Resident's letter to commissioners and mayor about the possibility of the homeless encampment moving to Tallassee Road
Dear Commissioners and Mayor
I’m writing concerning the possibility of the homeless encampment being placed on Tallassee Rd among all the neighborhoods and schools within a 1 mile radius.
Im concerned about the additional trash on our streets that the homeless we already have are creating. I and others have picked up behind the homeless that just leave their free food and containers on the sidewalks next to or within a few feet of trash containers.
I am and have been concerned for the people I know that already are to scared to walk or jog along Mitchell Bridge Rd and Oglethorpe Ave due to the harassment from the few homeless we already have in the area. Adding the encampment among our neighborhoods will just add to the harassment and fear, in the same way that people are scared to use the Greenway Trail in the North Ave/ Willow St area.
I’m also concerned for the property value for anyone living in neighborhoods in the area. From my research a homeless encampment will greatly affect the value of all homes in the area. Therefore, all of us that have worked for years and years (50 years in my case) to invest in home ownership will be greatly adversely affected from a homeless encampment so close to our homes. Decreasing our homes value by 10s of thousands of dollars.
Next, and most importantly I’m concerned for the children at Whitehead Rd and Oglethorpe Ave Elementary schools. Inserting a population of people, 88% of which are dealing with drug and mental health issues, within a mile of both schools is unconscionable. Especially considering that most school shootings are committed by people with mental health issues. Hopefully the worse the children will have to witness is what I witnessed 3 weeks ago during school hours. A homeless lady was walking down Mitchell Bridge then up Oglethorpe toward the school. She was dancing and lifting her dress exposing herself with no underwear. She was also sexually grinding against street signs. I called the police and they took her away before she got to the school area. But, God forbid, if we have some real tradegy, like a school shooting by someone with mental problems from the purposed encampment it’ll be the first time in history that CNN, MSNBC and FOX all agree on something…. on the foolishness of putting an encampment so close to elementary schools.
I’m definitely in favor of helping people that can’t help themselves but putting the encampment in the middle of neighborhood areas and schools is a recipe for disaster.
Thank you for your consideration
Thomas Adams
Mitchell Bridge Road
Let’s use the grounds of the old city hall to have some set up tents. That way the mayor and commissioners will be reminded that the problem is here and not getting better. We could convert a portion of the Classic Center as a shelter where it could benefit the most vulnerable in our community. If the local authorities want to really help it could begin there. By centralizing the homeless population in the downtown area it would make services easier to obtain. I’m sure the liberals that make up the majority of the governing establishment would join in making this a reality.
The small group of "innocent" homeless who need help getting back into stable housing are already getting help. It is happening with concerned people committed to walking along-side these people.
Any help for the drug addicted will result in a 1% success rate.
The insane will still be insane after getting all this taxpayer help.
The beneficiaries of all this proposed-- 1:The landlords leasing the office/facility space. 2: The roach/bedbug infested motels housing the homeless. 3:The pest control companies employed to clean the motels. 4:The Counselors who will be facilitating the liberation of the homeless. 5: the office staff employed to answer the phones. 6: the extra layers of government bureaucracy to "manage" the various spillways of the taxpayer money.
Dis-functional families are the root cause of most of our societal problems. For you "humanists", man is not inherently good.
Living wages? No where does our constitution promise wages of any sort. I am impressed with the many immigrants (especially those with little formal education) who have worked hard and saved their money. They have bought land and homes and many have started their own businesses.
If one is looking for work in Athens, it is not hard to find. The word is "work". Requirements include on-time attendance (if you can be at the corner panhandling every day, why not go to work?), work, that is not being lazy but actually doing what is expected, and some jobs (good jobs…
I wrote to Commissioners Houle and Fisher asking about any plans for a homeless encampment on Tallassee and included the screenshot shared in the comments. Dexter Fisher replied quickly and said, "There will not be any type of homeless encampment on Tallassee Road."
Bull they are humans like us some of us get above ourselves it could be us one day out there like that everyone homeless aren't on drugs some people just can't afford this expensive rent and stuff