Caption
Diversity takes many forms. The main diversity in this pano is something we all take for granted, a place to live, a Home.
The US may be a prosperous country, but it still has a problem with the homeless (1)(2)(3)(4) in all major cities. The reason for this homelessness is itself diverse. Mental disease, substance abuse, financial distress(15)(16)(17)(18), and a purposeful choice to live outside the norm are just some of the reasons.
Sacramento California (5) if anything, has a higher than normal homeless population. Its mild climate, centralized location with major highways and railroads, and the American River Parkway (6)(7) with isolated camping spots close to downtown with its charitable organizations (8)(9)(10)(11) and panhandling opportunities make it a desirable location for the homeless. They’ve always been in Sacramento working on the street, and camping where they’ll be tolerated.
Nothing had really changed about the homeless in Sacramento in quite some time, and then came Oprah Winfrey (12) and the segment on her TV show (13) about the ‘Tent City’ in Sacramento. Newly elected Major Kevin Johnson (14) suddenly found himself in quite a political bind, negative publicity on an international scale.
The response was diverse, but everyone wanted to do something. But even the homeless advocates and support organizations had diverse ideas on what the best solution was. The resulting actions was to my mind more of political expediency than true solution. The property the ‘Tent City’ is built on is to be fenced off and the city closed. Room will be added at a nearby homeless shelter for those that chose to move. However a significant number of the residents either can not, or will not use the shelter. They will continue to be homeless, camping along the river, and worst off than they were before Oprah Winfrey’s TV show that intended to help them.
(1)
Homeless American
(2)
Homelessness
(3)
Homeless Children
(4)
Wiki Homeless
(5)
Wiki Sacramento California
(6)
American River Parkway
(7)
Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail
(8)
Loaves and Fishes
(9)
Loaves and Fishes - tent Cities in America
(10)
Volunteers of America
(11)
Cottage Housing
(12)
Wiki Oprah Winfrey
(13)
Oprah Winfrey's Tent City segment
(14)
Wiki Kevin Johnson
(15)
Wiki Financial Crisis of 2007-2009
(16)
Wiki Subprime Mortgage Crisis
(17)
Wiki US Housing Bubble
(18)
Wiki Late 2000s Recession
Would you like to see some panos of my walk along the American River Parkway
to the Tent City?
http://www.mypanoplanet.com/SactoTentCity/