The difference between street people with cell phones and the homeless, is as great as the difference between night and day. These are not the real homeless, they are drug dealers. They have no address so they can work the system and avoid arrest. They spend their nights in crack houses or dope dens. They have cell phones to make drug deals. I find it totally irrespondsible for the government to refer to these people as homeless. It does a great injustice to people who actually are homeless by portraying them to be something they aren't and to have more than they do. Most real homeless people wouldn't even know how to use a cell phone let alone have one. It's unfortunate that the government ...

The difference between street people with cell phones and the homeless, is as great as the difference between night and day. These are not the real homeless, they are drug dealers. They have no address so they can work the system and avoid arrest. They spend their nights in crack houses or dope dens. They have cell phones to make drug deals. I find it totally irrespondsible for the government to refer to these people as homeless. It does a great injustice to people who actually are homeless by portraying them to be something they aren't and to have more than they do. Most real homeless people wouldn't even know how to use a cell phone let alone have one. It's unfortunate that the government doesn't talk more about the homeless that are mentally ill. These people get no help from the government at all because they can't fill out the paperwork or make appointments. When it comes to the homeless in America, our government should be ashamed.

Wow Chestnut those are some sweeping generalizations that are extraordinarily inaccurate. "Most real homeless people wouldn't even know how to use a cell phone?" Are you kidding? Do you think that the true homeless, as you call them, of this country are an underclass that passes down street living generation to generation and have no contact with the rest of society? Let us remember these are people we are talking about, people with feelings and hopes not some nefarious other. Not all homeless with cell phones are dope dealers. A prepaid phone can be acquired inexpensively and the connection it provides can be invaluable. We are not talking about people with an expensive all inclusive...

Wow Chestnut those are some sweeping generalizations that are extraordinarily inaccurate. "Most real homeless people wouldn't even know how to use a cell phone?" Are you kidding? Do you think that the true homeless, as you call them, of this country are an underclass that passes down street living generation to generation and have no contact with the rest of society? Let us remember these are people we are talking about, people with feelings and hopes not some nefarious other. Not all homeless with cell phones are dope dealers. A prepaid phone can be acquired inexpensively and the connection it provides can be invaluable. We are not talking about people with an expensive all inclusive monthly plan but rather someone who can acquire a few dollars to charge up their phone. Living without a phone as a homeless person does not negate the need to use phones. There use to be public phones all over the place where a homeless person could access needed resources for a quarter. Now public phones are nearly nonexistent and their charges can be as expensive as the pay as you go service those homeless with cellphones people have.

iu, Now that I've established my hard earned credentials, I'll address your issues. Talk about sweeping generalizations....No, I absolutely do not believe that the homeless are underclass...why would you say that? Why would you say any of that? I bet you thought I was looking down my nose at the homeless and you jumped right in like a good little college grad who never got his shoes dirty to defend uz good people didn't you. You people with money who are gonna pretend like you're one of us, like you could possibly understand, HA! You have no idea. Do I think homeless people have no contact with the rest of society?? Now you're kidding ME right? Honey the rest of society goes far out of thei...

iu, Now that I've established my hard earned credentials, I'll address your issues. Talk about sweeping generalizations....No, I absolutely do not believe that the homeless are underclass...why would you say that? Why would you say any of that? I bet you thought I was looking down my nose at the homeless and you jumped right in like a good little college grad who never got his shoes dirty to defend uz good people didn't you. You people with money who are gonna pretend like you're one of us, like you could possibly understand, HA! You have no idea. Do I think homeless people have no contact with the rest of society?? Now you're kidding ME right? Honey the rest of society goes far out of their way to stay away from us. We make them feel so quilty, they don't want nothing to do with us, no way, uh uh. Whoa, what the hell is this nefarious word. My goodness, you are just dripping upper class money, you've had it pretty good in life haven't you?

"A prepaid phone can be acquired inexpensively"

If I didn't know better, I'd say you were an upper management supervisor for Social Services (roflmao)
Answer me this. Just where do you think a homeless person is going to get any money whatsoever to "acquire" a prepaid phone. Where? WHERE??? No where, that's where.

You really don't get it do you? When a person is homeless, they have NO money. They have NO way to get any money. I'd love to take you to downtown Detroit tonight where 1 out of 50 people are homeless. I wouldn't be able to get you out of the car. And like so many people in this country who never had it hard, you probably don't really want to know the truth anyway because you probably can't handle the truth. I would have mentioned in my first comment that I had been homeless but I didn't want to be accused of trying to get sympathy (thankz DB)

iulawboy, Please forgive me for my harshness. It comes from my frustration with a system that is broken. As for the cell phones, I can think of some instances where they would take priority over some of the most basic of needs. And of course there are always exceptions. My biggest concern is for the Mentally Ill. Once they become homeless, there is little hope for them. They will die on the street, very few from old age. They should be separated from the general population of homeless and processed through the system in a much more compassionate manner than how they are now being treated.
This has been an intense conversation about an intense subject. But I feel that the ice has been broke...

iulawboy, Please forgive me for my harshness. It comes from my frustration with a system that is broken. As for the cell phones, I can think of some instances where they would take priority over some of the most basic of needs. And of course there are always exceptions. My biggest concern is for the Mentally Ill. Once they become homeless, there is little hope for them. They will die on the street, very few from old age. They should be separated from the general population of homeless and processed through the system in a much more compassionate manner than how they are now being treated.
This has been an intense conversation about an intense subject. But I feel that the ice has been broken so to speak and if we ever engage in conversation again, we will have a better understanding of one another.