Hawaiian Islands With Bums
Tourism and military jobs are probably the most important things to the Hawaiian Islands economy. About $200 a day is spent, according to NPR, by tourists for hotels, meals, and entertainments. Only $3 a day is spent by the homeless for room, board, and full health coverage within the Hawaiian Islands. Public food lines help feed locals experiencing dire straits, but the vast majority of people waiting for meals aren’t even from the Hawaiian Islands.
More bums living on Hawaiian Islands
In the past 12 months, shelter populations have increased by 10 percent. About 1,300 of those in Hawaii living homeless aren’t from the state, reports NPR. Plastic and Aluminum can be redeemed for 5 cents in Hawaii which is what brings more individuals in to the state. Gary Phillips, who was homeless in San Diego for a long time period, came to Hawaii and makes as much as $40 per day this way. The state will give people like Phillips free health care, $200 a month in food stamps, and let them sleep at the $3 shelter that gives 3 meals. Typically they do not need any money.
Perfect to visit when homeless or vacationing
The budget deficit in the Hawaiian Islands is $1.2 billion, and the state is trying to use Medicaid and tax refunds to help with that. Millions of tax dollars are used to operate Hawaiian shelters which means this is a bad time to have new homeless people moving in. Connie Mitchell who’s a director of one of these homeless shelters explains that about a third of her spending budget goes to these new arrivals, reports NPR. Mitchell thinks many of these individuals have decided to become homeless just so they can live in Hawaii practically free.
Honolulu and their bums
The University of Hawaii’s Center on the Family reports that there was a leap from 21 percent in 2005 to 43 percent in 2010 of Caucasians that are homeless in Hawaii. Most of these individuals are middle-aged and single. These people work on odd jobs when living in Hawaii off taxpayer money after getting enough to fly over. As the Hawaiian authorities start to catch on to the resource dilemma, the Hawaiian Islands homeless individuals will largely move on. Determining whether somebody is living off public funds because of laziness or real misfortune – and dealing with each group appropriately – is a problem Hawaii’s government needs to solve. People who truly need cash til payday loan should be the focus of aid programs, rather than possible freeloaders exploiting the welfare system. UPDATE- Apparently Hawaii is trying to fly some of its homeless back to the mainland. And New York has gotten in the act and is flying them BACK to Hawaii.
Additional reading
NPR
npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126675999
The price of paradise – and this was in 2008. It’s worse now.
youtube.com/watch?v=w058VpVl3t4
Newser
newser.com/story/96470/hawaii-buys-homeless-plane-tickets-to-mainland.html
