AC Exporting the Homeless

[Eye of the Tiger]

Atlantic City looks to bus more homeless back home

Sending some homeless back where they came from to be part of Atlantic City revival strategy

Wayne Parry, Associated Press, On Sunday May 1, 2011, 2:11 pm EDT

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) -- Larry Bogan knows precisely how much it costs for a bus ticket from Atlantic City back home to Pompano Beach, Fla.: $126. Unfortunately, that's $126 more than he has at present.

And so instead of cooking in a restaurant or driving a tractor trailer for someone like he used to do, Bogan eats at a soup kitchen and sleeps on park benches or in a train or bus station each night. He's one of about 500 homeless people living in the nation's second-largest gambling market.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Atlantic-City-looks-to-bus-apf-2351984238.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=6&asset=&ccode= (Archive copy)

 

[moo321]

500 my ass. More like 5,000.

 

[shadroch]

500 my ass. More like 5,000.

That would make one out of every six residents homeless.
I really don't see that many homeless people living in AC. five hundred sounds about right, to me.

 

[moo321]

That would make one out of every six residents homeless.
I really don't see that many homeless people living in AC. five hundred sounds about right, to me.

You're forgetting about the Morlochs.

 

[aslan]

You're forgetting about the Morlochs.

There are creatures living under the ground in AC?

 

[shadroch]

Not since they shut down the Underwood Motel.
Not many basements in AC, for reasons unexplained.

 

[Gamblor]

That would make one out of every six residents homeless.
I really don't see that many homeless people living in AC. five hundred sounds about right, to me.

But many of the residents there are indistinguishable from the homeless.

 

[Automatic Monkey]

I like the idea of busing them out of the city.

Now what they need to do is use one of those Chinese bus lines where the driver works a 36 hour shift. :devil:

Seriously, their problem is substance abuse, all of them, and wherever you bus them to if substance is available they will remain in the condition they are in. And I really don't care. There are support services for them and they are all able to help anyone who gets clean and sober and makes an honest effort to find work, but the people who remain "homeless" are the ones who have chosen something else. Reform or die, I say.

 

[moo321]

I like the idea of busing them out of the city.

Now what they need to do is use one of those Chinese bus lines where the driver works a 36 hour shift. :devil:

Seriously, their problem is substance abuse, all of them, and wherever you bus them to if substance is available they will remain in the condition they are in. And I really don't care. There are support services for them and they are all able to help anyone who gets clean and sober and makes an honest effort to find work, but the people who remain "homeless" are the ones who have chosen something else. Reform or die, I say.

I agree, most homeless people are that way because they chose a lifestyle of addiction, or simply chose to not be responsible members of society. They really arent the poor, helpless, down on their luck types in most cases.

 

[kewljason]

I agree, most homeless people are that way because they chose a lifestyle of addiction, or simply chose to not be responsible members of society. They really arent the poor, helpless, down on their luck types in most cases.

Substance abuse and gambling addiction may have been and are part of the equation for many, but some of these folks have clearly crossed over the line into mental instability and issues. They are the ones I really wish could get some sort of help and not just because it makes us uncomfortable to see and deal with them, but because they really are no longer able to make any choice themselves. :sad:

 

[Dyepaintball12]

I agree, most homeless people are that way because they chose a lifestyle of addiction, or simply chose to not be responsible members of society. They really arent the poor, helpless, down on their luck types in most cases.

Being homeless sounds sweet. I think I may also choose it.

 

[kewljason]

Being homeless sounds sweet. I think I may also choose it.

I don't know about choosing that Dye. I am sure you say that in jest. I guess some of the people did indeed choose that by their choices in life. But not all. I lived in a homeless shelter for several months my senior year of high school, between the time I turned 18 and my step father kicked me out of the house, until I graduated in June. Although an unpleasant experience and enviornment for sure, some of those folks really were not bad people. Of course these were not hardcore sleep on the sidewalk grading or park bench homeless people. These were people still interested in showering and grooming as best they could and hoping to get a good nights sleep, which from my own experience was the most difficult part of the experience. You tended to sleep with one eye open. :laugh: Many were people trying to put their lives back together. Some had low paying or parttime jobs, some were looking for work. Some were going through various skill training programs in the hopes of being able to eventually get work. Some were indeed fighting addiction and attending programs. Most were still hopeful of bettering themselves and improving their situation.

It wasn't until later when I moved to Philadelphia and began frequenting AC regularly that I encountered the hardcore 'given up on life' homeless people. It's hard to tell if some of the folks are even unhappy or not. They sit on a bench having a conversation with themselves, totally oblivious to the fact that they smell so bad even the bugs and rats won't approach them. I actually would like to have a conversation with a few and hear their stories, although I might be afraid one might have been a professional blackjack player who thought he had it all together before the variance turned real sour.

 

[aslan]

Being homeless sounds sweet. I think I may also choose it.

Dang! Who's gonna run yer coffee shop!?

 

[tthree]

Homeless

I have fed the homeless many times. We usually draw several hundred people. My job was always to talk to the people that showed up. Most of the people doing that with me were real Bible thumpers. I figured they get enough of that everywhere and what they really needed was to be treated like a person that mattered so I only went there(Bible thumper) if that was what they wanted.

The largest portion maybe 40% should be in institutions but government cut backs have put them out. A fair number at least said they were homeless by choice. They made enough money to put a roof over their head but chose to spend their money on other things. It was almost always vises. Drugs, alcohol, strip joints and hookers. Some of the people werent homeless and just wanted a free meal.

We always had a car load of fresh baked goods donated by a grocery store, Mars they earned the plug. We made sure anyone who wanted it left with a weeks supply of bread. If anyone seemed greedy about their amount of bread I always told them to share it with friends and not to let it go bad.

Ill never forget when one of the Bible thumpers said I cannt believe you gave that guy a hug arent you worried about getting sick. I would not deny him what he wanted and needed, it was such a simple thing. I simply responded I dont believe God would make me ill from helping those in need. Boy did that shut her up.

 

[aslan]

I don't know about choosing that Dye. I am sure you say that in jest. I guess some of the people did indeed choose that by their choices in life. But not all. I lived in a homeless shelter for several months my senior year of high school, between the time I turned 18 and my step father kicked me out of the house, until I graduated in June. Although an unpleasant experience and enviornment for sure, some of those folks really were not bad people. Of course these were not hardcore sleep on the sidewalk grading or park bench homeless people. These were people still interested in showering and grooming as best they could and hoping to get a good nights sleep, which from my own experience was the most difficult part of the experience. You tended to sleep with one eye open. :laugh: Many were people trying to put their lives back together. Some had low paying or parttime jobs, some were looking for work. Some were going through various skill training programs in the hopes of being able to eventually get work. Some were indeed fighting addiction and attending programs. Most were still hopeful of bettering themselves and improving their situation.

It wasn't until later when I moved to Philadelphia and began frequenting AC regularly that I encountered the hardcore 'given up on life' homeless people. It's hard to tell if some of the folks are even unhappy or not. They sit on a bench having a conversation with themselves, totally oblivious to the fact that they smell so bad even the bugs and rats won't approach them. I actually would like to have a conversation with a few and hear their stories, although I might be afraid one might have been a professional blackjack player who thought he had it all together before the variance turned real sour.

There was a Jesuit priest in Washington, DC, who worked with the homeless last century, Father Horace McKenna. He founded SOME (So Others Might Eat). His philosophy was simple: he said his role was to hang onto people until help came. I have worked with the homeless in Washington and I can tell you, it does not make sense to approach a hungry, homeless person lying on a makeshift cardboard bed on a heat grate in the dead of winter with a four-page questionnaire designed to determine whether they are deserving of our help, or whether they are capable of finding their own food without our assistance. Maybe it's entirely their fault that they're lying there, maybe not. As Mother Teresa put it, "If you judge people, you have no time to love them." Tom Howarth, Director of the McKenna Center in Washington, DC, said, "There is no simple one size fits all solution to homelessness but a solution begins with compassion that literally means "to suffer with". We can do better by the homeless and the homeless can do better for themselves so we have to work together."

 

[tthree]

we are from the govt and we are here to help

Unfortunately the government has shut down most of the volunteer help to the homeless that wasnt brick and mortar. We would scrape up a dozen volunteers, another half dozen people would donate their time and kitchens to prepare meals . Various stores would donate food. Add a hundred or so from the churches collection plate and we were feeding several hundred needy people the best meal they would get that month. The most we fed in one day was almost 600 people. The homeless never missed our day if they could help it because what we served was what we thought people would want most, classic comfort food.

We took the first sunday of each month. Four other churches divided up the rest of the month with 2 of the four taking turns getting the month off when there were 4 sundays in the month. We made poor mans lasagna; ground beef, pasta, cheese and sauce mixed together. The government closed all of us down because they wanted to tax everyone to pay over $10000 to some government connected company to do what we did with $100 and the generosity of good people. No wonder the government is broke.

 

[Dyepaintball12]

My comment was in jest and I think it's outrageous to lump all homeless people into the "drug-abusers, given-up on trying to get a job" crowd.

 

[tthree]

My comment was in jest and I think it's outrageous to lump all homeless people into the "drug-abusers, given-up on trying to get a job" crowd.

If you are referring to my post those comments were not for all homeless but the ones who made enough to have a roof over their heads but chose to spend the money on other things. Id say maybe 10 to 15% of the homeless I encountered. And this wasnt my judgement, it was what they told me!!!! Maybe it was true maybe it wasnt.

 

[sevencard2003]

i was off and on homeless for many years. that was before i learned how to beat $1-2 NL games back then all poker had was small stakes fixed limit or spread limit stud games which are raked way too heavily. used to be about the highest id get my roll in a year was like $1500-2000 and i felt rich when that occured. now my rolls usually around 6-12k. (still not all that much, i know). but now i have a harrahs diamond card and get lots of free rooms there and other casinos. however that does keep me in vegas, i know AC isnt as generous. but at least its plenty to grind out $1-2 NL everyday without ever going broke as long as ur a good player. its nice not to be have to spend the day panhandling all day to come up with $25-50 to play $1-3 stud at the Taj all nite like many many yrs ago. i think ac has far more than 500 homeless people. some of which u dont see cause they sit in the casino all nite and have a hotel, but only like 2-3 days a week. many are staying with friends in thier rooms. many people trying to play BJ or poker professionally are operating off bankrolls of under $2500. and it makes it hard to cover expenses. and though i can count a 8 deck shoe perfectly (and will back it up with $500 to anyone who wants to watch me count and test it out) i stick to mostly poker nowdays just to be safe. all the minimums at the BJ tables are much too high anymore, games are infested with 6-5 which u should never play, and the cheap BJ games suitable for a 10k roll are electronic machines with $1 minumums but u cant tell where the shuffles taking place, all u know is u are getting 2 3rds penetration before it shuffles. i feel by playing very little BJ (at least til i hit 20k) and just slowly grinding $1-2 NL, i will never have to worry about ever being homeless again. still living in casino hotels instead of a normal apt but the difference is I COULD AFFORD TO GET ONE NOW. and im never sleeping outside and ive not been under $5000 in almost a year now.
and yes about 12 yrs ago i once got a free greyhound ticket home to ks from ac. but u can only get it once per lifetime. and i think many of the homeless are simply sleeping on nyc chinese tour buses all day back and forth to earn the free $5-10 in bonus cash over and over again.

 

[kewljason]

i was off and on homeless for many years. that was before i learned how to beat $1-2 NL games back then all poker had was small stakes fixed limit or spread limit stud games which are raked way too heavily. used to be about the highest id get my roll in a year was like $1500-2000 and i felt rich when that occured. now my rolls usually around 6-12k. (still not all that much, i know). but now i have a harrahs diamond card and get lots of free rooms there and other casinos. however that does keep me in vegas, i know AC isnt as generous. but at least its plenty to grind out $1-2 NL everyday without ever going broke as long as ur a good player. its nice not to be have to spend the day panhandling all day to come up with $25-50 to play $1-3 stud at the Taj all nite like many many yrs ago. i think ac has far more than 500 homeless people. some of which u dont see cause they sit in the casino all nite and have a hotel, but only like 2-3 days a week. many are staying with friends in thier rooms. many people trying to play BJ or poker professionally are operating off bankrolls of under $2500. and it makes it hard to cover expenses. and though i can count a 8 deck shoe perfectly (and will back it up with $500 to anyone who wants to watch me count and test it out) i stick to mostly poker nowdays just to be safe. all the minimums at the BJ tables are much too high anymore, games are infested with 6-5 which u should never play, and the cheap BJ games suitable for a 10k roll are electronic machines with $1 minumums but u cant tell where the shuffles taking place, all u know is u are getting 2 3rds penetration before it shuffles. i feel by playing very little BJ (at least til i hit 20k) and just slowly grinding $1-2 NL, i will never have to worry about ever being homeless again. still living in casino hotels instead of a normal apt but the difference is I COULD AFFORD TO GET ONE NOW. and im never sleeping outside and ive not been under $5000 in almost a year now.
and yes about 12 yrs ago i once got a free greyhound ticket home to ks from ac. but u can only get it once per lifetime. and i think many of the homeless are simply sleeping on nyc chinese tour buses all day back and forth to earn the free $5-10 in bonus cash over and over again.

My first couple years of playing BJ, I used to take the greyhound bus from Philly to AC. It was the cheapest transportation at the time. I think it was $14 RT, and you got $16 or $18 back, depending on the casino. I expereineced the homeless groups living on the bus basically riding back and forth all day, making a few buck. It was very unpleasant. As soon as I started making a little money, one of the first expenses I allowed myself was the upgrade to the Train from Philly to AC. A much more pleasant trip.

Here in Vegas, I have a friend who plays poker for a living, or so he says. He gets comped rooms 2-3 nights a week and sleeps in his car most other nights. At times when things are going well, he lives in one of the weekly type motel/apartment places scattered all over town. Last month he started selling water on the strip during the day to build up his BR. He actually seems to do better than I thought. Moves 4-5 cases of water a day in a 5-6 hour period @ a buck a bottle. Buys cases at Costco I think. Not sure at what cost. I don't ask too many questions, but since he is using my storage unit in my building, I couldn't help notice he seems to move a lot of cases. And it hasn't even warmed up yet here in Vegas.