Re: Number of Albuquerque's unsheltered homeless doubles over last 5 years
The lesson learned from the attempt to house the homeless is that most are not willing to give up their drugs and drinking, the very problems that got most of them into a homeless situation in the first place. It is government and public handouts that are enabling this population to continue their lifestyle.
One must consider how we got here. It is very easy to see that the homeless problem increased in New Mexico, especially Albuquerque, when we elected a progressive governor and mayor, both of which declared the state and city as sanctuary environments. A sanctuary status essentially means that anything goes. Drug use, homelessness, and lawlessness are the result. The human devastation you see in Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles will happen here. It is just a matter of time.
When it comes to solving societal issues, one must be aware of one truth: government never solves problems, it only creates them. The homeless problem, murders, drug use and overall increase in crime is a direct result of government attempting to solve a problem. Democrats have made it worse, since their solution to a problem is always more money which results in bigger government. A bigger government does nothing to resolve societal issues.
The solution to the homeless problem is very simple if anyone has the guts to implement it. Help those who desire help and remove from our city those do not want it. Enlist private businesses and faith-based organizations to provide the help needed, using public and private funding. At the same time, we will never change the minds and habits of those who insist on living as non-productive members of society. That is their right. At the same time, we as taxpayers and citizens have a right to not tolerate that lifestyle within our city. They are more than welcome to live that way in another location. Since politicians, through government agendas, exasperated this problem, we would be wise to not expect them to solve it.
