I like to recommend the Wikipedia article, “Gini coefficient.” Particularly scrolling-down to at least one graph specifically: “Gini Index–Earnings Disparity since World Struggle II,” which illustrates a elementary social and financial downside, intensifying for the reason that starting of the Reagan Period: The hole between wealthy and poor is widening. We are actually one of many least equal nations on this planet.
When it comes to revenue injustice and its ramifications, we’re like a ship with a leak within the hull. A leak that could possibly be repaired, on this case with tax coverage and different measures. As a substitute, we fail to make the restore, considering we are able to save the ship by throwing stuff overboard. We start with our least valued passengers, the poor. In the case of throwing the poor overboard, look no additional than the unhoused on our streets–our Gini refugees.
And, we continue to grow a tradition of adaptation to that gap within the hull. Most just lately with a psychological sickness “homeless repair” proposed by Republican state legislators: AB 2020. Right here we throw fastidiously delineated civil liberties overboard, in a quest to impound essentially the most seen and problematic of the unhoused – all whereas failing to handle essentially the most salient of info: Nothing is extra mentally destabilizing, for extra individuals, than a continual lack of housing.
This tradition of adaptation has so contaminated us that our native “liberals” are holding fingers with a newly “compassionate” Assemblyman James Gallagher. I’ve heard Gallagher rant about homeless individuals. I heard scapegoating and crowd-pleasing authoritarianism, not compassion.
— Patrick Newman, Chico