Sound Politics: If I go to Nickels' house will he give me money too?

September 29, 2009

If I go to Nickels' house will he give me money too?

Not that I'm a big fan of Mayor Greg Nickels, but homeless advocacy group SHARE is a little out of line. This year, the mayor's office gave SHARE half of it's budget, $310,000, but apparently that's not enough. Last night they camped out in front of Mayor Greg Nickels' house demanding another $50,000 in bus passes for the homeless.

Why stop there? Why not ask him for free Costco memberships for the homeless, or new cars for the homeless (if we hadn't destroyed all those Cash for Clunkers cars we could have used those). Maybe apartments for the homeless? (Oh wait, we already do that.)

My other question would be, why do we need to give the homeless bus passes? First of all, it's not mandatory that one pay to ride the bus (most of the funding for metro comes from taxes after all). Go ahead and try it. Tell the bus driver you can't pay. See if he kicks you off. And secondly, if these people are homeless just where is it that they're riding the bus to? All of downtown is a ride free zone, the majority of shelters are in downtown. Where are they going?

Posted by MarkGriswold at September 29, 2009 08:06 AM | Email This

Comments

1. On bus passes: maybe lawful transportation -- even outside of Downtown -- is useful for someone who wants to move from poverty toward a more successful life? Where do you go on the bus?

Posted by: John Jensen on September 29, 2009 10:00 AM

2. People DEMANDING charity? There is something really wrong with that attitidue, which is at the heart of the problem with SHARE.

Posted by: Michele on September 29, 2009 10:43 AM

3. Never have been a big fan of SHARE and their whining, but perhaps this will finally convince Nickelbag to draw the pursestrings tighter. And if we are really lucky, he might even get a glimpse why people don't want tent cities parked in their neighborhoods.

It is high time we make Seattle less friendly to vagrants so that we are no longer known as "Freeatle". We should set up a system that requires something in return for a "hot and a cot", like painting over grafitti or sweeping sidewalks for a few hours.

Posted by: Burdabee on September 29, 2009 05:37 PM

4. So if there ae no more free passes for the homeless does this mean that Metro buses will stop smelling like urine?
Will the Sheriff's Transit Police stop boarding the 174 at night to remove the transients who use it as a rolling homeless shelter?
Can I ride the bus downtown without a crazy person screaming at me?

Posted by: Sierradog on September 29, 2009 06:47 PM

5. So if there ae no more free passes for the homeless does this mean that Metro buses will stop smelling like urine?
Will the Sheriff's Transit Police stop boarding the 174 at night to remove the transients who use it as a rolling homeless shelter?
Can I ride the bus downtown without a crazy person screaming at me?

Posted by: Sierradog on September 29, 2009 06:48 PM

6. Where do you go on the bus [if you're homeless]?

For once I agree, John. Handing out free bus passes to those already wasting their life aboard the buses in the "free zone" in their soiled garments and urine-filled boots in an attempt to get warmth on a cheap entertainment budget is by no means a way to increase metro ridership. And before anyone questions that assessment as elitist, I was bus dependent in Seattle for 4 years after my vehicle was stolen and totalled by some poor, disenfrachised liberal at a time when I was living hand to mouth going to school full time,working full time, paying rent, car payment, etc. Of course, to liberals, stolen cars are merely a nuisance crime that isn't worthy of proactive policing and warrants little or no punishment for the poor misguided perpetrator.

Posted by: Rick D. on September 29, 2009 08:56 PM

7. #4: Metro buses smell of urine?? Gross. Reason #536 why I don't ride the bus.

Posted by: Michele on September 29, 2009 10:39 PM

8. Hey smart guy its Nickels not Nickel's as in Mayor Greg Nickels

Posted by: hey on September 30, 2009 07:06 AM

9. Not only do people urinate on the buses, I'd advise you never to sit near the bellows on articulated buses as people tend to defecate there. It's also wise to avoid the rear seats, as guys have been known to - how to say this delicately - deposit other bodily fluids. Not to mention the odd needle left behind. Speaking as the wife of a guy who used to clean Metro buses.

Metro couldn't pay me to ride the bus.

Posted by: itsonlywords on September 30, 2009 08:23 AM