Homeless shelter uses "special" blankets - why?

[Broomstick]

@Habeed

Frankly, I have trouble seeing how you could state that “keeping someone destitute alive in the cold” is a waste. Even the most hardcore conservative doesn’t want death to be the penalty for having no economic value to society, do they? (whether it’s mental problems or laziness, homeless have no economic value to the capitalist system, more or less by definition)

Untrue. There are significant numbers of homeless people who nonetheless have paying jobs and therefore are participants with some value in the economic system.

[aruvqan]

I don’t consider the money spent as wasted unless they are as pointed out doing something stupid that wastes part of the money [frex sending stuff out to a laundry instead of getting the equipment to do it themselves at a third of the cost. That would be wasteful of money.] but then again, I am in favor of doing MORE - I think that there are so many foreclosed buildings going to waste standing empty that could house people that it is an absolute crime. I think that housing costs are simply outrageous in cities and we really need to figure out what to do about it. I know people decry the old style housing areas like Cabrini - Greene, but what else can be done? They need to love somewhere.

[Senegoid]

@aruvqan

I know people decry the old style housing areas like Cabrini - Greene, but what else can be done? They need to love somewhere.

On the beach?

[Amateur_Barbarian]

@Habeed

Frankly, I have trouble seeing how you could state that “keeping someone destitute alive in the cold” is a waste.

sigh

This is the very good reason political shots are ruthlessly stomped on in GQ. Without compounding my infraction, let me just say this: it was a joke. I thought that in context it made perfect sense in that there is a large contingent among us that does see spending on the homeless and destitute as not just bad or inappropriate, but stolen right from their pockets. In case I haven’t made it clear or anyone hasn’t read a selection of my other posts here, it was a joke and completely opposite to anything I might say in seriousness.

I can only blame the two or three car ass-ends I followed yesterday, prior to that post, with rabid anti-socialism bumper stickers. 'Nuf sed in the wrong forum.

[bob_2]

@Amateur_Barbarian

Those too, and don’t forget that they have to be permanently labeled YOUR TAX DOLLARS BEING WASTED as well.

The funny thing was that I read this the other way around. But Americans don’t do ironic, do they:)

[Habeed]

@Amateur_Barbarian

sigh

This is the very good reason political shots are ruthlessly stomped on in GQ. Without compounding my infraction, let me just say this: it was a joke. I

Thanks for clarifying. I really thought you were taking the position of “blankets to keep a person near dead from poverty alive? Waste. Overpriced jet fighter to keep our way of life “safe”. We need to buy more of them”

[Mr.Bill]

I can’t speak about the laundry costs. But, in Boston, I have seen the blankets used by the homeless. I presume that they are issued by shelters to those who cannot sleep at the shelter. They are not your average commercial blanket. By their appearance, I have thought that they are made from the scraps and unused lint left over from the manufacture of commercially sold blankets. They are probably sold to the shelters at a cheap price.

They do look to be warm, but I question how well they would stand up to machine washing. It could be that special laundry procedures are required to keep them from falling apart.