The situation in LA

[Cheesefiend36]

www.nytimes.com/2021/12/12/us/los-angeles-mayor-race.html

I've been reading with interest that LA has had a terrible time of it since Covid and new anti prison sentence laws which has seen crime go up. I follow somebody who was in LA for a holiday last week and vowed never to go back after seeing the amount of poverty, homeless camps in tourist places, crime rates and a general feeling of not being safe. Lifeless bodies on the side of the road is apparently the norm with no body batting an eyelid

LAPD have recommended that tourists stay away because they can't keep them safe

Is anyone there right now or has been recently that can share their experience?
So much wealth there, how can this be happening?

This is not a problem confined to California. Even in little New Zealand we have thousands of homeless people and human faeces in the street.

Our homeless people either sleep in the street, in refuges, tents, cars and garages with the "lucky ones" in emergency housing (motels).

London has always had a homeless population, I'm amazed so many posters are denying this.

london.ctvnews.ca/how-london-avoided-return-of-large-homeless-encampments-this-summer-1.5512501

@SandysMam

There are parts of London that are like this now, tent cities, homeless people everywhere, human waste on the pavements. It’s terrifying.

@SandysMam

Where abouts? I live in London so genuinely curious. You do get the odd tent in the centre, and a lot of street homeless, which is appalling. But have never seen human waste on the streets, nor seen any tent cities.

I don't think anyone is denying London has a homeless population. They are just saying it is nothing like the scale of homelessness in LA/San Fransisco, not aware of any actual tent cities etc.

Be careful of voting for parties that sell you unicorn and rainbows.

I live in a suburb outside of San Francisco. While California as a whole is a blue state, that's because of the high population of cities. If you were to look at it by land mass, it's purple because the rural areas are so concerned with water rights, whereas the cities want to reduce water usage. While still wanting to buy almonds grown in a desert. It's complicated. The homeless problem in my suburban town isn't as visible. But I have a spot I liked to go to especially during shelter in place when open fields were closed. It's by the Caltrain station, and I stopped going there because of how many discarded needles were on the ground.

My eldest has been here for seven years, and siloed is an apt description of how she thinks. It was so hard to get her to consider going to university anywhere but near where we live. She is in a bubble. And I can understand the comments about the education system. The universities notoriously underpay lecturers. She came home early in November because there was a lecturer strike. So it's understandable that the quality of education falls when those teaching the students aren't paid a living wage, many having to work second jobs at community colleges to get by.

@mathanxiety

real socialism doesn't work anyway (USSR, Cuba, Venezuela etc).

The confusion of the Soviet system and Venezuela with 'socialism' is a pretty serious mistake.

For examples of socialism in action, look to Sweden, Germany, Finland, and in fact most of northern/western Europe in the post WW2 era.

No. Socialism is the step between capitalism and communism - this is very clearly set out in Marx's writings and believed by his followers.

No one has ever made it into full communism because every single socialist regime has ended in authoritarianism, oppression and poverty.

My point being none of the states you claim are socialist are actually socialist. They have social welfare policies and that is a completely different kettle of fish.

@ all MissMinutes24

Yes, and thank you for saying it.

@A580Hojas

I don't think anyone is denying London has a homeless population. They are just saying it is nothing like the scale of homelessness in LA/San Fransisco, not aware of any actual tent cities etc.

Check the link I posted

@50ShadesOfCatholic the link you posted is about London, Ontario (Canada). Not London UK.

That link is about London in Ontario, Canada.

@A580Hojas

That link is about London in Ontario, Canada.

It is? 😂 😂

My bad. I take it all back. 👌

[quote 50ShadesOfCatholic]This is not a problem confined to California. Even in little New Zealand we have thousands of homeless people and human faeces in the street.

Our homeless people either sleep in the street, in refuges, tents, cars and garages with the "lucky ones" in emergency housing (motels).

London has always had a homeless population, I'm amazed so many posters are denying this.

london.ctvnews.ca/how-london-avoided-return-of-large-homeless-encampments-this-summer-1.5512501[/quote]
That's London in Ontario, Canada.

Sorry I hadn't refreshed when I posted that!! Toddler distracted me with porridge shenanigans!

What an eye opening thread

Really stark to read

This is so sad to read, LA has never been my favourite city but I have visited a few times and have always felt safe there, I love the California coast. Such a shame but easy to see how this could happen when people lose livelihood etc. It’s so expensive.

I don't think there is benefit payments or housing allowance that we have here - and the weather is warm so if you are homeless you aren't going to stay in the north so more congregate.

I remember seeing older women with all their belongings in a supermarket trolley - wow, could be me.

If SF is getting bad where will they move all the IT people who run the world via FB, Twitter etc At the moment people go there from all over the world for the jobs but perhaps they'll have to move the work elsewhere - or maybe many work from all over the world via zoom.

I know this is really superficial but Selling Sunset (which iirc is there) really does manage to avoid all this.

Obviously the wealth divide is extreme, just musing on portrayal and avoidance

Such an interesting post, thank you. What an eye opener. I went to LA about 15 years ago and wasn't overkeen on it then tbh. I stayed on the beaches and went into the centre once and that was enough. Shame about SF as that's always been on my bucket list.

@SandysMam being a Londoner I'd also like to know where you've seen these supposed homeless camps!!

@SandysMam

There are parts of London that are like this now, tent cities, homeless people everywhere, human waste on the pavements. It’s terrifying.

Which parts? As a Londoner I have not seen any evidence of worse homelessness.

I had family in Santa Cruz which used to be a gorgeous holiday destination. Now the beach is a homeless camp, full of used needles and human waste. My family sold up 2 years ago and moved to the mountains but that has its own issues in the constant threat of wildfires.

SF (tenderloin) is exactly the same. Shocking. The rich tech people are out of SF, Palo Alto way of live further South.

London hasn't been like this for decades tho? Unless there's some hidden part I've missed? Not denying there are homeless people in tents in the UK - theres one in my local Waitrose carpark, but I don't think it's a sustained or huge thing anymore is it? Not since they got rid of tent city under the IMAX at Waterloo?

No I’m not aware of tent cities in London or terrifying parts

I blame Harry and Meghan, dragging the area down.