Tourism and military jobs are probably the most important things to the Hawaiian Islands economy. About $200 a day is spent, as outlined by NPR, by tourists for hotels, meals, and entertainments. Only $3 a day is spent by the homeless for room, board, and full health coverage in the Hawaiian Islands. Of course the food lines are there for lots of people who sincerely need it, but individuals lining up for free passes tend to not even be from the Hawaiian Islands. Article resource - The Hawaiian Islands homeless problem that won't go away by Personal Money Store.
Homelessness on the Hawaiian Islands is up
If shelter populations are any indication, the 10 percent increase in population over the past 12 months is telling. 1,300 of those people, as outlined by NPR, aren't even from the state. 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 period of time, came to Hawaii and makes as much as $40 per day this way. The state will give individuals like Phillips free health care, $200 a month in food stamps, and let them sleep at the $3 shelter that gives three meals. After being supported like this, they don't need money for anything else.
Escape there, or live there homeless
The budget deficit within the Hawaiian Islands is $1.2 billion, and the state is trying to use Medicaid and tax refunds to help with that. Considering that homeless shelters within the Hawaiian Islands typically take millions of taxpayer dollars to operate, the influx of mainlanders comes at a most inopportune time. Connie Mitchell, executive director of one of the largest homeless shelters on the Hawaiian Islands, told NPR that nearly a third of her shelter's budget is spent on this type of new arrival. Mitchell feels like some of these individuals are here now just so they can enjoy being free in Hawaii without having to pay anything.
Honolulu and their bums
According to the University of Hawaii's Center on the Family, 21 percent of bums were Caucasian in 2005 when now 43 percent are. Most of these individuals are middle-aged and single. Many scrape together plane fare and live on the Hawaiian taxpayer's dime when working odd jobs for a time. As the Hawaiian authorities start to catch on to the resource dilemma, the Hawaiian Islands homeless people will largely move on. The government will have a hard time figuring out which individuals are living there because they need it or because they just want to live there. People who truly need easy cash loans should be the focus of aid programs, instead of 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.
NPR
npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126675999
The price of paradise – and this was in 2008. It is worse now.
youtube.com/watch?v=w058VpVl3t4
Newser
newser.com/story/96470/hawaii-buys-homeless-plane-tickets-to-mainland.html
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