Naomi Spencer writes about homelessness in the United States:
While statistics do not capture the real social dimension of homelessness in the United States, new data confirm that the homeless face increasing brutality, criminalization and neglect. But like the growing poverty population, the suffering of the homeless population finds no meaningful reflection in the budget or policy priorities of the federal government.
An estimated 754,147 people were homeless in the US in the winter of 2005, according to the first comprehensive survey by the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) of homelessness.
I certainly find it disgustingly odd that the government can find trillions of dollars to spend on such absurdities as needless wars and drug criminalization. However, I doubt we can ever hope from better from a government. Because they fund themselves through taxation, governments do not have to please any customers. Politicians from all sides of the political spectrum only want to advance their own carriers and please their cronies and lobbyists. If we want to find the resources to end hunger, we need to get it out of our own pockets. Use your money to fight hunger, poverty, and homelessness; Don’t use it to pay taxes to corrupt, warmongering governments.