A Cruel Solution to Homelessness

PROVERBS 21:13 NLT 13 Those who shut their ears to the cries of the poor will be ignored in their own time of need. God loves all the people of the world -- rich and poor. His will is not that anyone should suffer or be forgotten. God loves those who are poor.

Ending Homelessness

Trump is promising to clean up the streets in our major cities. He'll rid us of crime. He'll kick pout the homeless. Being homeless will become a crime as they will be swept up, appear before a judge, be assessed a fine, they likely cannot pay and be jailed. fined, and put back in jail. Once released, their prospects are still not good. You need to earn more than $35 an hour around here to rent a place. Jobs available to these people pay a little over $16. They will still be homeless. They will get rearrested and processed though the system, again. 

So, you tell me these are junkies and drunks, the bottom dregs of our society, but is that the case? On any given night 60,000 families with children experience homelessness, They live in cars, shelters, tents abandoned buildings, or with friends and relatives. In California, where the housing crisis is critical, about a third of the homeless are families.

Here's how it works according to AI sources.

The "Homeless-Jail Cycle"

A revolving door: Frequent arrests can lead to a "homelessness-jail cycle".

Limited solutions: Instead of providing stable housing and support services, aggressive enforcement of quality-of-life ordinances often results in displacement, wasted resources, and increased health issues for homeless individuals.

Lack of alternatives: The legal system often leads to incarceration, which can hinder an individual's ability to find work, housing, and treatment, trapping them in a continuous cycle.
If we want to end homelessness we need to get at the root causes of homelessness

Housing.

There are currently two major contributors to the housing and homelessness crises: a lack of low cost housing nationwide and the limited scale of housing assistance programs. Nationally, the cost of rental housing greatly exceeds wages earned by low-income renter households.

To afford a two-bedroom apartment in Connecticut and avoid being "housing cost burdened" (spending more than 30% of your income on rent), you need to earn approximately $73,500 to $75,000 annually, or about $35.42 per hour for a full-time job. This figure is based on the 2025 "Out of Reach" report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) and Partnership for Strong Communities.

 

Why It Matters/The Root Cause

The Affordability Gap:

The report highlights a significant gap between the wages most Connecticut renters actually earn (around $22.69/hour) and the "housing wage" needed for a two-bedroom apartment.

Rising Costs:

The required income has increased, with 2025 figures showing a need for about $2,000 more per year than in 2024.

Is Trump's strategy about solutions or power? Power! He's showing his base he's tough on crime. 

Solutions won't be coming from the Trump administration. The proposed White House budget for 2026 cuts funding for affordable housing in half. Medicaid, healthcare for the working poor, is losing $911 billion. Food benefits are being cut $186 billion.

Where then? It will have to start at the community level, increasing awareness of the plight of the poor in this country. From there, action from community groups, cities, states, and regional organizations.

Oh, You'll Get Over It

 I've Heard This Before

But for me, some things will never settle. They are not meant to settle. In a way, it's like grief. There will always be feelings for something that is such a significant part of my life. So many things never would have happened if I hadn't responded to that call for volunteering at my local public radio station. That opportunity turned into a whole new direction for me, and  meaningful career of public service. I got to work with some really incredible people, and serve a remarkable audience.

But this isn't all about me. It is about the American people. The mission of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is to ensure universal access to content and services that educate, inform, promote civil discourse, and foster curiosity, with a particular focus on creative risk-taking and addressing the needs of unserved and underserved audiences. CPB stewards federal funding to support more than 1,500 local public media stations nationwide, enabling them to provide essential news, educational programming, and emergency information to all Americans. 

The President and his party doesn't see any value in this because it doesn't serve his agenda. In fact, he resents anything that might seem critical to him. He wants total control over messaging. Therefore, CPB, and Public Media must be eliminated.

About a week ago CPB's Patricia Harrison announced The Corporation for Public Broadcasting would be ending operations in a matter of weeks. And you know what is remarkable? The professionalism demonstrated by this letter under extremely difficult circumstances.

Patricia's letter is below.

August 1, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. (August 1, 2025) – The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced today that it will begin an orderly wind-down of its operations following the passage of a federal rescissions package and the release of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s FY 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-H) appropriations bill, which excludes funding for CPB for the first time in more than five decades.

For nearly 60 years, CPB has carried out its Congressional mission to build and sustain a trusted public media system that informs, educates, and serves communities across the country. Through partnerships with local stations and producers, CPB has supported educational content, locally relevant journalism, emergency communications, cultural programming, and essential services for Americans in every community.

“Despite the extraordinary efforts of millions of Americans who called, wrote, and petitioned Congress to preserve federal funding for CPB, we now face the difficult reality of closing our operations,” said CPB President and CEO Patricia Harrison. “CPB remains committed to fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities and supporting our partners through this transition with transparency and care.”

CPB informed its employees today that the majority of staff positions will conclude with the close of the fiscal year on September 30, 2025. A small transition team will remain through January 2026 to ensure a responsible and orderly closeout of operations. This team will focus on compliance, final distributions, and resolution of long-term financial obligations, including ensuring continuity for music rights and royalties that remain essential to the public media system.

“Public media has been one of the most trusted institutions in American life, providing educational opportunity, emergency alerts, civil discourse, and cultural connection to every corner of the country,” Harrison said. “We are deeply grateful to our partners across the system for their resilience, leadership, and unwavering dedication to serving the American people.”

CPB’s Board of Directors and management are working closely to address the legal, financial, and operational requirements of the closure. CPB will provide regular updates and guidance to stations and producers navigating the profound challenges ahead.

10 Steps to Autocracy

I saw a yard sign today. It read, "Fight Truth Decay." It's funny and serious all at once.

"Yes, we know he's outrageous, but we've got it all under control." That seemed to be Republican sentiment in 2017. That sentiment is no longer valid, because it no longer matters. What matters is the complete demolition of democracy in the the pursuit of absolute power.

Autocracy

There are ten steps to complete control, and all of them are in play right now. (From a variety of online sources including The Authoritarian Playbook, The Conversation, and Stacey Abrams.

1. Exploiting divisions and polarizing society: Autocratic leaders often thrive on societal divisions, stoking fear and distrust among different groups, according to The Commons Social Change Library.
2. Attacking independent institutions: This includes undermining the media, judiciary, and other checks and balances within a democratic system. They might attack these institutions through legal means or by installing loyalists.
3. Spreading disinformation and controlling information: Authoritarian regimes use propaganda and control media outlets to shape public perception and suppress dissenting voices.
4. Aggrandizing executive power: Leaders increase their authority, often through executive orders or constitutional changes, while weakening legislatures and other institutions that limit their power.
5. Targeting and silencing the opposition: This includes restricting the ability of political opponents and civil society organizations to operate, potentially through legal action, harassment, or violence.
6. Manipulating elections: While maintaining the facade of democracy, autocrats may rig elections through vote suppression, gerrymandering, or altering voting rules.
7. Exploiting nationalism and populism: Leaders appeal to a sense of national pride and popular resentment against elites or minorities to solidify their power base.
8. Using emergency powers to justify repression: Claiming a need to maintain order or address threats (real or perceived), leaders might declare states of emergency to bypass legal constraints and repress dissent.
9. Controlling the economy and rewarding loyalists: Autocratic leaders often use economic control and patronage networks to ensure elite support and keep the public dependent on the regime.
10. Exporting the model and collaborating with other autocracies: Authoritarian regimes may seek to expand their influence internationally and exchange strategies for maintaining power. 

Now what?

A United Front!

"Trumpism… is primarily about the acquisition of power — power for its own sake. It is a multifront assault to make the earth a playground for ruthless men, so of course any institutions that might restrain power must be weakened or destroyed. Trumpism is about ego, appetite and acquisitiveness and is driven by a primal aversion to the higher elements of the human spirit — learning, compassion, scientific wonder, the pursuit of justice. …

What is happening now is not normal politics. We’re seeing an assault on the fundamental institutions of our civic life, things we should all swear loyalty to — Democrat, independent or Republican. It’s time for a comprehensive national civic uprising. It’s time for Americans in universities, law, business, nonprofits and the scientific community, and civil servants and beyond to form one coordinated mass movement. Trump is about power. The only way he’s going to be stopped is if he’s confronted by some movement that possesses rival power. …I’m really not a movement guy. I don’t naturally march in demonstrations or attend rallies that I’m not covering as a journalist. But this is what America needs right now.” -David Brooks

We should just fire him

An At-Will Employee

(Our Will)

Trump is breaking all norms, but is he doing his job? According to his job description as set out by the National Archives and the Harry S. Truman Library he is not fulfilling his duties, but it is clear congress is not willing to do their job.

His job review is coming up next year with the mid-term elections. Since the current congress is unwilling to hold him accountable, and change is already overdue, he must be held to account for not following his duties as outlined by the job description. 

What happens if you refuse to follow the tasks as described in a job description? There are consequences. AI gave me this overview.

• Disciplinary Action:

  Employers may issue warnings, suspensions, or other disciplinary measures for insubordination or failure to fulfill job duties. 

Termination:

• In cases of repeated refusal or serious breach of job responsibilities, an employer may terminate the employee's contract. 

Legal Issues:

• In some situations, employees may have grounds to claim wrongful termination if they believe they were unfairly dismissed for refusing to perform tasks outside their job description or expertise. 

Keeping the Balance: What a President Can Do and Cannot Do

A PRESIDENT CAN . . .

• make treaties with the approval of the Senate.
• veto bills and sign bills.
• represent our nation in talks with foreign countries.
• enforce the laws that Congress passes.
• act as Commander-in-Chief during a war.
• call out troops to protect our nation against an attack.
• make suggestions about things that should be new laws.
• lead his political party.
• entertain foreign guests.
• recognize foreign countries.
• grant pardons.
• nominate Cabinet members and Supreme Court Justices and other high officials.
• appoint ambassadors.
• talk directly to the people about problems.
• represent the best interest of all the people

A PRESIDENT CANNOT . . .

• make laws.
• declare war.
• decide how federal money will be spent.
• interpret laws.
• choose Cabinet members or Supreme Court Justices without Senate approval.

Blind acceptance dulls your mind

 

There was a time when looking for solid advice about what I could do to stand against tyranny in affirmative ways didn't seem all that important. Times have changed. The following is from 20 Lesson For Fighting Tyranny. Historian and Andrew Carnegie Fellow Timothy Snyder suggests ways to defend democracy with individual actions. I've selected four of the 20 ideas that resonate with me. There's a link to all 20 below.

1. Believe in truth. To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then no one can criticize power because there is no basis upon which to do so. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights. 
2. The barrage of mis-statements and lies can seem overwhelming. It's deliberate.  He wants us to cave.
3. Do not obey in advance. Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.
4. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.
5. Five million protesters is a gaudy number, but not nearly the numbers needed to create a lasting change.  It's only a beginning. Small groups working together will make a difference. This requires we make it our intention to stay informed. 
6. Investigate. Figure things out for yourself. Spend more time with long articles. Subsidize investigative journalism by subscribing to print media. Realize that some of what is on the Internet is there to harm you. Learn about sites that investigate propaganda campaigns (some of which come from abroad). Take responsibility for what you communicate to others.

1. https://www.carnegie.org/our-work/article/twenty-lessons-fighting-tyranny/

Public Broadcasting's Future

Uncertainty

The future of public broadcasting is in doubt. Trump wants to zero out current funding. He can do that by asking Congress for a recission. 

This not about saving federal dollars. CPB's federal appropriation is modest: roughly one one-hundredth of a percent (0.01%) of the federal budget. CPB is distinct from NPR and PBS and does not produce programming or own, operate, or manage any public media stations. -opb.org. 

This is about retribution. "President Trump is looking to go after PBS and NPR to settle political scores and muzzle the free press, while undermining foreign assistance programs that push back on China's malign influence, save lives, and address other bipartisan priorities," (-Sen. Schumer) Foreign aid is part of this order for recission by Trump.

Will he get his way?

 I remember observing focus groups for Audience 88 and Audience 98. One of the questions asked about the importance of public radio. What would you do if public radio were to disappear? We were asking our audience why they found public radio important in a crowded media environment. It is now up to Congress to decide if Trump can pull all funding for NPR and PBS. It's called a recission of funding. Most Republicans say they support this idea. If public media is important to you, speak up now! You will get talking points back, but it is sheer numbers that will impress Congress.

And what did we discover about our listeners? They considered themselves to be citizens of the world. They appreciated how we were able to put stories a broader context, and they understood the interconnectedness of our shared experience.  

Contact Congress

U.S. House of Representatives:
* Telephone:  202-225-3121
* Website:  http://www.house.gov/ 

U.S. Senate:
* Telephone:  202-224-3121
* Website:  http://www.senate.gov/

Find your member of Congress and contact him or her:
Contact your Representative
Contact your Senator

Insights into Action

These four passages offer insights into my core values and beliefs. All of these inspire. All of these shout, "Take action, don't remain silent. There's always more to be done." Being informed and digging deeper is a really important catalyst for motivation.

I invite you to immerse yourself and find the truth.

Good news is not the spiritual and intellectual property of males only or of a particular religion. And true discipleship or learning involves dialogue, mutuality, and humility.

Inspired by Acts 16: 9-15

As we strive for a vision of a peaceful earth, may we recognize that true nonviolence is not weakness but a sacred trust in humanity’s God-given capacity to grow, to change, and to choose the plowshare over the sword.

Inspired by Isaiah

May the Lord torment you. May the Lord disturb you. May the Lord keep before you the faces of the despised, rejected, lonely and oppressed. May the Lord give you strength and courage and compassion to make this a better world. And may you do your very best to make this a better city, a better state, a better world. And after you have done your best, may the Lord grant you peace. Amen.

UMC Bishop White

It is estimated that at least 300,000 individuals, mostly children, have died because of the slash in funding for USAID. That's according to NPR, PBS, The Times, ProPublica, and the NYTimes. The journalists reporting on this issue have sourced everything in their reporting. Of course, Marco Rubio denies this, but offers no sources that back his assertions. His denials will not make this go away.

The Hollow Men

The administration thinks mercy, empathy, and generosity are signs of weakness. His spiritual advisors proclaim empathy is a sin. They are bereft of any compassion.

I first became aquatinted with the concept of the hollow man in the 60's. The counter culture thought the establishment were the plastic people. They told us their conformity got us through the Great Depression and World War II. We rebelled against that conformity. But it wasn't conformity that got us through the 30's and first half of the 40's, it was unity. It was disparate communities coming together that got us through perilous times. We both had it wrong. 

Then later, a song by Sam Philips broadened my awareness about what TS Elliott was writing about in The Hollow Men.

        You try to tell the world how it should spin

        But you live in terror with the hollow men

        Who stun you with their lies

        With fever in their eyes as they drown you

        From "Baby, I Can't Please You."

The current administration is the essence of the Hollow Men. TS Elliott's poem depicts a world populated by "hollow men," who are spiritually and morally bankrupt, lacking purpose and meaning in their lives. The poem uses imagery and allusions to convey this sense of decay and despair.

“This is the way the world ends.

This is the way the world ends.

This is the way the world ends.

Not with a bang but a whimper.”

― T.S. Eliot, The Hollow Men

Not if we unify against the hollow men. Unity is a concept of oneness where individuals join together by finding common ground. When I searched for a better definition, I came up with a couple of things. Notice there is not a duality, instead there is inclusiveness.

The concept of oneness is a multifaceted idea, generally referring to a sense of unity, interconnectedness, and a transcendence of boundaries or separations. It can be understood as a state of being whole, complete, and harmonized, with different interpretations arising in spiritual, philosophical, and psychological contexts.

Divine Essence

In the spiritual context there is divine essence. Many spiritual traditions believe that a divine force or energy permeates all of existence, and that individuals are part of this same essence.

Embrace the diversity. Find value in each of us. It is a force that is much stronger than fascism.