By Fred Bloom

Daily Titan Staff Writer

They hold signs near freeway off-ramps or busy intersections, sleep in dry riverbeds and ask for money outside of local convenience stores.

The homeless can be seen almost everywhere.

Many cities are already affected by homelessness, and it is a growing concern due to the economic downturn.

Local budgets are decreasing drastically and setting up more shelters and soup kitchens is probably not reasonable for most cities.

But busing them out of town costs money too.

Rather than focusing efforts on ridding the city of homeless people, the money could be better spent attacking the root of the problem.

Sure, having homeless people in a city is an eyesore, but they rarely cause harm.

If a homeless person harms anyone, it is more than likely to be another homeless person.

I do not understand why local governments would pay to bus the homeless out of the city, except in special circumstances such as uniting a homeless person with a family member willing to take them in.

But what is the point of loading the homeless onto a bus and shipping them to another city?

Do people believe there is a chance they will come together to form some kind of bum utopia and learn to thrive?

Homeless people are often nomadic.

Even if they are bussed out, they can find a way back. Eventually, they will move on to another city if they are left alone.

I once worked at a grocery store that was a hot spot for the homeless; they would buy food and alcohol and use the restroom.

I did try to stay away from them as often as I could. Not because I was afraid of them, but because they smelled.

When I did interact with the homeless, it was completely harmless and often amusing. I heard some very interesting stories with valuable life lessons.

Their interactions with each other are usually more entertaining.

They vehemently argue in public places and are not afraid to speak their minds.

If you have seen any of the installments of the “Bumfights” series, you know that the homeless know how to put on a show.

I am not suggesting that anyone gather the change from the couch and go find a homeless person and attempt to pay them to do stunts while you videotape it.

However, I think cities and citizens should embrace the homeless. We should all learn to live more as if we have nothing to lose.

By Jeremiah Magan

Daily Titan Opinion Editor

The homeless situation in this country is a rapidly growing problem.

According to the Public Law Center, “Nearly 35,000 individuals and families become homeless in Orange County each year.”

The Los Angeles Times reported in March that there are an estimated 75,000 homeless in Los Angeles County on any given night.

It is understandable that local government officials and law enforcement officers would be less than ecstatic about having a large homeless population within their city limits.

The homeless often create uncomfortable situations for citizens and business owners.

People going to a grocery store or the bank do not enjoy being asked for their spare change. If this type of behavior persists, it can be expected that people will begin to avoid areas where homeless people are prominent, which will hurt local businesses.

The situation is not hopeless; there are solutions to the problem of homeless people on the streets.

If building and funding a homeless shelter within the city limits is not a possibility, then it is entirely feasible for city officials and law enforcement agents to encourage their homeless to move to a city better equipped to assist them.

Local governments and residents cannot be expected to take care of homeless people just because they happened to end up there. They should exercise some measure of compassion when dealing with them, but it is unfair to expect every city to foot the bill just because someone wandered up to a 7-Eleven and started begging.

There were allegations in 2006 that the City of Bellflower was dumping its homeless in areas like Skid Row for the sole purpose of getting them out of the city, according to the LA Times. This is not the answer.

Sending homeless people to a desolate region only gives the homeless a place to congregate. More needs to be done to ensure that they can become productive members of society.

There are organizations like the LA Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness and the Midnight Mission that work toward helping the homeless get back on their feet. But these programs are not able to establish themselves everywhere.

They are often centralized in one place and can only help those who come to them. For example, the Opportunity Bus Pass Program, which is located in Lancaster, sends homeless people to places where they have family or can seek other means of assistance.

Sending the homeless to a place where they can be helped just makes sense.