Despite the expenditure of billions of dollars, homelessness in California continues to burgeon. While every city and county throughout the state faces different challenges trying to manage the problem, there are enough similarities that all can learn from one another’s failures. Stanislaus County and the City of Modesto offer typical examples of tactics that have failed again and again. ed Frank Ploof may know more about homelessness in Stanislaus County […]
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Homeless — Where your Money goes Part II: The Black Hole of Law Enforcement
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s pledge to dedicate $750 million of the state’s 2023-2024 budget to sweeps of homeless camps is only the latest example of the extravagant waste of taxpayer dollars on futile tactics aimed at reducing homelessness. In all, the new budget will devote $15.3 billion to homelessness, even though the state has already spent billions more, only to see a continual rise in numbers of people experiencing homelessness. […]
Homeless — where your money goes, Part I: The Black Hole of Rehab
No one should have been surprised when the Stanislaus County Civil Grand Jury found that local attempts to manage homelessness lacked focus, accountability, and positive results, despite the expenditure of millions of dollars. Like efforts to reduce homelessness most everywhere, Stanislaus County’s bewildering array of nonprofits, government agencies, and volunteer efforts fails for many reasons, but among the most common is the mistaken notion that rehabilitation should be the first […]
Homeless: The Saints Who Walk among Us
Those who frequent the streets, alleys, parks and hideaways of the homeless often encounter humble missionaries of hope and charity. These are the people who feed, clothe and comfort the lost and forlorn on an endless mission of hope and charity. Almost always, they are people of modest means who embody the true spirit of Christmas all year long in humble acts of ministering to the poor. Many are faith-based; […]
Homeless: Overdoses at the Recovery Center?
Rumors among homeless people are like rumors anywhere else — as often unfounded or overblown as not. Nonetheless, persistent rumors that drug use and overdoses have occurred with increasing frequency at the Stanislaus Recovery Center (SRC) in Ceres seemed worth an inquiry, so on December 8 we asked about them via an email to Stanislaus County CEO Jody Hayes and Supervisor Mani Grewal. As yet, we’ve had no answers. SRC […]
Homeless: No Shelter from the Storm
Monday, homeless people in Modesto found no respite from the biggest rainstorm in years as Caltrans continued to sweep them away from encampments along Highway 99 and locations nearby. Governor Gavin Newsom’s ongoing program to get homeless people out of sight now includes pouring concrete along steep slopes under overpasses and erecting sturdy metal fences along highway borders as he attempts to sweep homelessness under the rug while he explores […]
Homeless: “Right now, we aren’t managing anything”
Frank Ploof has served on several committees in Stanislaus County dedicated to homeless and housing issues, and has spent thousands of hours in direct contact with homeless people, trying to help in tangible ways with problems local authorities can’t address. He and Modesto resident Steven Finch are partners in the Stanislaus Homeless Advocacy and Resource Enterprise (SHARE) nonprofit, which is dedicated to serving the urgent needs of people in dire […]
Homeless: Why we Fail and What to Do Now
The Stanislaus County’s Civil Grand Jury Report on homelessness could serve as a report card for the entire State of California. Noting that homeless numbers continue to rise despite vast expenditures of money, the Grand Jury concluded that lack of coordination and focus among myriad public and private entities has led to wasted dollars, a lack of accountability, and public distrust in government efforts to reduce homelessness. There are many […]
Homeless? Gavin Newsom Passes the Buck
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s presidential ambitions hinge as much on appearances as they do realities, and the unsightly presence of homeless people throughout California is a reality he can’t make disappear. Born of desperation fostered by the futility of his own efforts to eliminate homelessness, Newsom has decided to blame California’s mayors for his own failure to understand the fundamental nature of a humanitarian emergency that grows worse by the […]
Beloved Homeless Man Shot in Modesto
By Thursday, news that Richard “Channon” Myers had been murdered on the mean streets of Modesto had swept through the local homeless community. Known for his long “trains” of scavenged treasures — some would say “junk” — Channon was beloved among the homeless for his good nature. “Channon was a beautiful person,” said Kim, a woman who frequents Graceada and Enslen Parks, two places Channon often pulled in to rest […]