Stocks Soar on Improved Demand for Kitten Chow

wilmington journal ^ | Hazel Trice Edney

[Joseph Stix]

Despite recent reports of an improved economy, hunger and homelessness are on the rise, according to a study of 25 major cities by the U. S. Conference of Mayors.

“This survey underscores the impact the economy has had on everyday Americans,” says conference president, Mayor James E. Garner of Hempstead, N.Y. “The face of homelessness has changed and now reflects who we least suspect.”

For example, 61 percent of people requesting emergency food assistance in the cities surveyed held jobs.

The annual “Hunger and Homelessness Survey,” released in late December, reports that requests for emergency food assistance increased by an average of 17 percent over the previous year, and requests for emergency shelter assistance increased by an average of 13 percent.

“It is disheartening and disturbing to learn that so many of our fellow Americans are in desperate need of shelter, food, clothing and the other basic necessities of life,” says Richard Macedonia, chief operating officer for Sodexho U.S.A., a leading provider of food and facilities management in the United States. “In nearly every major U. S. city, the problem of hunger and homelessness is steadily growing.”

The survey was released only days before the U. S. Department of Commerce released its third and final estimate of the nation’s economic performance for the third quarter of 2003. The agency estimated that the gross domestic product (output of goods and services) grew by 8.2 percent in the three-month period that ended Sept. 30, more than doubling the growth rate of the previous three months. The unemployment rate also held steady in November at 5.9 percent with a 1.3 percent drop in the Black rate from 11.5 to 10.2 percent.

Yet, there was little to cheer for during the holiday season.

Among the most glaring trends was an 11 percent leap in families with children requesting food, from 48 percent in 2002 to 59 percent in 2003; a record 56 percent of cities having to turn people away without help from food assistance programs, up 24 percent over the previous year and the highest percentage since six years ago when 71 percent was recorded; and a record 84 percent of cities having to turn away people from homeless shelters because of lack of space, up 38 percent over 2002 and the largest percentage in seven years.

The conference is the official organization of U.S. cities with populations of 30,000; there are 1,139 cities in that category.

The 25 cities that participated in the survey were Boston; Burlington, Vt.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Charleston, S.C.; Chicago; Cleveland; Denver; Detroit; Kansas City, Mo.; Los Angeles; Louisville Metro, Ky.; Nashville; New Orleans; Norfolk, Va.; Philadelphia; Phoenix; Portland; Providence, R.I.; Salt Lake City; San Antonio, Texas; San Francisco; Santa Monica, Calif.; Seattle; Trenton, N.J.; and Washington, D.C.

The data was collected from the cities between Nov. 1, 2002 to Oct. 31, 2003. Among other findings:

· Twenty cities reported that unemployment and unemployment-related problems were the leading causes of hunger. Overriding causes of hunger in 13 cities were attributed to low-paying jobs and in 11 cities, rising housing costs;

· More than half of the cities – 56 percent – reported that people in need were turned away with no help because of lack of food and resources. More than 14 percent of the requests for emergency food assistance are estimated to have gone unmet over the past year;

· Fifty-nine percent of those requesting emergency food assistance were members of families with children;

· Twenty-three cities said the lack of affordable housing contributed to homelessness. Other major causes included low-paying jobs, lack of needed services, mental illness or substance abuse problems;

· Eighty-four percent of the cities reported that emergency shelters have turned away homeless families because of a lack of resources. More than 14 percent of the requests for emergency food assistance are estimated to have gone unmet. Fifteen percent of the requests from families were not met and

· People remained homeless for an average of five months in the survey cities with 60 percent of the cities reporting that the length of homelessness time increased over the past year. Single men made up 41 percent of the homeless population, families with children made up 40 percent, single women, 14 percent and independent youth, 5 percent.

Robert Forney, president and CEO of America’s Second Harvest, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, says carrying the load has not been easy.

“We are hopeful that this will spur the president and Congress to renew and strengthen our national fight against child hunger in America,” Forney says.

The mayors’ conference say that even with an improving economy more than 80 percent of the cities expect that requests for emergency food, assistance and shelter will increase in 2004.

“These are not simply statistics,” says Nashville Mayor Bill Purcell, who co-chairs the Conference’s Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness. “These are real people who are hungry and homeless in our cities.”

[The_Victor]

Welcome to FreeRepublic, Joe. Do I smell ozone?

[Support Free Republic]

Free Republic. More Bang For The Buck!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD- It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[.38sw]

It's clearly George Bush's fault. We had no homelessness during the Clinton administration. None.

[lonestar]

Clinton came close to being homeless. LOL!

[metesky]

Every thinking person knows that homelessness increases during Republican administrations. Right, Joe? Right?

Welcome to Free Republic.

Do you smell that clean ozone smell?

[Richard Kimball]

The playbook is getting awfully moldy. You can't find a homelessness story during a Rat Administration.

[leadpencil1]

Thats right 38, and on top of that, the press kept the homeless issue on the front burner during the entire Clinton era, just like its doing now with GW.

[glock rocks]

Hey there Joseph Stix...

What's your opinion??

[freeangel]

"affordable housing"

That would mean "free" to the communist left.

[leadpencil1]

Homelessness on the Rise Throughout the U.S.

Its because conservatives don't care.

[snooker]

Republicans cause homelessness. Didn't you know that?

[MattMa]

Of course the reports of more homeless people is on the rise; there is a Republican in the White House. There were just as many during the Clinton years, the media just forgot to report it as often.

[Howlin]

Evidently it doesn't have one. :-)

[.38sw]

The press didn't NEED to keep the homeless issue on the front burner, because there wasn't any homelessness, right?

[leadpencil1]

Spot on 38, they searched high and low for the homeless and found none, hence no reporting on it.

[goodnesswins]

LOL...I'll bet everyone one of those 25 mayors is a DEMOCRAT!

[pfflier]

Must be a Republican in the White House and this must be an election year.

[leadpencil1]

A word on the authro of the story.

Hazel Trice Edney is the NNPA Washington Correspondent. She has covered Capitol Hill and national electoral politics since Sept. 2000 and is now an investigative reporter in NNPA's NorthStar Investigative Reporting Program. Edney was a 1999-2000 congressional fellow, sponsored by the American Political Science Association. In the nine-month fellowship for journalists, she served in the personal office of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Edney has a Masters Degree from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government, where she was awarded the William S. Wasserman Jr. Fellowship on the Press, Politics and Public Policy. She is a 15-year veteran of the Black Press, having reported for the Richmond Afro-American and the Richmond Free Press before she was awarded the Harvard fellowship in 1998. In 1991, she was the first place winner in the feature story category of the NNPA Merit Awards.

[GodBlessRonaldReagan]

having reported for the Richmond Afro-American and the Richmond Free Press

Both just slightly to the right of Lenin.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Hey would you take this home with you?

DU

What can I say they must be bored,
We all know they are DUmb.
I guess it’s tuff to hang out where,
The best poster is scum.
So they come here and lurk about,
And post their lib’ral spew.
We ZOT the trolls and send them home,
It’s fun for me and you.
I’ve heard that they don’t like me much,
I guess they think I’m bad.
Conspiracy Guy freaks them out,
For them I do feel sad.
Imagine just how hard it is,
To live without a clue.
Of right and wrong or what is real,
Their light bill’s overdue.
So to you trolls I say, hello,
I hope you do get better.
CG is glad you hate his guts,
Please do send me a letter.

Conspiracy Guy 1/2/04

[Toskrin]

the highest percentage since six years ago when 71 percent was recorded

Some help for anyone, like the author, who thinks with their feelings rather than their mind:

2003 - 6 = 1997

[alisasny]

homelessness always makes a big appearance in an election year...its all W's fault...

[Condor51]

I believe you.

It's a known fact that during Billy-Jeff's reign, aka Willard, there weren't any homeless. The present homeless people all lived in gazillion dollar mansions, drove Bentleys and their kids all went to private schools. But as soon as Dubya was sworn in - BAM! The mortgages were foreclosed, the cars repossessed, the kids forced to go to public schools and take drugs.

Honest, I read it in the New York Times.

No offense meant. I'm new here so you might not know I'm being facetious and just kidding.

[petercooper]

of course - people only become homeless when an 'R' is in the White House

[PISANO]

It's clearly George Bush's fault. We had no homelessness during the Clinton administration. None

You must have forgotten......homelessness is ILLEGAL during Democrat administrations, so they all go home to San Francisco where they get room and board until a Republican administration is elected.

[Steve_Seattle]

Considering most if not all of these major cities have Democratic mayors/councils, I would not be surprised if these numbers were fabricated. I live in Seattle, and I have seen no obvious increase in the homeless in the last three years; in fact, I think there were more homeless about ten years ago. At least, their presence was much more apparent 8-10 years aogo.

[glock rocks]

BWAHAHAHA. meow.

[glock rocks]

LOL. Did you notice the subtle title change.

[snooker]

Republicans cause homelessness. Didn't you know that?

[.38sw]

Hello, Joseph? You still here? Hello? Hello? You signed up, posted this nice little article, and then disappeared? No comments from you?

[Steve_Seattle]

There is less affordable housing, and a higher cost of living, in the most liberal cities than anywhere else - Boston, Seattle, San Francisco, New York. Why? Because socialism is in fact a modern form of aristocracy in which an elite saves the best for itself and herds the masses into apartments and other high-density living arrangments. New construction is discouraged in a myriad of ways, reducing the supply of good housing and driving up costs.

[Howlin]

Nope, but thanks for pointing it out to me!

[leadpenny]

What's your opinion??

Yeah, JS?

[The_Victor]

Paging Joseph Stix, paging Joseph Stix.

Are you going to stick around and defend your post?

[glock rocks]

Hey Joseph, kitties gotcher tongue?

What's your opinion?

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Let's match-up every hungry American with an obese American like the Big Brother(pardon the pun) program.

In a sane socially correct society, nobody should be too fat or too hungry.

[dighton]

Cat got your tongue?

[The_Victor]

Hello, Joseph? You still here? Hello? Hello? You signed up, posted this nice little article, and then disappeared? No comments from you?

Cowardice, it the DU SOP.

[ravingnutter]

***Yawn***...when are the Dems going to come up with some new tactics?

Article from 1996 - In the Bush years (1989-1992), the number of homeless stories per year averaged 52.5, but in the first three years of the Clinton administration, the average dropped to 25.3 stories a year.

During the Bush administration, the story count grew from 44 in 1989 to a peak of 71 in 1990, followed by 54 stories in 1991 and 43 in 1992. By contrast, stories on America's homeless dipped slightly to 35 stories in 1993, and 32 in 1994. In 1995, the number fell dramatically to just nine. When the count is broken down by network, CNN had the widest gap in reporting during the Bush years and Clinton years (90-30), closely followed by ABC (45-16), CBS (41-15), and NBC (36-15).

Media Watch

Article from 1999 - The homeless comeback Democrats rediscover an old political tool

Worst part about it is...many lamestream media viewers will believe the tripe the Dems put out.

[Darksheare]

Post and run?

[glock rocks]

Kittens Healthier Than Ever, Say Experts

LMAO !

[The_Victor]

Post and run?

Drive-by posting.

[wita]

The homeless by choice is what I call them, and choice is one of those dem front burner issues. I say everyone ought to have choice, do it now. No one should be able to tell you what you can do with your body, if you want to be homeless why you ought to have freedom of choice. Now on the the issue of cities, ever see a homeless person in a small town. Not likely. Homeless go where there are "services", free food, free medical, free of responsibility, free shopping carts, and the sooner we stop catering to the childlike desires of the homeless, the sooner the choice they so desire will become a "bad" choice and they will need to get a job to support their "habit", be it drugs, alcohol, mental or emotional weakness, or just plain aversion to work.

Homeless is by choice, and it needs to be a tough one, not made easy by a city that enables the freeloaders of the world to be supported by the labor, and kindness of the contributors to society. Try and splain this to the bleeding heart liberals who just can't wait to use your money to relieve the "suffering" of the wandering homeless. Now why would any sane individual relocate in the winter to a part of the country with sub-zero temperatures? Because they are looking for a handout not a handup. Only an idiot without a lick of common sense would do such a thing, and the facts need to be shouted from the house tops for all to hear and understand, especially the homeless by choice. Flame retardent apparel schnell angezogen.

[Shryke]

hunger and homelessness are on the rise, according to a study of 25 major cities by the U. S. Conference of Mayors.

This couldn't be easier to solve. It's time we taught all those hungry people to eat the homeless. (/sick humor off).

[ravingnutter]

The homeless are back! The homeless are back! On Sunday night, just three weeks after George W. Bush assumed office, ABC News won the race to be the first network to re-discover homelessness.

World News Tonight/Sunday anchor Carole Simpson intoned:

"After one of the longest periods of prosperity in U.S. history, America’s robust economy is slowing. Layoffs and the high cost of housing are creating hardships. Homelessness, which is estimated to effect from two and a half to three and a half million people, is again on the rise."

Bob Jamieson began his story by showing people at the Hesed House homeless shelter in Aurora, Illinois. He claimed: "The 175 bed shelter in the city of 130,000 has recorded a steady increase in homeless for the last year, particularly families with children."

Diane Nilan, Director of Hesed House: "It’s been mind-boggling. We don’t even have time to think about how many folks we’re serving and more come in. So it’s numbers have increased in ways we could never even imagine."

Jamieson extrapolated: "What’s happening in Aurora reflects a national trend. The U.S. Conference of Mayors reports a 17 percent increase in the number of families asking for help because of homelessness. In part, the long economic boom is blamed for causing rents to skyrocket. Since 1994 housing costs have increased at a rate 40 percent greater than inflation every year. In New York City the number of homeless in the shelter system has risen above 25,000 a night for the first time since the late 1980s. More than three quarters of the homeless are families or single women."

The most since the late 1980s. What a coincidence. And wow, Bush’s policies sure do work fast. It took just three weeks to return us to Reagan-era misery.

Media Research

[dirtboy]

Kittens Healthier Than Ever, Say Experts

They certainly have been turning into little butterballs on a steady diet of charred troll.

[Howlin]

Ha!

This is definitely a thread to watch during the day -- just for the title!

[Conspiracy Guy]

At least hoboes had their little camps out in the woods near a train track. Has the decline in train traffic forced the modern hobo into the city? 9 out of 10 homeless are so by choice. The 10th one is temporary.

[.38sw]

Joseph is still MIA.