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From the article:
"Given the rate of destruction and shortages of overall supplies which includes cleaners, toilet paper and personal protection equipment (PPE) for staff, the DLNR/DOBOR may not be able to keep additional SBH facilities open through April 30, unless homeless communities or service providers step up to help take care of them.
If any community groups would like to help for any DLNR restrooms or other public restrooms, contact the Behavioral Health and Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group (BHH-SURG) at
https://bhhsurg.hawaii.gov/."
So the state is, rightly or wrongly, framing the fact that the toilets are being kept open as related to homelessness. It is less clear that they are blaming the vandalism on the homeless, but I have spoken many times with social service providers who say that their mentally ill homeless clients regularly trash facilities of all sorts provided for them. Some of you may call this inhumane or "blaming the victim," but it is a fact.
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framing the fact that the toilets are being kept open as related to homelessness
Basically, yes: it's difficult to self-quarantine if you don't have a home in which to quarantine yourself.
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2020/03/28...alth-risk/
There was some other coverage that was more on-point but I can't find it right now.
their mentally ill homeless clients regularly trash facilities
Mentally ill people will exhibit antisocial behavior whether or not they are homeless; the two problems may be related, but correlation is not necessarily causation.
Under the circumstances, I suggest that that dealing with the panemic is more important than mere homelessness. There's plenty of time to argue the fine points later. If we live that long.
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social service providers who say that their mentally ill homeless clients regularly trash facilities of all sorts provided for them
I don’t doubt some do. Any idea how many? 10%? 50%?
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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Perhaps a "false flag" operation by boaters/fishermen that don't want their harbors and boats to turn into homeless camps? Or simply local hooligans?
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framing the fact that the toilets are being kept open as related to homelessness
kalokoa - There was some other coverage that was more on-point but I can't find it right now.
Maybe this?
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2020/03/2...uidelines/
[...]
"State park restrooms were also closed, but restrooms at small boat harbors and boat ramps were reopened Wednesday by the Department of Land and Natural Resources Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, in order
“to observe (U.S. Centers for Disease Control) guidance for ensuring availability of toilets and hand washing facilities for people experiencing homelessness during this COVID-19 emergency,” DLNR announced, adding that all DOBOR restroom facilities will be open 24 hours daily.
This was a relief to the 270 or more members of the Pu‘uhonua o Waianae homeless encampment next to Waianae Small Boat Harbor who had suddenly found themselves shut out of the sanitary facilities they relied on at the harbor and neighboring Waianae District Park, said Twinkle Borge, the community’s leader."
more at link
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From the link in the OP:
If any community groups would like to help for any DLNR restrooms or other public restrooms, contact the
Wasn’t it the DLNR who kept people out of an entire lava flow in 2018, arresting violators for walking in the general vicinity? But they don’t have the manpower to watch a couple of bathroom entrances at a few boat harbors? They need volunteers for that?
"I'm at that stage in life where I stay out of discussions. Even if you say 1+1=5, you're right - have fun." - Keanu Reeves
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quote:
Originally posted by HereOnThePrimalEdge
social service providers who say that their mentally ill homeless clients regularly trash facilities of all sorts provided for them
I don’t doubt some do. Any idea how many? 10%? 50%?
I freely admit that my source information is anecdotal, but realistically, even if only 10% of the state's mentally ill homeless fall into this category, such numbers are more than capable of trashing all the toilets in the small boat harbors. To be fair, however, local hooligans can never be ruled out in such cases. We have lots of those, too.
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"Statewide" doesn't sound like homeless or local hooligans to me. Sounds more like a group making a statement. What group and what statement, I haven't a clue.
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Back in 2015 the MK Visitor Station bathrooms were trashed during the TMT protest. Those protesting said it wasn't anyone within their group and I have no reason to disbelieve them. But there are people around who will take any opportunity to make other people's lives more inconvenient, just for a thrill I guess. I don't know what the solution is, but this is not the first time something like this has happened. So much for aloha.
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I love that we have a generous safety net here, but at some point individuals do need to face the consequences of their actions. If you don't work, don't bathe, and don't maintain social relationships such that someone would take pity on you in the middle of a pandemic, you're gonna have a bad time.
Drop off some buckets, lids, and sawdust, one per homeless.
