Saw this absolutely disgusting screed today from the American Hotel Lobby Association (yeah, that’s a thing). I have some friends in a network who gets these and others, and I wanted to share with folks here too.
This is a real thing that is happening. This is what giving corporations a voice looks like. This is what neoliberal democracy is; organizations grouping together to build lobbying groups that advocate strongly for keeping homeless on the streets (and other horrible things of course).
I dunno I get these sorts of things pretty often, I can certainly share more of these if people want. They make me sad and angry every time I see them. I like to show these to libs to remind them that this is what the democracy that they swear by looks like.
I think the problem here is that you suggest that it’s a reason to oppose this measure. The measure is an improvement with no downside, get it passed then campaign for further improvement. You’re not really wrong that it could be better but opposing it because you want something better would be dipshittery.
True, it shouldn’t really be opposed. But there are downsides: the cost would be large; but the bigger problem is that it’s only LA, other states and cities do actively pay for bus tickets to cities in California especially LA, to lessen their own homeless problems. There is a not so slim chance that it will drive more homeless people to LA. This obviously wouldn’t be the case if a similar act was implemented state, or even better nation wide, but as it stands this only affects Los Angeles. Good on the LA government for taking these steps even with the potential downsides to improve the lives of the countless homeless people with no where else to go.
You see the cost as a downside yet when is the last time you meaningfully opposed any rise in the military budget? Weapons for Ukraine? Nato?
If it were up to me it wouldn’t have an associated cost, these hotels would be compelled to fill empty space to occupancy with homeless or have their businesses expropriated by the state.
You do not in fact have to hand it to them. I don’t think you understand the sheer scale of the homelessness problem the US has. Let me put this in perspective for you, I reside in the UK. Here we split “homeless” from “rough sleeping” in order to address them with the urgency they have. Rough sleepers should not exist, period. There are currently between 5000 and 6000 rough sleepers in the UK. This statistic is analogous to the US “homeless” statistic, whereas what we call “homeless” includes people without a permanent residence but that may be residing with friends, family or in temporary accomodation (hostels, hotels, etc). There are 250,000 homeless under this statistic.
The US has 540,000 people rough sleeping. Yet you only have 5x the population of the UK. There are 120x more people sleeping on the streets in America than there are here. Americans have this completely normalised viewpoint of this issue and I find it rather disgusting, it’s absurd hearing how people talk about it as normal and ok, instead of with anger, rage and the level of aggression it rightfully deserves.
You do not in fact have to hand it to the government in america. From any outside perspective it is very VERY clearly a failing country. Death to america.