By Nicole Montesano • Staff Writer • 

Water & Light discusses homeless encampment

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Comments

Jim

Mr. Mayor I know Water and Light will be happy if you move the derelict’s. But how happy are the home owners and businesses going to be if you don’t run these people out of town on a rail. Without the home owners and businesses Water and Light has no reason to exist. Your statistics on who the homeless seem to be don’t ring to true to my observations. I’d say the majority of the derelict’s are grown men between the ages of 20 and 45 years of age all capable of working. Cut every service in the town and county and 90% of them will be gone. It’s time you and your liberal friends realize the majority of people in McMinnville don’t want these people here. If you want to be in a socialistic society move to Venezuela and try it for awhile. It’s time to make our streets safe again or you’re going to have some lawsuits that aren’t from the derelict’s.

rtistic1

Completely agree Jim!!!

rtistic1

Completely agree Jim!!!

gregtompkins

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/22/opinion/california-housing-nimby.html?searchResultPosition=1

Stella

YCAP attracted them here and now they camp on their doorstep - the perfect low barrier spot if I ever saw one.

OregonBorn

“largest numbers are women fleeing domestic violence, and “unaccompanied” children and teenagers”

It’s painfully obvious our good mayor has not actually been to the vagrant camps.

I see nearly working age males almost exclusively.

Stella

520 homeless children... oh wait - they count kids sleeping IN homes?

Reporter Starla Pointer

Stella, regarding the "homeless" children, I believe one of the big issues is instability -- even if they have roofs over their heads, they don't have a permanent place and may move frequently, changing from school to school. Imagine getting on the school bus and riding to an unfamiliar place, or having to get to make new friends and get to know new teachers again and again. When schools are talking about homeless children, they're talking about much more than shelter from the rain.

Stella

I do not consider a roof over your head homeless. There are great parents in unstable living arrangements bouncing around and iffy parents with nice homes. Homeless = not living in a home IMO it sounds like a stretch for additional funding

I moved every two years growing up - even changing countries and perhaps I was homeless too? My family was a military family.

Mike

Jim. You haven't the vaguest idea what the majority of the 30,000+ citizens of McMinnville want. You know what you want and you know what some of the folks you talk to want. State your opinion but leave me out of it.

Bill B

Mike, you apparently don't get around much. I haven't talked to thousands but I'll bet its over 100 and all of them (left and right) think it's a problem and needs to be remedied (meaning get them out of here). I've heard no sympathy. I'm sure there are sympathizers ( you, treefarmer, tagup to name a few) but you are in the minority.

Jim

Mike if you want them here put them up at your house. I’ve talked to hundreds of people in the last two years and have yet in person to have one of them say they want these people here. I have no problem helping the true homeless but I have a huge problem paying one dime to a bunch of lazy people who refuse to fit into society and not follow the rules. If you want to live on the streets and steal and do drugs you have no place here. I stick by what I said you are in the minority the majority of people want rid of the derelict’s.

Don Dix

I would agree with Jim and Bill B that the greater majority view this as a major problem -- all it takes is a simple ask around, any cross-section. It hasn't been too long ago Mac was voted one of the most attractive cities in America -- look how far we have come since! And why?

Stella

Well - we pay the visit McMinnville Group for advertising that states:

"Definitely not your Grandma's small town". Then in small print "Well it might be but you know what we mean". visitmcminnville.com

It's printed in Portland papers....

Combine that with the County's abundance of services and double down with a Mayor who shouldn't be in office and presto... from best Main Street in America to making the nightly news for less glamorous problems... campers who, for the most part, aren't even from McMinnville.

Drew1951

It is easy to complain about the situation and have the only option be to run them out of town. Jesus said that “however you treat the least of your brothers and sisters, you treat me.” It is time for positive building of ideas. There is an open forum on the third Wednesday of every month to gather POSITIVE ideas at the Carnegie Room at the public library from 7:00–8:30. This forum is not intended to be a b**** session; rather a place to work together. We have heard all the vitriol already and that hasn’t not proved effective. As a community, we can work together to build a better life for all.

Drew1951

Delete the word not after hasn’t.

Stella

Run out of town OR live within the laws that apply to everyone.

We are not in a recession- job openings all over town. Need help? Contact YCAP. Want to camp 24/7 on public streets? Sorry not in McMinnville - McMinnville residents ARE "compassionate" and do not wish to enable people destroying their lives, their family's lives and the tax paying/law abiding citizens lives.

Drew1951

So, you say run out of town or live by the laws that apply to everyone. Are you saying that only the homeless break laws? Should we run all law breakers out of town? Perhaps we could put all law breakers on a boat and set them adrift in the ocean. Our jails would be empty and that would save a ton of money!

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