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San Diego continues to face a hepatitis A outbreak:
Like other major cities all along the West Coast, San Diego is struggling with a homeless crisis. In a place that bills itself as "America's Finest City," spiraling real estate values have contributed to spiraling homelessness, leaving more than 3,200 people living on the streets or in their cars.
Most alarmingly, the deplorable sanitary conditions help spread a liver-damaging virus that lives in fæces, contributing to the deadliest U.S. hepatitis A epidemic in 20 years. "Some of the most vulnerable are dying in the streets in one of the most desirable and livable regions in America," a San Diego County grand jury wrote in its report in June — reiterating recommendations it gave the city over the past decade to address homelessness.
San Diego has struggled to do that. Two years ago, Mayor Kevin Faulconer closed a downtown tent shelter that operated for 29 years during winter months. He promised a "game changer" — a new, permanent facility with services to funnel people to housing. But it wasn't enough. The result? Legions of Californians without shelter. A spreading contagion. And an extraordinary challenge to the city's sunny identity that threatens its key tourism industry.
Previously: San Diego Declares Emergency Due to Outbreak of Hepatitis A
San Diego Power-Washing Streets to Fight Hepatitis A Outbreak
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Saturday December 09 2017, @04:33PM
So, nice rant, but I think you missed my angle - I'm against the bureaucracy of social security, not the benefits - basically pro UBI. Since "free" is such a problem for people, provide a no-questions-asked UBI to every living citizen. Make the UBI sufficient to afford food, shelter and basic medical care, then quit worrying about it. People who want to do better than UBI need to go and make their way in the world. Tax the fuck out of weed, booze and video games for all I care, let people be industrious enough to grow, distill and create their own - if they get the skills and ability to do any of that, they're probably also developing skills that might be somewhat valuable in society too.
In UBI-land when somebody has enough of the stressful shit of the career world, just take a break, move into affordable housing and chill until you're ready for it again. I chilled in University for 6.5 years making barely basic income (still relying on the parents for health insurance), and when they offered me 4 more years of the same, I was done with it, ready to actually go do something and have a little extra money. Too bad in this world that once you make that transition, you're on a treadmill that doesn't stop until retirement. Take a break from the "career" life and you might never get back into the world of health insurance and enough income to pay for a modest home again.
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