Quote:
Originally Posted by John Mercier
You'd have to be bigger than poobah of Laconia.
1) State requires the local municipality to pay for shelter
3) State requires each municipality to have a Welfare Administrator
4) What vagrancy law?
5) Violation of constitutional protections of the 4th Amendment.
The problem is our ''working poor'', and I know that they don't like that term, make zero attempts to move into the middle class.
We chose this path... and though we are unhappy with some of the outcome... just keep trudging along.
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We can change the path. Regarding no. 1, as we have seen with our federal government, laws can be ignored with impunity. Regarding no. 2, while there may be a public welfare requirement for each town, the town can set up it's own procedure. There is nothing preventing a town from having to go to another town for benefits. Regarding no. 3, Section 201-6 states that "No person or persons shall sit, stand or lounge on a public way in or about any doors, windows or passageways, except the owners or occupants of the premises, after having been requested by the owner, occupant or any police officer to depart therefrom." Sidewalks are considered public ways. Regarding no. 4, stop and frisk has been constitutionally adjudicated as being acceptable. (" Stop and frisk law must be based on more than whimsy but less than probable cause; it must be based on (1) reasonable suspicion, (2) good cause to believe, and (3) articulable suspicion.") I think seeing someone walking with two bikes, or their entire possessions in a backpack, is reasonable suspicion.
I think you are missing my point John, if we as a community say we are not going to tolerate this (and other types) of bad behavior, and elect politicians committed to a zero tolerance policy, we can end the madness. You raise issues addressing the plight of the American middle class. I'm talking about eliminating the homelessness problem.