VIRGINIA CO. TAKES OVER HOMELESS SHELTER -PROTECTS RESIDENTS

clipped from wamu.org Arlington County Takes Over Homeless Shelter February 06, 2008 - In Virginia, Arlington County is taking control of its shelter designed to help the homeless during the winter months. The county decided to make the move when officials heard that employees of the current operator, the Arlington Street People's Assistance Network, made comments stating that the homeless were better off sleeping outside than in the shelter. Last week the county inspected the facility and found it to be safe and meeting all building codes. The contract has been terminated and no service disruptions are expected. Pat Brogan reports...

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COMMENTS: If every county took this kind of swift, decisive action, lives, tax money and community resources would be saved from the abuse, theft, risk and losses that result from the bad conduct of homeless service and shelter provider's Directors, Supervisors and Staff. It seems like other counties take any 'bad conduct' of their shelter srevice providers more seriously, than SF Officials do here. Abuse is abuse. You either do the right thing and STOP IT or you become corrupted yourself and start to hide it, mnimalize it and 'sweep it under the rug' which seems to be what San Francisco has been doing for the past 15 years. Lack of backbone and serious committment to the safety of human beings, which is the paramount and supreme responsibility of all government employees and officials needs to come into play now to prevent further abuses, risks and harm to all of our residents that deserve to be protected. The welfare of humans should never take 'back seat' or be placed on the back burner because its inconvenient or costly to an offending service provider who is breaking moral, social and legal contacts with us all, every time they speak or act offensively towards any citizen or resident. The safety and needs of humans take absolute priority over business needs of any profit or non-profit corporation. Period. Any city employee or officials that 'plays' with these matters is guilty of aiding and furthering a criminal or neglectful and negligent activity. It's grossly offensive to 'give slack' to any person or organization that repeatedly violates any human being's rights. San Francisco could learn a lesson from counties that do not hesitate to act on behalf of their residents, especially their homeless elders, disabled, veterans and poor, to truly protect them from any abusive or harmful environments operated with tax payer money.