It's a fair point, but I think there needs to be a little bigger picture thinking. Rather than blame the homeless for finding a state that offers the best resources (the two men they interview in the article were homeless in other states, and while "enjoying" the benefits in Hawaii work at either collecting cans or minimum wage jobs), why not turn the criticism to the other 49 states that don't offer any resources to the homeless.
In the story, the director of a homeless shelter in Honolulu suggests that there be different sets of laws for those that are homeless by choice vs. misfortune. While it's less painful and deadly to be homeless in a warm climate, this logic that people are choosing it seems a little off to me and the life of a beach bum may be romanticized a bit too much here.Besides, how can you really prove the circumstances of a person's homelessness, and aren't Hawaii's systems (like shelters and free health care) in place for this reason?
Rich white people from the mainland are a bigger problem to native Hawaiians than homeless white people; they buy huge expensive vacation homes drive up property values without contributing to the local economy and make homeownership for Hawaiians too costly. But yes, let's target the guy living on collecting and recycling cans for 5 cents a piece.
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After living on Oahu for four years and not being a property owner, you hit the nail on the head. Second to fourth home owners who purchase, build, and leave empty (or rent out as "BnB's) homes drive native Hawaiians off their lots and into tent villages. Guess what else? Native Hawaiians are not recognized by the federal government as an indigenous people of the USA - even though they were an independent country before we took them over by force. Now that's a different story all together.
Aren't the homeless just the easiest target since they can't afford lawyers to lobby their causes though? Great points.
I can imagine what the Indigenous people have to say about all the Hawaiians in Hawaii :D.
But yes it is easy to target the lower powers. Because they have no power. It is easy to blame the woes of the World, the State on the poor. They don't contribute to the market economy, is the big stick used against them.
The dollar is allmighty. Some people can not make it in a market driven world. That's just the way it is.
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