This is even better than the death-row sex change and the Paris street named for Mumia Abu-Jamal:
New York Times: "Homeless Alcoholics Receive a Permanent Place to Live, and Drink"
Yes, the city of Seattle has begun a program to provide free, permanent, government-financed housing for homeless local drunks, in which case they are allowed to drink to their hearts' content. They also "do not have to promise to drink less, attend Alcoholics Anonymous or go to church." Can't imagine what could possibly go wrong there.
So many things wrong with this. Why would the city spend public money to allow problem alcoholics to keep drinking? Why not encourage them to stop drinking? And what do you tell homeless people who aren't alcoholics? That they're out of luck, and can't get an apartment unless they start? And the worst part of all:
Influential Bush administration officials have come to support this project, including the on-site drinking. John Meyers, director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's regional office here, said he blanched when he learned that his agency had pledged $2 million for it. He now calls 1811 Eastlake "a glorious experiment."That tells us a lot, doesn't it? Posted by Stephen Silver at July 6, 2006 03:21 PM