Services attract homeless

In response to: “Caring for homeless hard but necessary.”

Shawn Vestal is right when he states caring for the homeless is both hard and necessary. He may be less accurate about other statements. The statement by Jonathan Mallahan, director of neighborhood and community services, denying that increases services to the homeless is attracting more of them is self-serving and without evidence. One of the most basic economic laws states, “If you want more of something, subsidize it; less of something, tax it.”

I would offer this challenge to Vestal, Mallahan and those supplying benefits to the homeless: Continue to provide assistance to the homeless. However, require each applicant to pass a drug test and show up each morning at a designated time and location for an eight-hour work detail, such as picking up trash or painting public facilities. Exempt those who are obviously unable to work due to age or disability.

At the end of a one-year period, let’s see how many homeless there are compared to the start of the program. If nothing else, it would certainly make the statement, “It’s not easy being homeless” far more accurate.

Hal Dixon

Spokane