Great idea.
Especially with so much wealth going around today.

In this week's Democratic debate in Las Vegas, John Edwards highlighted how often military veterans are left behind after they serve. �Tonight across this country, 200,000 men and women who wore our uniform and served this country patriotically, veterans, will go to sleep under bridges and on grates,� Edwards said. Fox News� Bill O�Reilly, talking with progressive talk-show host Ed Schultz, wasn�t impressed, saying, "If you know where�s a veteran, sleeping under a bridge, you call me immediately, and we will make sure that man does not do it, is not there." It was one of those times when it�s a very good thing O�Reilly speaks before he thinks.

How much per person does that $1 million per year equate to? My sense is that such actions do more to salve our collective conscience than to actually solve the problem. True homelessness is certainly an issue that derserves attention. However, my experience with the homeless population is that most of them choose that life, as difficult as it is for many of us to understand. They like it. The responsibilities of 'normal' life are more than they can handle.

My grandfather used to tell me that I could lead a horse to water but couldn't make him drink. We all have freedom of choice. Billions of dollars are spent each year on programs dealing with homelessness and associated, contibuting issues. Yet, the problem remains and grows. Largely because the majority of those affected choose the life. Its easier than getting educated, getting and keeping a job, giving up the addictions, seeking medical help and consistently taking the meds.

There are ample opportunities available to learn how to fish. Sadly, the population we are talking about are generally willing to just take the parts of my catch that I don't want or can afford to give them.

A good idea but overly simplistic.

Keep in mind... many homeless choose that lifestyle willingly. Even given a home, money, job, etc, they just choose to leave it all behind and live a life less static. Many of us would find that uncomfortable, others find living in one place, with a job, kids and possessions tieing them down is not the way they want to live.

The solution isn't always as simple as... If homeless, give them a home. If poor, give them money, etc. Simplistic solutions fall into the "Give them a fish" vs the "Teach them to fish" approach.

This approach is better than nothing though.

Well, the above postings are interesting but I think the way to think about the problem is to focus on those who are not mentally ill, and for one reason or the other are in a jam and need our help.
This should be easy to do with a simple interview process.

Do you have to be mentally ill to want to live a transient lifestyle?

Though the homeless should be allowed to go almost anywhere they want without harassment, they should at least have the decency to go where people aren't trying to enjoy themselves. Stay away from the art museums and movie theaters. Do your loitering and panhandling outside places where people aren't having fun, like the DMV or dry cleaners.

And, if I may make a request to any homeless person reading this, please don't ask for money from people with children. Trying to explain your miserable plight to a child is one of the hardest things a parent can do. They're too young to understand what makes certain people fall through the cracks of society, and it's not fair of you to force parents' hands with your presence.

The homeless need to understand that other people have feelings, too, and that it's really pretty selfish of them to display their suffering out in the open like that. If they must be someplace where everyone can see them, can't they at least fake a smile? A smile is free, after all. Even a homeless person can afford that

I can't help but wonder what could be accomplished if all the money and resources spent on rescuing/sheltering/providing medical care to homeless animals was instead spent on helping human beings?

Why should YOU care about someone else's lifestyle, "2bits?"

I'm not "worried" about anyone's lifestyle Anonymous. I'm just pointing out that we don't have to try to "Fix" everything. Many of these people are not broken and don't need us to fix them. They are living the life they choose and we don't need to pound them until they fit into our mold of what "normal" is.