Haha. My first trial, over 30 years ago, involved a failed real estate development in Elk Grove. Proposed combo trailer park / golf course under electrical power lines in a flood plane. Never got off the ground. Spent a summer in Sacramento trying it, driving back and forth to San Francisco on the weekends with the entire case in boxed paper files in a van. (This was pre-internet). I thought to myself, if I roll over in a ditch, not only might I die but there goes the whole case. Other funny anecdotes, but I might reveal too much about the parties involved.
My grandma used to live in Paradise in the 70's and some my fondest childhood memories took place there and exploring up and down the Feather River Canyon. I had heard that in the years leading up to the fire that there was a really bad meth problem there. There were also warnings about heavily guarded meth labs in the places I used to go hiking. Then came the fire. Sigh...
Never been to Chico though I have good friends who moved there. She's an orthopedic surgeon but they said they couldn't afford to live around here. I guess they like it because they have been there almost 15 years.
Speaking of Chico, 1) that's where Wondo went to school, and 2) when are we getting our statue, which had better be based on this. We want wild-eyed crazy man Wondo, not nice Wondo.
It's a big problem since the town is so small. The police keep pushing them around the city. It's also a big problem for my Daughter as a mass are generally staying between her dorm and the train station; she doesn't drive and is (rightfully) scared to walk by them all.
Interesting. I wouldn't consider Chico a small town (Population over 100k). My second son almost went there and we have visited Sierra Nevada many times over the year. I like Chico and the area. Sorry that they are having so much homelessness. We are not doing a good job as a society assisting/supporting them.
I want the interactive Wondo statue that spits out water. Make it coin operated to raise money for a charity.......or a decent striker.
Redding has 3 times the amount of homeless zombies walking around. Most of these guys just want to free load, collect SSI, feel entitled to shit, destroy property and land, respect no laws or people around them, they sleep on side walks with no regard, and complain when you invade their space or ask them to leave, strung out on meth and fentanyl, lazy, dont want to work good for nothing zombies. I understand people fall into very bad situations and ways, but the gross general population of them around 98% are everything said above. They get so strung out they dont know what to do when their big SSI check comes and its gone by the 5th. No one can help the helpless who won't help themselves. Its an excuse followed by empty words from these people, but if you build it for them, they won't come, they will abuse what they're given and have no respect for what they're given. Thats why almost every government building like the post offices, SSI, Food stamp buildings all smell like piss and shit. If people really wanted out of that type of situation they would do everything in the world they could to get out of it, land a job, wash their ass etc. I have no sympathy for these guys, they should have nothing coming. This is a product of a failed systematic city governing body. The other issue is every county packs these guys up and ship them to the next county. We get all of Butte, Glenn, Siskiyou and Humboldt Counties homeless. Because we're the metropolitan hub that connects all those counties. The homeless community is crazy, they have a code they live by, I have a friend who is homeless and likes it. She says as long as she's getting checks from the government and free drugs from the clinic, she's gonna be homeless. But she told me the homeless community she's in, they have leader and leadership group, they talk to no cops, they dont trust the system, rob, pillage and steal what you can and lawyers, doctors, fire men and any government worker is the enemy. They spray painted some of the downtown fire trucks a few weeks ago with F*ck FREE WORLD Its like rampant decay and we all know who to blame.
Chico didn't have a large homeless population until a liberal city council was elected and they turned on the welcome sign by allowing people to sleep/camp in our parks and public spaces. They also thought it would be a good idea to hand out free drug paraphernalia to the addicts. Almost overnight the vagrant population exploded and the tons of garbage started piling up in our creeks, bike paths and parks. Only a small fraction of the transients here went through the Camp Fire, the rest are wandering druggies and metal patients.
they could use a little metal health... "Metal health will cure your crazy Metal health will cure your mad Metal health is what we all need"
I found it interesting we had to register my Daughter's bike when she moved there in the Summer. I assume since they are being stolen so much by the homeless population. When did that start? The police have time to hunt for stolen bikes?
Hope she enjoys her time there. We've been enjoying Chico a lot since our son bought a condo there and moved in with his girlfriend. Upper (and lower) Bidwell Park, downtown restaurants, Hotel Diamond, coffee shops (Daycamp & Stoble in particular)...and just generally, walking around. I mean I've seen a few homeless people here and there but not any more so than here, in the south bay...from what I've observed anyway. Beautiful campus, being downtown reminds me of my own college days back in the eighties.
I seem to remember having to do that (or choosing to do it?) way back when I was a kid, in a Sunnyvale. And then years later when I was in high school the police came around door to door or by appointment(?) and offered to register any valuables you have. I wasn’t home and my mom offered up my 3 woodwind instruments and they scratched numbers into them. I was not all that happy about that. So maybe it’s a smaller town thing? And if the bike is stolen it makes getting it back to the right person very quick. I had my bike stolen while at UCLA. I didn’t bother with a police report. They’re not going to find it and it was a crappy bike anyway.
Turns out bikes are the currency of the local drug addicts, they trade the bikes or spare parts for drugs.
problem is, even if you don’t give a single damn about homeless people, doing nothing isn’t an option. If you ignore the problem it only grows creating more and more serious problems for everyone. Anyone who acts like there’s a simple solution is lying to you, but ignoring the problem won’t work. Believe me.
This discussion is getting highly political. I tried to deflect it with humor (less of a problem in arctic climes). To no avail. There is no more political subject than homelessness. I ran for city council a decade ago, and homelessness was one of the top three issues identified by voters -- along with crime, and bike lanes. Voters opposed by wide margins all three. During my campaign, I studied the issue of homelessness extensively, including one-on-ones with all the key governmental and non-governmental officials. I have informed opinions on the subject but I am going to refrain from giving them in deference to the no-politics policy on this board. I will say that despite vast sums of money in the ensuing ten years, the homelessness problem has only been exacerbated. Make of that undeniable fact what you will.