be able to rationalize what's in their best interest.
• The only people I have heard of that masquerade as being mentally ill (not saying there aren't some) are people who are trying to get out of jail for a crime they committed.
• Single mothers are not the cause of homelessness for their children, most that are homeless are poor, shamed & abandoned.
• Immigrants do not come to this country to be poor & homeless.
• People who are rich are entitled to do whatever they want with their money. Most give a lot of their money away, some because they want to help, some for just tax purposes.
• The Democrats have not created homelessness or poverty. I'm 55 & it hasn't mattered which party was in charge, it's been a problem as long as I can remember.

I love what Curious said, "just remember, when you point a finger, there are 4 pointing back at you." And like you, I am close to loosing my home. Six years ago, I was an independent, working, middle class woman with plenty money saved for retirement. But, because of medical expenses far exceeding my disability, I can't pay my property taxes this year. I don't know what I'm going to do. Thank God I have a wonderful daughter & son in law that would never allow me to be homeless. But, it will break my heart if I have to put them in that position.

I am not in danger of being homeless, although DH is doing same job he did when lights and phone were turned off, he is now in a different kind of position (but doing same thing) and as the MS progressed, more $ came in. (kinda ironic - got a bigger kitchen but can't cook any longer) But I know alone, I wouldn't have much and luckily have siblings. that would take me. Nobody is ever far from the edge. I see no big differences from telephone and electric turn-off days to now of no real worry but things can change in a New York minute, this I know.

I meant seems nothing really changed in what DH did but circumstance, but it was really hard before but easier now. Why? I don't know but it could go the other way also before you blink.

the vatican has lots of money too and property

what would st francis say to that?

Blessed are the beasts ?