She's 97....and Homeless

[Thickasabrick]

She's 97 years old and homeless. Bessie Mae Berger has her two boys, and that's about all.

She and sons Larry Wilkerson, 60, and Charlie Wilkerson, 62, live in a 1973 Chevrolet Suburban they park each night on a busy Venice street.

For the most part, it's a lonely life -- days spent passing the time away in public parks, parking lots and shopping centers around the Westside.

Occasionally, when they need cash, Bessie sits by the side of the road and seeks handouts. She holds a cardboard sign in her lap: "I am 97 years old. Homeless. Broke. Need help please."

This has attracted attention -- both wanted and unwanted.

Randall Zook, a Culver City TV advertising producer, pulled over on a recent day when he saw her holding the sign in front of a Costco on Washington Boulevard.

"This little lady hit me deeply. I said I have to do something. I just can't pass by her," Zook said. "I went over and talked to her and was moved by her dignity. She wasn't begging. She just asked, 'Do you have a home for me?' "

Zook didn't, but he gave her "more money than I've ever given anyone."

For everyone who gives, there are many others who just drive by or simply stare.

"It makes me feel like I'm a bum," Bessie said. "I don't mind living at the mercy of the public because some of the public is good -- they're nice to me. But there are some that are nasty. Some of them laugh at me and my sign. They say they don't think I'm 97 years old."

Reaching slowly into a pocket, she pulls out a laminated California state identification card that shows her date of birth: March 2, 1912.

More - there is also a great audio portion: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bessie16-2009oct16,0,7618199.story

[Liberal_in_LA]

1. OMG! !!!!!!!!!!!! What a tragedy. Hopefully the article will get this woman a home

[maryf]

55. Hopefully the article will make folks realize that homelessness comes in

all ages, sizes, circumstances; everyone has their story and the number one cause of homelessness is lack of decent, affordable housing. Human needs first! Housing, food, health care, jobs!!

[liberalhistorian]

67. Unfortunately, there are way too many people right here on

DU who are absolutely vicious regarding the homeless and homeless issues, it's really sickening. I'm not sure anything will get through to them about it. I can hear them now. She should have saved more, she should have raised her sons so that they'd do better than being a bum, she shouldn't have spent what she had frivolously, which is what she must have done to end up like this, she should try and get a job, why isn't she working, yaddayaddablahblahblahblahblah. Like I said, sickening.

[Name removed]

78. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[create.peace]

131. rusty 1973 Suburban....not a minivan! nt

[TheEuclideanOne]

169. Not seeing them here.

Can't recall too many threads that I have read with the reactions you are describing. Perhaps you are overgeneralizing?

[HowHasItComeToThis]

185. IT ALL STARTED WITH RONALD RAYGUN

FROM THE HEART OF DISNEYLAND

[roguevalley]

66. this poor family. I COULD JUST SCREAM when something like this

comes to light. Donald Trump and his kind, may they die of a dread disease. 97 years old, frail, sickly. This is not how she should end. She was once a strong young person full of dreams and hope. I salute her sons. THey must be sick to death.

[SallyMander]

2. This makes me want to cry

I wish that I could buy her a house. :(

[JerseygirlCT]

3. Wow. If that doesn't bring the problem right home to people

in the most visceral way...

[ccharles000]

4. so very sad

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

5. In tears here. This is fucking heartbreaking. We are a 3rd world nation!

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. Howzabout them there Wall Street Bonuses??? Makes me want

to bail somebody out, right across their jawbone.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

11. I was just thinking about all the corporate welfare as I'm sitting here crying over this.

We are all bugs to them.

[liberalhistorian]

69. Oh, the Wall Street corporatist toads

with their wallets fat with taxpayer money, who spend their careers thinking up yet more ways to screw hardworking people over and take even more of what little they have will, indeed, be answering to a higher power when it comes time for their final checks to be cashed. And I sure wouldn't want to be them at that time. Too bad they also won't be asked answer to the more mortal powers-that-be in THIS life.

[undeterred]

6. I hate seeing anyone like this

and knowing that the resources are already overwhelmed in most places.

Yesterday I saw a young man holding a cardboard sign that said "NO FOOD NO HOME NO JOKE".

[PSzymeczek]

72. The other day I saw a guy

whose sign said, "Why Lie? I Want a Beer."

[Clintonista2]

92. I saw that one in Santa Monica a few years ago

[valerief]

7. I wonder if civilized countries have homeless people (who don't want to be). Probably not.

That's what makes them civilized.

[hughee99]

17. Sweden has them...

as does France, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Finland, and the Netherlands. I'm not sure which countries you consider "civilized", but the ones that jumped to the top of my head first all have homelessness, to varying degrees.

[valerief]

34. Thanks.

:hi:

[dflprincess]

86. But in Sweden..

http://www.thelocal.se/6293/20070203/

Government to tackle Sweden's homelessness
Published: 3 Feb 07 13:28 CET

Dictionary tool Double click on a word to get a translation

Nobody in Sweden should be forced to live on the streets, public health minister Maria Larsson has promised, vowing to reduce the number of evictions carried out in Sweden. The minister announced a national strategy to combat homelessness.

Larsson told a gathering of her Christian Democrat Party in Linköping that different government agencies need to work better to stop people getting locked out of the housing market.

"Everyone should be guaranteed a roof over their head, and be offered continued, coordinated help based on individual need," the minister said as she presented the homelessness strategy.

The National Board of Health and Welfare is to be asked to come up with a proposal for monitoring the success of the new strategy. A plan will be drawn up to detail how various government agencies can help achieve the new targets. The plan will be complete by June.

The strategy will cover the years 2007 to 2009, and an evaluation will be delivered in 2010.

We don't hear much about the our government doing much about homelessness...unless they're cutting funds to programs that deal with it.

[hughee99]

90. These are issues that the Swedish government has worked on for a long time

it gets better, and then worse, and then they try a new approach. It's not for lack of effort or caring on their part, it's just a complex problem to resolve. That was my point. Even "enlightened" governments haven't figured it out just yet, it's not solely a result of American politicians not caring enough.

[dflprincess]

91. But at least the Swedes care enough to try

the same can't be said of many American politicians.

[question everything]

117. Sadly, our government, and the CA and LA governments

are broke and cannot help.

But then, we have all the bonuses of investment bankers and brokers who are so certain that they've earned them.

[valerief]

178. And there's always plenty of WAR MONEY. nt

[Demeter]

165. Yes. Chronic Alcoholics Sprawled in the Public Parks

in the snows of Finland. People cannot use these parks because they are permanently occupied. And why do these people not live in the housing provided? Because of the rules.

[roody]

63. Cuba does not have homelessness.

[liberalhistorian]

71. Yes, but Cuba has also not been permitted to elect their

own leaders and representatives for fifty years now. Nor are they given full rights to full and free political, social, cultural and literary expression. And I'm sure they DO have some homelessness, it's just hidden and not permitted to be shown in the press or talked about.

[katkat]

132. pretty sure is not sure

And just because you don't like their government, there's no denying their people in general have more of a safety net.

They have public heathcare, and a longer life expectancy than U.S. citizens.

They did have a fat cat obscenely wealthy upper class in the time of the U.S.-supported torturer Batista, until Castro overthrew him. Those cretins mostly fled to Florida.

[NoSheep]

161. A lot of good it's done us, huh? Being able to freely "elect our own leaders" and all.

[valerief]

179. Ha! You said it! We're free to be broke and homeless. They're about the only RIGHTS we're assured.

:rofl:

WTF am I laughing?

:shrug:

[NoSheep]

192. Same reason I am I guess. They can't take my sick sense of humor!

[Rebubula]

144. LOL...

...and there is no racism or poverty either???

Cuba is certainly not as bad as is portrayed by some, but to hold it up as some Utopian paradise where every one is fed and treated the same is simply myopic.

I suggest you get out of your Che books and talk to some expats in Miami if you want some truth to the Cuban paradise.

[roody]

166. I hope I can immigrate to Cuba, so I will be cared for

when I am old. I don't want to be on the street like people here.

[RaleighNCDUer]

154. All nations have some cracks in their social safety net -

but in civilized countries the few who fall through are in the .05% range. Here, fully 1% of our population, 3 million out of 300 million, are homeless. That puts us in 3rd world range.

[Warpy]

9. Meanwhile, housing is being held off the market

completely so that prices of houses on the market and of rentals will continue to be supported at unacceptable levels, far above what Mrs. Wilkerson and her two sons can possibly afford on two Social Security checks in California.

It's not like anyone over 60 has much of a chance at starting over from scratch. It's not like they can get anything but a dead end, low level job with poor pay.

Even my right wing father admitted that this country is great at creating wealth but terrible at distributing it.

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. Together they receive $1022 and $300 in food stamps. shame they can't rent a studio apt or something

They live mostly on Bessie's $375 monthly Social Security check, Charlie's $637 disability payments, Larry's $300 food stamp allocation and cash from bottles and cans they collect and recycle.

[kestrel91316]

32. If they could get OUT of CA and go someplace with a much lower

cost of living, they could get by. Trying to stay in CA is half the problem. Studios go for $800 and up, but I guarantee the landlord wouldn't let 3 people be on the lease for a studio.

[grace0418]

38. If you move anywhere else besides a few select locations (like SoCal), you end up

having to face long, bitter cold winters should you become homeless. It absolutely kills me to see homeless people in Chicago during some of the winters we have. It hurts to be outside for more than five minutes, and that's with a full complement of warm, dry clothes, heavy boots, coat, hat, scarf and gloves. If I were getting down to my last few hundred bucks with no prospects in sight, I would use that money for a bus ticket out of Chicago, that's for sure. Homelessness sucks no matter what, but it's positively lethal here.

[Odin2005]

83. IMO this is why us Minnsotans are so liberal.

The homeless and near-homeless poor can freeze to death if they did not have help.

[dysfunctional press]

106. hardly.

"If you move anywhere else besides a few select locations (like SoCal), you end up having to face long, bitter cold winters should you become homeless."

a "few select locations"? :crazy:

you mean like the ENTIRE southern U.S.?

[LanternWaste]

173. Texas doesn't have bitter winters?

Texas doesn't have cold, bitter winters and people who die from the December and January elements? That's news to me.

[dysfunctional press]

191. texas is a big state...

and just one of the states in the south.
and no- the VAST majority of texas DOES NOT have cold bitter winters.
sugar cane grows in texas, and it wouldn't survive where there's cold bitter winters.

next?

[LanternWaste]

194. I would imagine a winter's worth of exposure

I would imagine a winter's worth of exposure to the winter elements in the Rio Grande valley is not something most people would live through.

Previous?

[dysfunctional press]

195. and what cities would that include?

in case you hadn't noticed- most homeless people don't make their stays in rural or wilderness areas.

[cutlassmama]

12. This is sad beyond belief. Aren't there medicaid run nursing homes?

IIt seems that someone 97 years old and homeless should qualify for something!?!?

[Liberal_in_LA]

14. I read the full article...their insistence on staying together is holding them back from housing

and, definitely, no homeless shelter will allow men and women together.

[liberalhistorian]

70. I can certainly understand where they're coming from,

and it's admirable and heartwarming to see a parent and grown children so close and devoted to each other. However, if that were my mother, I'd be concerned, first and foremost, with getting her into a safe, warm, dry permanent dwelling place where I knew she'd be well-cared-for, which she's more than earned at her age. I'd be doing my best to convince her of the necessity of that and to put her own needs first, for once, instead of those of her children.

Of course, there's the question then of how often they'd actually be able to visit her and spend time with her, given their own precarious situation. A real heartbreaking dilemma all around.

[verdalaven]

24. I thought the same thing

The nursing home where I work is very nice, a County facility, and would be better for Bessie than living in a vehicle. I understand they don't want to be parted, and certainly no age is suited for living on the streets, but at 97, she should not have to endure that hardship.

I hope they find something soon.

[Alameda]

50. she needs a home, not a nursing home

There is subsidized housing, but it isn't easy go jump through the hoops necessary to get one....that is the problem.

[dflprincess]

103. There's usually long waiting lists for housing subsidies as well

In some areas, the waiting lists are so long they're "closed" and no new names are being accepted. And, once you're on the lists it can take years to finally get housing.

[Stardust]

119. My sister was on a waiting list for Section 8 for over five years. Sadly,

we got a call from them last month...2 years after she passed away.

[demodonkey]

84. Many nursing homes are hellholes. Seriously understaffed and profit (not patient) centered.

Chances are this lady will be dead in a few months, should she become a resident of some of these nursing homes.

Besides, this lady seems to be in full control of her faculties; why should she have to become a "patient" simply because she is old?

There should be a program to help Bessie AND her sons live together somewhere as a family.

[Chulanowa]

97. I work in a nursing home

And while I've seen this situation you're talking about (We had to yank my grandmother out of such a place) I can definitely say they're in a minority, or that -at least- there are plenty of good homes.

[Mojorabbit]

124. I have spent the past two evenings

sitting with a family member in a nursing home for rehab after a broken hip. I have never seen such dismal care. Luckily we take shifts to stay with her and hire a sitter for he night. Two hours and multiple requests to get a pain pill delivered to the room. The place is beautiful but it is a facade.
They are understaffed as hell.

[Chulanowa]

196. We're understaffed often as well

See, there's a trick... A lot of nursing homes do provide housing to homeless elderly in need of care. We have a few orphaned grandparents ourselves. Caring for these folks does cost money, and that often means it's the employees who take the bite, or things like food quality, or even switching to one-ply. especially since a lot of states are cutting funding to elder care facilities.

There's a difference between "hellhole" and "stretched thin". I of course place no blame on the people we take in in this way, but I do notice that none of the managers ever seem to get shorted on hours.

[Brigid]

99. I work in a nursing home too.

And while you may be correct that a nursing home is not the right place for her -- and certainly not for her sons -- just let me point out that providing a safe, clean, dignified place for those who do need nursing home care is no easy task. Not by any means are they all hellholes.

[demodonkey]

116. My 49 yr old brother went into a nursing home for therapy for a broken shoulder & ended up dead.

A high-functioning autistic (asperger's) and type 1 diabetic, my brother developed TWO concurrent drug-resistant infections, his blood sugar went to 1300 (1300 NOT a misprint) and then he had a fatal brain hemorrhage while he was in a nursing home for physical therapy. At age 49. And he was basically physically healthy (other than the well-controlled diabetes & the broken shoulder) when he went in. The so-called "care" was THAT horrible.

My mother had a stroke several years ago, she has been in and out of 5 nursing homes for therapy since. Some were horrible and none were particularly good. I was constantly calling the Ombudsmen and State Health Department at most of the places. My mother actually deteriorated in function and I never slept through a whole night when she was in one of those places, worrying constantly about her care (and lack thereof.)

I am now providing care for my mother AT HOME so I know full well that caregiving is not easy. But a real HOME is the correct place for just about anyone to be. No one should EVER be forced into a nursing home simply because of age or lack of another place to live. That is wrong, wrong, WRONG on so many levels it turns my stomach.

In the case of this dear lady, I almost can guarantee you that separating her from her sons and sticking her in one of these places will be a short-order death sentence.

I hope that someone gets them a house or apartment -- a real home -- and some genuine help.

[Rozlee]

101. Yep, you're right about nursing homes.

As a retired RN, I can attest that they are just holding centers for the Grim Reaper. Peoples' spirits crumble when they go to those places.I know anything's better than the streets, but if any kind of independent living is available, that's the best choice. Still, getting that poor little old lady into a shelter should be consideration #1 for the short term. Her boys can visit her. She can lay down for a change instead of be hunched over in the seat of a car, that poor thing. I, too, don't understand why her sons don't insist she stay in a shelter. I may be mean to say it, but are they just pimping her out to panhandle because she's 97 and will bring them more money? I guess that was mean. If it was me, I wouldn't want to be separated from my kids either; even if they did pimp me out, those ungrateful brats.

[Faygo Kid]

13. Rush Limbaugh's America.

Or Mitch McConnell, or John Boehner.

Doesn't matter. Nothing is going to change.

[Xenotime]

182. I'm sure that fat cat is proud.

[bobbolink]

15. Then look at this other post, and understand what she will be subjected to:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6803564

This woman most likely doesn't need "services"... most likely, she is not alcoholic, a druggie, a con, or "mentally ill".

SHE NEEDS A HOME TO LIVE IN.

Yet, with the services described above, she will be subjected to intrusive "services", invading her privacy and considering her "troublesome".

Maybe this will penetrate....?

[sandnsea]

28. That's what Housing First does

Puts people in the apartment FIRST. If this woman and her sons don't need any assistance after that, it will be clear. Most certainly social service workers have got plenty to do otherwise. For those who do need help, Housing First has been proven to relieve so much stress that people are much better able to deal with any other problems they might have. It's a good thing. Some homeless people do need more help than just a home or job.

[maryf]

56. Keep sayin' it Bobbie!!

Homelessness means no home!! to stop homelessness the government must provide homes!

[bobbolink]

174. And look at the hate I get when I DO keep saying it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6803564

Isn't it interesting that those who would scream bloody murder if FEMINISTS were subjected to this much "oversight", or if people of color were subjected to being personally hounded, or if gays were forced to submit to being constantly watched, find it RIGHT that those who are poor are treated in this manner, simply because they are poor?

The RW sometimes has NOTHING on the control issues of "progressives"!!

[maryf]

197. The poor

can't really be categorized easily, all shapes, sizes, colors, genders, situations; anybody can be poor, or become poor; but some people don't want to think about that because it means it could happen to them, they don't want to think that maybe these folks are more like them than they know...(sorry so late with this Bobbie...)

[Xicano]

16. Very sad....

This is the kind of thing that brings tears to my eyes. How can we call ourselves a civilized society when our society allows this?

When I look at that picture of her, it not only moves me to tears, but it makes me remember those types of people like we heard over the Eron tapes laughing at taking grandma's money away.

Our system needs to be dismantled and replaced back with democracy of the people, for the people, by the people.


:cry:

[G_j]

18. --

:cry::mad:

[Christa]

19. Oh no

:cry: :cry: :cry:

I don't have much but I feel like a millionaire now

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[Lone_Star_Dem]

20. It seems so wrong that there's no program to help her and let her keep her sons with her

She's 97-years old and they're her only family for crying-out-loud, it really doesn't seem as if that should be too much to ask for. :(

[chatnoir]

21. Omg, this is shameful

What is wrong with this greedy, selfish country??

Bessie spent her young adulthood in Northern California and worked as a packer for the National Biscuit Co. until she was in her 60s. She gave birth to 11 children, eight of whom are still living. She remains in contact only with Charlie and Larry, who were both born in San Francisco, grew up in Santa Rosa and have high school educations.

...

They thought Bessie had finally qualified for federal Section 8 housing -- she had been promised a rental voucher, they say. But then she needed surgery to replace a pacemaker and spent three months in a recovery center. Housing authorities in Northern California awarded the voucher to someone else during her absence, according to her sons.

So where are her other 6 kids and why aren't they pitching together to help their mom? They should be ashamed of themselves.

And even if the kids are selfish asses, social services should make sure a 97 yo woman is not on the streets.

What is wrong with us...

[liberalhistorian]

73. What the hell is wrong with six children that they

can't come together and keep their 97-year-old mother off the streets and make sure she's well-cared-for? What the HELL is wrong with adults who'd allow their parents to be in such a situation and not give a damn or lift a finger to help? I don't care WHAT the parent did to them while growing up, or how crazy they may drive you in adulthood, you do NOT leave your elderly parent in such a situation, you just don't.

[Dora]

77. Wow.

I strongly disagree with your opinion.

[liberalhistorian]

114. Really? You have no problem with the fact that adult children

allow their very elderly parents to be homeless and living in a car, that they make no effort to assist them at all? You disagree with the fact that adults who do that to their parents should be nothing less than fully ashamed of themselves? Really? WOW.

[Dora]

155. There are some parents who have done terrible, horrible things to their children.

I do disagree with your opinion. There are no facts in your statement. Nonetheless, your outrage, indignation, whatever it is, is certainly palpable.

I am fortunate to have positive family relationships. But I have known adults who have had intensely traumatic childhoods caused by abusive parents. I would never presume to pass judgment on someone if they choose to cut all ties with an abusive parent.

Some adults can find it in themselves to forgive an abusive parent, and attend to that parent's end of life needs. Some can't, and some shouldn't. Abusive people have to learn the consequences of their behavior. For some people, being abandoned at the end of their life is the only possible outcome for the poison and havoc they've saturated their children's lives with.

[ourbluenation]

158. I missed the part where she was an abusive parent. n/t

[Dora]

168. I didn't say that she was.

I was responding to someone else's broad-brush generalization.

[liberalhistorian]

160. Maybe my outrage is "palpable" because I hate seeing

abuse and neglect and abandonment of any kind, even against abusers themselves once they're old. And I'm not talking out of my ass here, either. My stepdad was an abusive alcoholic while I was growing up. He's in a nursing home now with dementia at a fairly young age and I have every intention of seeing to it that he and my mom are well-cared for and safe. Period. I also visit as much as I can whenever I'm back home, two or three times a year. And there's no indication that she was abusive or anything like that.

The fact that you can look at an extremely elderly person like that and put qualifications on whether there should be compassion and help for her says more about you than anything else.

[Dora]

171. I agree. Everyone is deserving of compassion.

Compassion comes from many places. None of us are obligated to act with compassion, but many people choose to. It can be a wonderful demonstration of the healing power of forgiveness when an adult takes on the caregiving responsibilities for the aged abusive parent.

I disagreed with your opinion that all children who choose not to take care of an aged parent should be ashamed. I still do. I was never speaking about this particular woman or her position.

The fact that you can make blind generalizations about hypothetical families and announce that shame is the best possible outcome says more about you than your outrage does.

[Dora]

193. Interesting article related to this discussion

This is in today's NYT. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/20/health/20mind.html

I'm sharing this just because it illustrates the point I was trying to make. Sometimes it's necessary for an adult child to cut ties with a parent. It's done not out of malice towards the abusive parent, but done in order to live a happy, healthy life.

[Swamp Rat]

22. Sad and all too common.

[stray cat]

23. There are nursing homes that would have to take her in

but it would require some paperwork

[Lone_Star_Dem]

26. She and her sons want to remain together

They're trying to find an arrangement where she won't be forced away from her family.

[SoCalDem]

27. It's very sad that both of her sons lack the wherewithal to care for her

Surely there's a place for them.. maybe now the notoriety will shine a light on their problem.

Perhaps a distant relative will see them, and re-connect..

[democracy1st]

25. her sons need to get her to a nursing home

[GoCubsGo]

29. Good point...

She SHOULD be covered by Medicare. But, the way things are now, that's no guarantee...

[liberalhistorian]

74. Medicare doesn't cover long-term care.

You're thinking of Medicaid. I'm sure she'd qualify at this point.

[Fire1]

33. Nursing Homes are FOR PROFIT institutions. THAT'S #1.

Secondly, you obviously have no idea what happens to indigent patients in alternative nursing or gov't run facilities. Thirdly, her sons are keeping her alive in more ways than you can fathom. She has SOMETHING AND SOMEONE TO LIVE FOR and THAT'S how she sees it!!
At 60 something years of age, THEY themselves are most likely victims of lay-offs, downsizing and outsourcing.

This country just sucks, big time.

[democracy1st]

125. and you must be loosing your mind if you think living on the streets is better than a nursing home

[Fire1]

190. You're obviously ignorant. n/t

[winyanstaz]

45. That will make sure she dies quick....

I worked for a nursing home once. I quit after getting into a big fight with my boss.
I had busted one of the care workers spraying an eighty year old (almost blind with her eye problems by the way)..directly in the face and eyes with an extremely hot water..high pressure hose!..All because the lady didnt want to take a bath until after her daughter had come to visit later on that day and she had just had her hair done.
When I took the hose away from the other caregiver and took over the care (she was not my patient)...I was the one that was in big trouble.
I also quit because they had us taking care of 15 patients each. That is just abuse. You cannot possibly take care of 15 old people without having to leave some on the toilet for ages or some dont get a bath before doctors rounds etc or get turned as often as they need it to avoid bed sores.
I also was angry when they wouldnt even blow the nose of some little old lady that was drowning in snot from a cold..because they said..she had signed papers to just let her die.
I just couldnt take all the crap.
Todays nursing homes are all about the bottom line and NOT about the care of patients.

[liberalhistorian]

75. That's why my mom and I were very careful about

the nursing home we finally had to put my stepdad in when she was finally unable to care for him at home with his advanced dementia that started at a fairly early age. I'd previously worked in one that was just as you described, plus, being in the legal field, I was well aware of the dangers of many of them as well as their la-di-da attitude about treating the elderly well and they're often being all-too-eager to cover up any abuse, neglect and/or mistreatment by staff, or any medical mistakes. Fortunately, he's in a good place that we investigated thoroughly and mom also keeps them on their toes by visiting frequently and monitoring things carefully. You can never be too careful with any long-term care facility. And it's those who don't have vigilant family members that monitor them and advocate for them who are often at the most danger in such places.

[Alameda]

142. She needs a HOME not a nursing home.

[LynneSin]

164. But her sons are living with her in the Suburban

And the 3 of them do not want to be separated. Bessie had 11 children but it seems only these 2 are in contact with her.

I can appreciate the family wanting to stay together. It's a shame they can't even find a decent 1 bedroom apartment somewhere - I'm sure the 3 of them would find even that a welcome relief after living months in a Suburban.

[Kickin_Donkey]

30. America ... greatest country in the world.

NOT

[Fire1]

37. This country can suck the chrome off a cadillac. n/t

[madamesilverspurs]

31. Damn.

Life throws some nasty curves. I used to offer the use of my couch, sometimes had people stay for a couple of months. I was able to upgrade to a hide-a-bed sofa that is more comfortable. Then my own health took a major hit and took with it my ability to rely on my efforts to self-support. When I got the public housing voucher they hammered home that I'm not allowed to 'share'. As much as I kinda sorta understand the restriction, I hate it that I'd be penalized for exercising simple human compassion. Shit. Damn. Hell. And every other expletive my mother would still wash my mouth out with soap for.

[theHandpuppet]

35. There are thousands of empty homes in California

But not one for this family?

[Fire1]

36. I just e-mailed this pic and article to the White House. n/t

[dixiegrrrrl]

39. The bit about Soc. Sec. disability benefits is bull.

From 3rd page of the article:

"But help still might be available, said Shirley Christensen, assistant to the director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Social Services.

Larry might qualify for Social Security disability benefits without having to sell the Suburban, as he had feared, if the old SUV is considered to have no resale value, she said.
He and his brother might both qualify for general relief benefits."

The value of Larry's SUV has no bearing on his SS Disability qualifications.
SSDI is NOT a means tested program.
That woman was either mis-quoted ( SSI and State benefits are means tested)
or she is not eligible for her job.
Those guys and Bessie have enough problems without getting false information fed to them.

[Alameda]

51. True....they need advocates to help them through the maze.

it's not easy. I know a few people who qualified and got subsidized senior housing, but they had help. This woman and her sons will probably get help now that their situation has been publicized. How many are there we don't know about?...........what has become of us...and where are the other children????

[Mari333]

40. goddamit, when I thought I couldnt get any angrier.

[graywarrior]

41. Grrrrr!

[Fire1sKid]

42. This makes me want to fly out to California and help her...

in any way possible,if only I could.
:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[Fire1sKid]

43. No one deserves this

:cry: :cry: :cry:

[icymist]

44. Back to the wonderful world of Charles Dickens....

just like KO said Friday. This is not the America I believed in while growing up listening to all that hippy bullshit! Just call me a bitter old hippy.

[flyarm]

46. but don't fing worry it takes time to do what's right..at least that is what some dems keep saying..

of course it just takes time to help the "people"..it took no time at all to help the Banks and the wall street filth that did this to so many Americans..and don't worry your little heads that the fuckers in charge are the very ones who fucked people like this lady and other seniors like her,.

it takes time to unfuck the people..but no time at all ..to keep up the fucking by bailing out the assholes that ripped off America!..and her people!

Be patient while you rot in your cars, lose your jobs, your homes and eat dog and cat food , with no health care!!

:sarcasm: :sarcasm:

and if you mention this stuff,.you are a hater, a racist,and a whinner!!!!!!!!!

Lets just keep giving this lady's tax money to the likes of Geithner who was a protoge of Kissinger, and to Summers..and all the fuckers who fucked this lady! You know all the members of the tri-lateral group, the bildebergs and the CFR..all the fuckers that Obama chose to work for his administration..you know the same people we whined about that worked for Bush!..but we were not whinners then..but today ..we are whinners,,and haters..oh well things have "changed" so much i just can't keep the fuck up!

[Fire1]

47. Yep. No time at all to help the banks because they're TOO

BIG TO FUCKIN FAIL!!! When THAT shit ass concept is eliminated, we MIGHT get around to helping the people.

[Sirveri]

48. Lucky lady gets to live through TWO depressions. YAY!

:sarcasm:

[jwirr]

49. All three of them are eligible for section 8 public housing. It does take

money up front to get in and you pay 30% of your income as rent plus electric. Maybe there is a waiting list for these housing units? They are also all old enough for Social Security or close to it. What is really going on here? The people stopping to help them need to get together and see what is available for them.

[flyarm]

52. BEEN TO LA LATELY?? I didn't think so..there are thousands like them!

all over LA..with little to no help for them!

[Liberal_in_LA]

64. Section 8 waiting list is long! 10 years. Being in a homeless shelter shortens it a bit

[flyarm]

79. My inlaws died and their home was empty for a while in Sacramento,the capitol

and when my husband flew out there to put the house on the market ,,they found a homeless man living in the shed in the back of the property...he had been there for months and had a propane heater and a propane stove set up! It took over a month to get the man evicted from the property in order to put the house on the real estate market! If he had gotten hurt , or gotten the shed caught on fire with the propane tanks he was running,we would have been responsible..but we had to wait a month for the authorites to get him moved out.

When i lived in LA a homeless man moved his car in front of my home and lived there for 2 months..he was a drug abuser, as i saw him several times passed out with a needle in his leg, and he used my hose every couple of days to wet himself down..his idea of a shower..he pissed in my yard..and during the days he sat on a freeway entrance pan handling...to buy more drugs.

It took 2 months for me to get him moved from in front of my home..he scared the hell out of myself and my son...as my husband worked out of the country at that time and was gone for long periods of time.He had matted hair that was never washed and the car stunk to high heaven from the food he left in the car in the hot heat. I even had Hispanics come to my door asking me if the car was for sale.

It is a serious problem in the LA area, over run with homelessness and no where for them to go.

[Alameda]

109. Excuse me??? "I even had Hispanics come to my door.....

asking me if the car was for sale."
OMG...poor you :sarcasm: Hispanics at your door....are we showing a little prejudice here?

[flyarm]

121. ah since we are hispanics, i would say ..nooooooo..eom

[create.peace]

130. why did you mention their ethnicity in the first place

no matter what yours is?

[Alameda]

177. ...sorry...pull that one on another "hispanic" I hate that term....

I am Latina myself, and quite familiar with all the "hispanic" prejudices.

[file83]

129. ha ha - you presumed "flyarm" was white or something?

Showing a little prejudice here?

[katkat]

135. well

Well, thank God you;re okay. Those Hispanics, you never know... :eyes:

What is this, a post about how you helped nobody?

[jwirr]

88. Isn't it interesting that the article does not go into what the three of

who answered my post just said. No I have never been to LA so had no idea it was that bad. This stuff is well hidden for the public in the rest of the country. We do have our own homelessness but nothing like what you are talking about. They talk about these people in the article but to be a good article it should have gone into the full story. This would be something that KO or Rachel should put on - Rachel would go in depth and tell the world what you just did. The one woman will not upset this hard ass world but the know that there are so many might.

This story along with what you are telling us goes a long way in showing just how far from reality the WH and congress are. They are worried about a little recession while the rest of us live in a depression.

By the way I would be homeless if my daughters did not let me live with them. Someone posted about this not being the world we believed in when we were just those damn hippies. So true.

[Liberal_in_LA]

123. weather in LA is mild so we get a lot of your homeless. Folks move here from around the country

Some given bus tickets by authorities to leave their town and go somewhere else.

[jwirr]

189. I have heard that but I doubt it is happening here - they would have

offered me a ticket. I would not have taken it.

[shanti]

126. it's been like that for years and years

i tried to get on section 8 back in the 80's, and the list was 5 years long. that's ridiculous.

[Liberal_in_LA]

133. It's longer now. Getting the voucher is like winning the lottery

[Odin2005]

85. Ever been on a fucking Section 8 WAITING LIST? I have.

2 years. 2 fucking years and that is in a small city in a state with excellent social services (Moorhead, MN, a suburb of Fargo), I can't imagine how long it would be in the major cities.

[jwirr]

89. Yeah, Cloquet MN - I have given up and am moving in with my daughters.

That is why I knew there was more to the story. The papers did not mention waiting list and they should have.

[Liberal_in_LA]

134. A lot of people give up, better to pool resources and move in together

[juno jones]

93. In most areas there is a 2-3 year wait for sec 8. n/t

[iamforobama]

141. This would not be section 8 housing.

This would be HUD senior housing, 62 and over and the 60 year old son could live with one of them because he is the son. The waiting list is not as long for senior housing as it is for section 8 family housing. they have a car, they could drive to some place where the waiting list is not so long--another state, a smaller community. If they really wanted to get out of the situation there are alternatives.

[im1013]

53. I have a house they could live in.

The only problem is that it is in northwest Mississippi, about 5 minutes from Memphis, TN.
I moved about 15 minutes away, and it has just been sitting there empty for 3 past 3 years.
It's only about 1300sq.ft., but it is a 3 bedroom, 1 bath red brick house - should be big enough for them all.
I wish I had the money to bring them here.
It's not CA, but the winters aren't very bad here at all. (maybe 1 to 2 inches of snow a year, sometimes none)


:(

[maglatinavi]

58. a home

couldn't some philanthropist pay to get them to your home? Some one like Madonna, Joe Lo, Angelie, Brad, etc???:patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[im1013]

61. That would be awesome!

I've been paying $507 a month for it + property taxes ($600/yr), someone might as well live in it!
The utilities are only about $250 a month or so, combined.
As long as they would take care of the house, I wouldn't have a problem helping out people who need it.
I haven't even tried to rent or sell it yet, I can't afford
to fix it if someone trashes it or tears things up.

Right now it's just storage for my oldest daughter's furniture, etc.

[create.peace]

181. I wouldn't be surprised if you could find a more local family who could

benefit from your offer. I can't imagine paying over 500 a month for an empty house, even as a storage unit. That's nearly half my income!

[Thickasabrick]

60. That is so sweet of you. Like others have said, I'm hoping this will

get a lot of interest in California and someone out there can help them find some better living accommodations so that they can stay together. I'm still having a hard time understanding why she only gets $300 per month in social security, I thought that even the minimum was more than that.

[im1013]

62. I hope so, too.

I just get so disgusted sometimes. I mean, what the hell kind of country has this
become?! People have just gotten to be so selfish, cold and downright mean! It truly
sickens me.

[flyarm]

82. it is heartbreaking in LA and it is everywhere there..in the grocery store parking lots,

in school parking lots ,if they don't put high fences up. It is horrible.They do dumping of seniors from hospitals ..and the state is broke...so long of wait times for housing ..
I am in Fla now and we have the same thing going on here..and the towns keep trying to close the tent cities that keep cropping up...people come here because it is warm..same with LA..and it is more sustainable with warm nights than freezing areas.

[im1013]

118. Wow, I've always wanted to see CA,,, I thought!

I lived in Fla. all my life until about 9 years ago. It was getting pretty crazy there, I'm glad
I got out when I did.

I REALLY miss the weather, though!!!!

[Rozlee]

105. Does John McCain have a house down there? Since he can't remember how many he has

maybe they can move into one and he'll never even know it.

[NOLALady]

94. Contact the newspaper that wrote the original story.

Maybe they can generate enough interest to get donations of gas money for them to relocate.

[maryf]

54. 3 million more...

we need housing, demand it!

[951-Riverside]

57. Why can't her sons work and why isnt she in a home? n/t

[Deja Q]

59. Because the job market is shit, and the only jobs out there

are training H1Bs to replace them. (see sig URL for more)


Yeah, I'm being a cynic. Only this time it's backed more by reality than any ooga-booga fear...

[DollyM]

127. that's for sure . . .

My husband and I both have Master's degrees and can't find jobs. My mother is 81 and still works full time at wal mart and plans to continue working there until we can find jobs as she is pretty much the only one with a reliable income in our family. I hate it but if it were not for her, we would be out of the street as our unemployment benefits dried up several months ago and there are no jobs out there.

[Gormy Cuss]

76. Read the link. n/t

[katkat]

137. sons work?

Try because there are zero jobs.

[KansDem]

162. Whadda mean "zero" jobs??!!! There's McDonalds, WalMart, Amway, any number of opporutunities...

...for a 60 and a 62-year-old! Ya just gotta wanna work hard!

:sarcasm:

[Uncle Joe]

65. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Thickasabrick.

[d_b]

68. ...

I don't even know wtf to say to that...

God Bless America.

[HughBeaumont]

80. "We'll be judged by how we treat the least among us."

:(

[flyarm]

87. not just in LA/D.C.’s AIDS Dollars Squandered: A Washington Post Investigation

Special Report - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local.html?referrer=email
8:00 a.m. ET Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009

D.C.’s AIDS Dollars Squandered: A Washington Post Investigation - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local.html
Today, the Post begins a two-day investigative series: While the sick languish in alleyways and on park benches in the city with the nation's highest AIDS rate, the D.C. government has allowed widespread waste throughout its system of HIV/AIDS services. www.washingtonpost.com/wastingaway.

these are just examples of what a National disgrace this inhumanity has become.

[Odin2005]

81. That is inhuman, barbaric, horrifying.

:cry:

[gauguin57]

95. If each of the high-level managers/CEOs of the big financial concerns/bailout banks gave her ...

... just one month's rent for her and her family to live in a clean, comfortable apartment, she could live out the rest of her life in comfort and die with dignity.

The fat cats probably lose that much in change in their sofa cushions every month.

[gauguin57]

96. Thank you to Kevin Nealon ...

"Once a week they drive to Hollywood, where free showers are available at a drop-in center. Sometimes, free hot meals are served from a food truck. Last week they had a spaghetti dinner.

"During this week's trip there, they encountered actor-comedian Kevin Nealon at a gas station. He bought gas for them and introduced them to Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada, who gave them pizza for dinner and said he may attempt to organize a fundraising show for them."

[Orwellian_Ghost]

98. Damn n/t

[IdaBriggs]

100. Politely incorrect, but why do her other 6 children have nothing to do with her?

Or the other two sons? I think there is probably more to this story than we are hearing.

Bummer of a situation, tho. :(

And having read some of the rest of the thread, I think the "we want to stay together" is kind of them leaching off of her. Once she's gone, they are screwed, but if they get her a place to live, they will most likely be able to stay in it after she's passed.

[Mz Pip]

102. Not politically incorrect at all.

Where are these sons and daughters? Who the fuck are these people who let their elderly mother and siblings live in a car?

There is no way in hell I would have let my mother, who I didn't get along with that well, live like this. The last 7 years of her life she spent living with us. Was it easy? No. Was it necessary? Yes. Would I do it again? Absolutely.

Mz Pip

[IdaBriggs]

104. We don't know what type of a person she was/is. We don't know

if she married abusive assholes who molested people's children, or whether the two (useless) sons are part of the package with a history of drunken whatever.

There is "difficult" and then there is karma. I do not claim to know which is happening here, but I suspect six grown people refusing to have anything to do with a 97 year old mother and two ne'er do well brothers probably means "seriously dysfunctional issues." (One guy took state money as his sole job for EIGHTEEN YEARS for "taking care of mommy?" Please. :eyes: )

[Mz Pip]

107. I noticed that she live in CA

I don't know the laws in other states but CA makes it really difficult to get help for people who don't want it. My son's former mother-in-law had a total mental breakdown and when he took her to the hospital she refused to get out of the car. There was nothing he and his then wife could do. She was literally hallucinating flying cats and didn't recognize anyone. But she refused to get out of the car and that was that. The next 24 hours were interesting to say the least.

[IdaBriggs]

111. Sounds like an awful situation! Mental health care in this country

is an absolute travesty. :( Are things better now?

[Alameda]

108. Did you actually read the article? Her two sons are NOT bad!

They have serious problems as well.....READ the article.

[IdaBriggs]

110. I read the article, which is why I say there is more going on.

"They live mostly on Bessie's $375 monthly Social Security check, Charlie's $637 disability payments, Larry's $300 food stamp allocation and cash from bottles and cans they collect and recycle."

Charlie is on disability (due to his rheumatoid arthitis). Larry's back gave out 26 years ago, but he was able to work as "full time caregiver for his mother" (which I translate as crap because real full time caregiving is very hard work, and someone with a bad back would most likely not be able to do what needs to be done) and apparently never qualified for social security by working a job long enough to make him eligible.

"She gave birth to 11 children, eight of whom are still living. She remains in contact only with Charlie and Larry, who were both born in San Francisco, grew up in Santa Rosa and have high school educations."

That means six kids are NOT in contact with her or the brothers ON PURPOSE. One assumes there aren't mental disability problems because both men have high school educations.

"Charlie has been married four times, and Larry was briefly married once. Neither has children." (Not even sure what to say here.)

"Charlie worked in construction and as a painter before becoming disabled by degenerative arthritis. Larry was a cook before compressed discs in the back and a damaged neck nerve put an end to it. Twenty-six years ago, he began working as a full-time caregiver for his mother through the state's In-Home Supportive Services program."

What I read are two grown men who have been living off of their mother for decades, and they still continue to put their needs above hers. You may read it differently, but I am cynical, and I assume (again, cynically) that six grown people have pretty good reasons for staying away from these three.

Then again, I may be completely wrong, and this may not be karma, but just really bad luck. :shrug:

[sammytko]

145. ok i'm cynical also

yes, they should make sure SHE has a good place to live. not all nursing homes are bad. They can also visit her every day and make sure she is okay.

i wonder if they are Vietnam vets? My brother and SO are vets. Both are 63 and they look 15 yrs younger than those two guys. Even my brother who drinks everyday looks better than that.

I am #9 of 11 kids, believe me one of us would take care of my mother. Something is not right.

Its not right that they are making her live like an animal.

The real story will come out soon.

[lunatica]

146. You are indeed cynical

Rheumatoid arthritis and a crushed disk are such small things. :sarcasm:

I am 61 and I take care of my mother who is 83 and has Dementia. I worry about what will happen if I lose my job. I'm going through a layoff of one of my jobs and am in the process of interviewing for the lesser job that is to replace it as UC 'consolidates' it's administrative services for the research departments. I asked my son to come to California from NY and move in so someone can be in the house. He is a freelance artist who hasn't been able to find work, but now the catch 22 of someone having to be physically present for my mother has us in it's grip. There are no guarantees. My sister and her family expected my mother to die 4 years ago and haven't bothered to contact her or me except to demand the family photos. They haven't lifted a finger to help, and stopped calling when it looked like they might have to. My sister is mentally unstable and is full blown bi-polar Manic Depressive and either bouncing off the wall, suicidally depressed or barely aware under the drugs her doctors insist on giving her.

I did pay off the car and keep my mortgage payments and my mother's health insurance with Kaiser current so that if absolute worse comes to worse we could keep the car to live and take my mother to the doctor so that also acts like an anchor to keep us here. I will probably have to give up trying to pay the credit cards because they charge me three times my minimum payment just on 'service fees' and 23% interest. I am facing having a choice between paying our mortgage or paying our credit cards. That's happening right now. Not tomorrow or a maybe. Right now.

I'm sure you would blame me for losing one of my jobs, since it's obviously my fault ( :sarcasm: ). And since both my mother and I absolutely depend on my entire salary and her small teacher's retirement I'm sure you see me as a leach living off my mother.

Yes, your really are cynical. It reminds me of the Republicans ideology.

[IdaBriggs]

147. I love how stating the obvious makes one a Republican.

:sarcasm:

In your case, YOU are taking care of your mother. In the case of the two men in the story, Mommy is taking care of them. She could have housing, be in a nursing home, etc., but THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE so she doesn't go.

For 26 years one of them who "couldn't work" got paid by the state to "take care of her." There are situations where that is an absolute necessity (where someone is suffering from dementia, for example), and then there are situations where it is someone "milking the system" (which is how I read this story). You may disagree with my analysis, and the reality is I don't know the particulars.

I do know that the people who know them all best want nothing to do with them, and that is a bigger indictment of them as human beings than anything else in the story, in my opinion.

You can also read these two threads for a little backstory on how I got to be cynical:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5030229

B*tch still owes me $7K.

[lunatica]

148. It's the hateful way you jump to conclusions that reminds me of Republicans

Stating the obvious only makes one truthful. You go ten steps beyond that and you don't know the story. You simply don't know. \

You are surmising and jumping to conclusions and outright condemning people. You want to blame the victims. Republicans do that.

[IdaBriggs]

186. And neither do you. You hear half a sob story, and assume

a heckuva lot. You call me a Republican because I say repeatedly we obviously don't have the full story here, plus its pretty freaking obvious there are two grown men who are putting their own needs above their elderly mothers -- disgusting, and against the message board rules.

You see a victim. I see the need for more information and a better job of reporting. I will also repeat: 6 adults who know them want nothing to do with these three, but you, a total stranger on the internet, find your heart bleeding. Will you actually do anything? No. But you will insult those of a more cautious, experienced bent, thus promoting the meme that liberals are idiots.

I highly suggest you stay away from recruiting efforts, because if you are this talented at insulting folks who actually support the social safety net, I can't imagine how you treat folks on the fence!

:rofl:

[sammytko]

150. you should always pay your mortgage before your credit cards

Okay you have real problems and only one other relative, but they have 6 other siblings somewhere out there.

My mother still lives at home with my 63 yr old 100% VA disabled brother. He has mental issues and other physical problems caused by crashing his helicopter a couple of times during the war and almost being burned to death. He does drink, but manages to pay all the bills and takes hern or makes sure one of us takes her to her appointments.

The house will be his when she passes. My mother is 85.

One thing he has said is that when the day comes that she is no longer able to go to the bathroom or bathe herself, he will need assistance. She will probably come to live with one of six sisters. How does that poor lady get the proper hygeine care she needs.

I had a 97 yr old neighbor. No way would she have survived out in the streets like that.

[Ilsa]

152. That would be the salary someone else would be paid for caring for her.

I may have to do that for my oldest son. The waiting list is six years where I live for housing for disabled young adults. If having to watch after my son and forego working is what I'm left to, then I'll take the salary they'd be paying someone else to care for him.

[liberalhistorian]

157. None of that should really matter. Any adult child

who allows their 97-year-old parent to be in that situation should be ashamed of themselves, I don't care what they've done in the past.

And it often has nothing to do with parental actions or abuse or anything like that. There are a LOT of spoiled adults who treat their parents like shit, or ignore them completely except when they want something from them, even if they had a good childhood.

[Liberal_in_LA]

136. Lots of kids will look the other way, be glad other siblings are taking care of elderly parent

[1776Forever]

112. It is a sin and a shame for this to be happening! It is not what I wanted to see in 2009!

I watched a man on MSNBC today that took in money for South American needy people. Not to say we shouldn't help them too but here is an example of our very own citizens without homes! 97 years-old and homeless! How much more do we need to say! I hope a church will step up to help this family. When my son who was 38 at the time without health insurance became ill we had to step in and take care of all his needs for 2 years because the welfare wouldn't help him. He was diagnosed with Progressive MS finally and he got SSI but the state of Florida wouldn't do one damn thing for him because he was an adult with no minor children! Goes on all the time! Damn the adults but oh my God save the children - Hello - They grow up to be adults!

:argh:

[applegrove]

113. I hope this story hits the national media.

[madville]

120. They may not want it to

These stories have a way of turning on people. The media, government and the internet digs in and all of a sudden it comes to light they aren't really eligible for one of the benefits or payments they are getting. Or they have been committing welfare fraud in some way in the past and didn't get caught. Then the media goes and finds the other six living children and gets their story about why they won't have anything to do with this lady and the two sons. There may be more to the story or things they don't want aired out in the media.

If they have a fixed income at least get out of California. Plenty of cheaper places to attempt to live.

Is that a cell phone on the seat of the truck?

[katkat]

138. madville

A lot of places recondition cell phones and give them to either potential victims of domestic violence or the homeless. They just possibly might want a cell phone to call 911 in case that 97 year old woman has a heart attack, you think?

Wait, she even has a blanket, I guess they should sell that? :sarcasm:

[sammytko]

151. the story said they bought a pre-paid cell for 50 some dollars

they had already lost one in a toilet or had coffee spill on it or something - don't remember

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

115. I thought human rights meant something in this nation! I'm signing off to cry. nt

[Bonobo]

122. Crash-barrier waltzer

Crash-barrier waltzer
-----------------------------------------

And here slip I --- dragging one foot in the gutter ---
In the midnight echo of the shop that sells cheap
Radios.
And there sits she --- no bed, no bread, no butter ---
On a double yellow line --- where she can park anytime.
Old lady grey; crash-barrier waltzer ---
Some only sons mother. baker street casualty.
Oh, mr. policeman --- blue shirt ballet master.
Feet in sticking plaster ---
Move the old lady on.
Strange pas-de-deux ---
His romeo to her juliet.
Her sleeping draught, his poisoned regret.
No drunken bums allowed to sleep here in the
Crowded emptiness.
Oh officer, let me send her to a cheap hotel ---
Ill pay the bill and make her well - like hell you
Bloody will!
No do-good over kill. we must teach them
To be still more independent.

[Triana]

128. One word: IMMORAL n/t

[Dorian Gray]

139. Extraordinarily sad

and a true statement on our current economic condition. It's shameful that we allow this to happen to anybody, and if publicizing that this has happened to a 97 year old woman helps flash a light on the ugly truth of homelessness.... I hope that it helps the many homeless in our nation.

[create.peace]

183. My thought is this has little or nothing to do with the present economic

situation. That doesn't distract from the tragedy, whether or not we have the whole story here, which I doubt.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

140. My heart just broke

This is so fucking wrong. I hope the article will generate donations to this poor old woman and her boys. What a fucking travesty.

[Vinca]

143. One of the most heartbreaking pictures I've ever seen.

What has happened to this country that this woman lives her final days in the front seat of a car? It makes you wish you had Bill Gates money and could swoop in to rescue people, but the sorry fact is most people are also holding on by a thread and just haven't taken up residence in their car yet.

[Meshuga]

149. The people who laugh at her as they pass by are just sick

I mean, there are some nasty people in this world. This is sad and a 97 year old should not be going through this. Aren't we the greatest nation on earth?

[InfiniteThoughts]

153. shame on US politicians ...

shame on blue politicians and red politicians alike ... whether you like it or not, history will taint you all for converting a once proud country into a 2 class society - incredibly rich & incredibly poor.

[Bluenorthwest]

156. In the last week, Californians have been celebrating!

They are sure their houses are now at 'the real price' and they say they are seeing people at the malls again, so all is well in Caliworld, they say.

[TwilightGardener]

159. Eight living children can't pitch in enough money to keep Mom in an apartment?

Or take her in to their own homes? You gotta wonder how she raised them. Edit to add: I'll bet she has a few adult grandchildren too, who could help.

[sammytko]

170. yeah, these are the 2 youngest kids so there

are probably lots of adult grandkids able to pitch in...

[1776Forever]

172. I have been hearing about some parents who don't tell their kids of their plight.

They are either ashamed or just don't want to "bother" them. I know myself I have sons with their own agendas and bills and they would probably try to help a little but they couldn't "keep" me and my husband for very long. It is just the way it is.

[TwilightGardener]

176. That's true about parents not wanting to burden their kids, but in this case,

this woman is 97--there is no question of her living without some sort of help from someone, or from a facility (her son got paid for taking care of her for 26 years--so the "don't want to be a burden" or pride argument is moot). I simpy cannot fathom sons, daughters and grandkids not being in contact with a very elderly mother/grandmother. What do they think has happened to her? Don't they wonder where she lives, or how she's doing, or who supports her? Do they even know if she's still alive? It's crazy. And the "boys" who are with her should be able to pick up the phone and call siblings and relatives and say, "Look, we're desperate here. Grandma is living in a car..."

[ooglymoogly]

163. How bout these freeloaders get a job...

and pay some taxes...these fatcat bonuses and golden parachutes don't come from the air you know. Do I need a sarcasm button here? What a dangerously lopsided world we live in. Time to dust off the guillotines and take back our country and take care of our homeless and downtrodden who need our help.

[Greyhound]

167. K&R for Family Values n/t

[Freeatleast]

175. Truly Terrible

My heart goes out to her.

[notadmblnd]

180. Can the State be charged with elder abuse?

[fascisthunter]

184. well, this just made me tear up

"It makes me feel like I'm a bum," Bessie said. "I don't mind living at the mercy of the public because some of the public is good -- they're nice to me. But there are some that are nasty. Some of them laugh at me and my sign. They say they don't think I'm 97 years old."

She's something else... richer than the top 1%. All their wealth doesn't come close to what this woman is...

[GreenPartyVoter]

187. Shame on us as a nation that we can't do better by our people.

[coconut22]

188. This is terrible!

affordable housing for everyone..