Tony Knowles took us on a nice trip down memory lane on the homeless issue. Things are different today. The simple fact is you can’t help a person who doesn’t want to help themself.
Many of the homeless people on our streets are there because they want to be. They don’t want to work. They don’t want the responsibilities of life — working for food and a roof over their head. They enjoy hanging out on street corners panhandling for money.
This Assembly is trying to create a huge, costly homeless industry. Look at the many millions of dollars they want to spend, and for what? No matter how many homes are built or hotels we buy, people will still illegally camp in our parks and steal from homeowners across Anchorage.
They hurt the quality of life in our neighborhoods. Rural communities will continue to send us their troublemakers.
We are a city of enablers.
That’s why nothing improves.
None of us are owed a roof over our heads and the food we eat.
Until we use tough love and stop enabling, nothing will improve.
The taxpayers don’t deserve to have to fund the homeless forever. One-way airplane tickets and putting them all in the Northway Mall will help.
— Richard Rhyner
Anchorage
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