It’s my belief that you can’t fix a problem by making the problem worse. That’s what TN Senate Bill 1610 does, as it has been written and passed in both the State Senate and House of Representatives. Forget about what Senator Frank Nicely said. Although in part it was crass, it’s also been taken out of context.
Surely Senator Nicely could have used a different example than Hitler; regardless, it’s not a one size fits all. Perhaps he should have talked more about what caused Hitler, one of the most evil men to walk the face of this earth, to be homeless and do the atrocious deeds which cost millions of lives to be lost. I estimate that Planned Parenthood is the only one to snuff out more lives.
Fining/punishing someone who doesn’t have any money or locking someone up who needs a roof over their head and a hot meal is counterproductive and will only exacerbate the problem with the cost going to the taxpayers. Realizing that the root problem in most cases is a mental disorder, and then providing mental health care, will be the first step in solving the problem.,
We have ignored mental healthcare far too long. Funding for mental health, both in Tennessee and across the United States, has lagged behind most other health services. Allowing our veterans to be homeless is unconscionable. PTSD is real and nobody wants to suffer from it. It has different degrees of severity and most cases take a trained and skilled professional to help the victim connect the dots to work past it.
Governor Lee, please hold off on signing this Senate Bill 1610 until it address the root cause. Give Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly a call and ask what he is doing here. Although I didn’t support his election, I support what he is trying to do for our homeless. He hasn’t ignored the problem, rather he has taken steps to correct it. Let’s do the same thing as the great State of Tennessee.
J. Pat Williams