OKC Ignoring Blight

[Canoe]

While I hate blight, and wish the city would crack down on it more, like a lot of things, it's something that goes on just about everywhere.

Including right next to Scissortail Park south of the convention center.

[amocore]

I am not sure it is the best forum but I could not find the location anywhere else.

A Midwest Wrecking crew was on site, this morning, at the burnt church on S.Walker and 71st. About time to send this mess to the dumpster.

[Jeepnokc]

I am not sure it is the best forum but I could not find the location anywhere else.

A Midwest Wrecking crew was on site, this morning, at the burnt church on S.Walker and 71st. About time to send this mess to the dumpster.

Finally! I own the building next door and it has been bad. They are still carrying out their mission of helping the homeless by setting up a circus tent so still plenty of homeless in this area. It has been an expensive and long time problem for us. (Anyone that thinks I am heartless can come over the next time I have to deal with a crack high person that forcibly broke in and locked themselves in an interior room where he was masturbating to lingerie catalogs after defecating in the corner). It has gotten a little better since they cleaned out the encampment in the wooded area behind and I got a tenant in.

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

The whole area under OKC Blvd at Western is looking pretty bad. Piles of trash everywhere. I've seen crews out cleaning in the past, but they another sweep under that bridge.

Also of note, the new 7-11 there had the police looking camera tower in the parking lot.

[warreng88]

My least favorite intersection in the city to drive now is NW 10th and Virginia/Penn. We have had some encounters with some pretty aggressive panhandlers there and with the weather getting a little better, the problem is getting worse.

[GaryOKC6]

Same problem at !-44 & Penn. If people would stop handing them money they might actually go back to work. It is way too lucrative for them to panhandle so why work.

[Pete]

Same problem at !-44 & Penn. If people would stop handing them money they might actually go back to work. It is way too lucrative for them to panhandle so why work.

Yes, it's become bad again.

Hopefully we are in a countdown to the new low-barrier shelter where the City can basically say: "There is a place for you to go. If you refuse, then you can't stay here". Just no quite there yet.

[PoliSciGuy]

It's a jarring juxtaposition to see this thread pop up in the activity stream alongside a thread where we're debating using $1b in public money for a stadium. Think of all the blight we could address with even a fraction of that outlay.

[Rover]

It's a jarring juxtaposition to see this thread pop up in the activity stream alongside a thread where we're debating using $1b in public money for a stadium. Think of all the blight we could address with even a fraction of that outlay.

Or if people would just quit trashing the place and would trim trees, mow yards, etc.

[Rover]

Same problem at !-44 & Penn. If people would stop handing them money they might actually go back to work. It is way too lucrative for them to panhandle so why work.

Yea, that's all it takes to cure the problem and putting them to work. Are you hiring?

[LocoAko]

Same problem at !-44 & Penn. If people would stop handing them money they might actually go back to work. It is way too lucrative for them to panhandle so why work.

My SO saw a man storming through this intersection carrying a machete the other day. I don't know that it is as bad as it is because it is "lucrative"... I drive this intersection daily and almost never see people giving the panhandlers anything... but hopefully something can be figured out.

[mugofbeer]

It's a jarring juxtaposition to see this thread pop up in the activity stream alongside a thread where we're debating using $1b in public money for a stadium. Think of all the blight we could address with even a fraction of that outlay.

Billions upon hundreds of billions have been spent addressing blight, homelessness and mental health yet the problem is worse than ever. Sometimes its good to spend money on things most of the general public wants and makes them happy. Ref: MAPS.

Its sort of like all the time you spend on here commenting on Civic affairs when your time could also be spent cooking in a soup kitchen or tutoring a homeless vet. It interests you and entertains you to be on OKCtalk, not painting over graffiti or cutting weeds in creekbeds.

[soonerguru]

It's a jarring juxtaposition to see this thread pop up in the activity stream alongside a thread where we're debating using $1b in public money for a stadium. Think of all the blight we could address with even a fraction of that outlay.

This is a false choice and very myopic framing. I'm no fan of public money for billionaires either, but the new arena will not only be something that citizens throughout the city can enjoy, it will also be a place that will provide hundreds of jobs, and thousands of ancillary jobs.

I consider myself a progressive but this viewpoint is very tunnel-visioned.

[mugofbeer]

Aurora, CO and suburbs of Denver have been putting up signs at intersections prone to panhandlers informing the public to not give to them but to a community organization with a web site that helps the homeless. Only once have l seen a panhandler where one of these signs was located. There still need to be many, many more signs installed but they seem to keep panhandlers away.

[mugofbeer]

This is a false choice and very myopic framing. I'm no fan of public money for billionaires either, but the new arena will not only be something that citizens throughout the city can enjoy, it will also be a place that will provide hundreds of jobs, and thousands of ancillary jobs.

I consider myself a progressive but this viewpoint is very tunnel-visioned.

And could potentially be a huge source of pride if done right and seen as iconic.

[rcjunkie]

Yea, that's all it takes to cure the problem and putting them to work. Are you hiring?

I'm absolutely hiring, its a very physical job. I've offered many "street begger's" a job and not a single one took my offer.

[Rover]

I'm absolutely hiring, its a very physical job. I've offered many "street begger's" a job and not a single one took my offer.

Just curious as to how many you offered and whether they physically could do the job. We’re there any training or safety issues? Did they have to interact with people? I find it telling that you state NOT ONE took your job. Sounds more like you were trying to prove a point than to help them get on their feet with a job they could actually do.

We hired lots of homeless in our plant in California and trained them. Most were very good employees. But we couldn’t hire those with addictions or mental health problems that made them safety risks or unable to work with others. We didn’t offer just everybody, just like we didn’t hire anyone from anywhere without vetting. We weren’t out to just prove a point, but to fill jobs with capable workers regardless of their economic or social status. We weren’t looking for them to be slaves, but to help them pull themselves up. It worked well for both sides.

[Thomas Vu]

Just curious as to how many you offered and whether they physically could do the job. We’re there any training or safety issues? Did they have to interact with people? I find it telling that you state NOT ONE took your job. Sounds more like you were trying to prove a point than to help them get on their feet with a job they could actually do.

We hired lots of homeless in our plant in California and trained them. Most were very good employees. But we couldn’t hire those with addictions or mental health problems that made them safety risks or unable to work with others. We didn’t offer just everybody, just like we didn’t hire anyone from anywhere without vetting. We weren’t out to just prove a point, but to fill jobs with capable workers regardless of their economic or social status. We weren’t looking for them to be slaves, but to help them pull themselves up. It worked well for both sides.

Sidebar: did we just discover a burner account?

[mugofbeer]

I'm absolutely hiring, its a very physical job. I've offered many "street begger's" a job and not a single one took my offer.

Reminds me of walking to lunch one day, l saw a man talking to a panhandler. His sign said he needed $ for food so the guy was offering to take him to Taco Bell next to them for a taco. The panhandler yelled he "didn't want no taco, he wanted a drink!"

[ditm4567]

My SO saw a man storming through this intersection carrying a machete the other day. I don't know that it is as bad as it is because it is "lucrative"... I drive this intersection daily and almost never see people giving the panhandlers anything... but hopefully something can be figured out.

I actually called the police on this gentleman a month or so ago because he was standing on the exit ramp at Penn swinging his machete at cars as they exited.

[warreng88]

I actually called the police on this gentleman a month or so ago because he was standing on the exit ramp at Penn swinging his machete at cars as they exited.

I-44 and Penn? Would it be on the eastbound offramp?

[Rover]

Reminds me of walking to lunch one day, l saw a man talking to a panhandler. His sign said he needed $ for food so the guy was offering to take him to Taco Bell next to them for a taco. The panhandler yelled he "didn't want no taco, he wanted a drink!"

Well, this is a great well worn tale for people to justify not helping people. On the other hand, I've personally taken people to buy them food to eat. BTW if the panhandler yelled he "didn't want no taco, he wanted a drink!" he must have been talking about the person who was talking to him if that is what you actually heard.


There are ways to feed the hungry and help the homeless.

[mugofbeer]

Your response is typical of advocates who refuse to believe enabling homeless only makes the problem worse.

There are multiple programs to feed the hungry in every major city and you can only help those who want, or have the mental ability to make the decision to be helped.

Denver spends in excess of $55,000 per census-counted homeless person. They have bought 2 hotels to turn to homeless housing but had to close one due to inability to find employees and health workers and the other has constant police calls, fire alarms, drug busts and overdoses.

The problem can't be resolved by throwing housing and $ at it.

Please inform us of what can be done for homeless that $ hundreds of billions haven't been spent doing over the past 50 years?

The only thing that will make a real difference is tough-love and laws allowong them to be forced into mental-health and rehab. See my comment in the mental hospital thread about needing 6 more facilities just like the one to be built next to the fairgrounds. The billions spent on feeding, housing and enabling homeless should go directly to forced hospitalization and rehab.

[Rover]

Your response is typical of advocates who refuse to believe enabling homeless only makes the problem worse.

There are multiple programs to feed the hungry in every major city and you can only help those who want, or have the mental ability to make the decision to be helped.

Denver spends in excess of $55,000 per census-counted homeless person. They have bought 2 hotels to turn to homeless housing but had to close one due to inability to find employees and health workers and the other has constant police calls, fire alarms, drug busts and overdoses.

The problem can't be resolved by throwing housing and $ at it.

Please inform us of what can be done for homeless that $ hundreds of billions haven't been spent doing over the past 50 years?

The only thing that will make a real difference is tough-love and laws allowong them to be forced into mental-health and rehab. See my comment in the mental hospital thread about needing 6 more facilities just like the one to be built next to the fairgrounds. The billions spent on feeding, housing and enabling homeless should go directly to forced hospitalization and rehab.

I gave you one very real example but you only want to promote “tough love”. Ignoring them seems to be your way.

[warreng88]

Noticed a new encampment yesterday. Under the May Avenue bridge on the south side of NW Expressway there is a bunch of debris and shopping carts (Target, if you were curious).