O P I N I O N
THE SOAPBOX
Stand up. Speak up. It’s your turn.
I grew up in Manchester. I remember when Manchester was a nice little mill town, when we worked at Pandora, Chicopee, Bee Bee Shoes, or pumped gas when a gas station wasn’t a convenience store, and before there was self service. Behind Dunkin Donuts on Elm Street was a place called Hobo Jungle where the railroad bums hung out. They were out of sight, and everyone was happy about that.
Now these bums are being shoved in our faces, camping out in our beautiful parks and hurting our businesses in the downtown area. So you pay over $100 a night at a new hotel to look at a disgusting homeless camp, complete with people defecating in plain view? Have our city leaders lost sight of what’s best for our city, of what’s best for our hard-working people who pay taxes and make our downtown a place to shop, eat, and walk safely?
This should not be allowed to happen any longer. Some of these people may be mentally ill and need to be helped, then let’s help them.
But it’s obvious that most of these people are young and capable of working but choose not to. If someone is told that they don’t have to work then they won’t. It seems that they are told that they are victims who need to be taken care of so they happily play the part. I don’t have all the answers but I know that they can’t be allowed to ruin our city any longer. They need to be relocated under the Amoskeag Bridge with the rest of them.
Maybe the National Guard Amory can be filled with cots to take care of them. The agencies that want to help them can do so. Forget putting them in apartments, as no landlord in their right mind would want these people in their building. Many can’t go into a homeless shelter, as they can’t follow the rules and have been kicked out. They must live outside. That doesn’t mean that they have the right to ruin our formerly wonderful city. Our leaders need to step up and take care of this mess. The future of Manchester depends on it.
Beg to differ? Agree to disagree? Got something else on your mind? Send submissions to carolrobidoux@manchesterinklink.com, subject line The Soapbox.
