These are a few pictures from this morning... just a taste of what a typical day is like living next to 'the neighbor'.
The first one is a group of two females (one extremely high on something) and two males. They are searching through a bright green purse. The way they were doing it I think it might have been stolen. They had first come to 'the neighbor's' door and he turned them away saying something about "around the corner". I couldn't understand what was said except for that phrase. They were on the corner for several minutes doing the search.
There have been 12 people come to 'the neighbor's' door between 5:45am and 9am. Some were turned away, as the people above, and others went inside. Between 7:30am and 8am around four or five people left the apt. a few minutes apart. Its like he's running a flop house or something.
The next two pictures are of a whore. She arrived yesterday with a guy. It looks like they both, along with others, stayed at 'the neighbor's' place all night long. She came out of the apt. with two guys... they left and didn't take her with them. When she knocked on the apt. door it wasn't opened so she was stuck out on the common porch area for a while. Finally she knocked again and was let in. She's wearing a very flimsy blouse thingy that barely covered her ass, but that doesn't matter too much since you can practically see through it anyway.
Last night some people who live upstairs were setting off illegal fireworks from the deck area. The sparks were falling so that if you wanted to leave and walk down the steps, you had to wait until they were between roman candles going off. Someone told them what the fine was if they were caught ($250) setting off these fireworks and they stopped. At least they aren't totally retarded.
In Oregon you can't set off anything that goes into the air or moves more than a couple of feet on the ground. Washington has different laws so lots of people travel the couple of miles and buys their fireworks in Washington. In turn, the Washington people come over to Oregon to buy things so they don't have to pay sales tax.
4 comments:
Your stories blow my mind. One would think that if all the little door to door drug dealings were exposed, reported and monitored by the cops that the bigger fish would not be as big... I know that it would take a bigger effort by the police, as in hireing more, but it looks like all the money that they get from raids would pay for it... I don't know... I've never lived around this kind of thing. I saw drug use on a few of the movie set I worked on and that is about it...
Tell me, does this neighbor work? Or are they on disability or welfare?
I think drug testing for people like this should be mandatory once a week before they can receive checks from the government. Because people who have jobs can't be high and still work or they will get canned, so surly these people dont work...
I heard on the news the other night that these meth heads are going to the country and stealing farmers irrigation pipes, and their truck radiators, so that they can take them to the scrap yards and sell them... FIRST OFF, I think the scrap yard ought to be fined for accepting such things.
Part I
Its all about the money. Tax payers don't want to pay more taxes and without the revenue its difficult to 'take care of business' as it should be done. In our city we have an new unused empty jail. The voters voted it into existence, but there is no money to staff and use it. And they reject all proposals for additional taxation.
The courts are overwhelmed as are the county jails. Most folks get a slap on the hand and are let go.. because no one wants to give up their money, especially the ones who have a lot and get all the tax breaks anyway. And recently, the federal government has taken away their funding for drug programs and many other programs that are people oriented. I believe Bush calls it "empowering the people" to do for themselves. I'm not 'on the side' of druggies because they do it to themselves, but for many this is the only life they know. Their family...their world... from when they are impressionable toddlers is this way of life. This is all they know. They don't know any better.
As for drug testing disability/welfare recipients... well that takes money that does not exist. It smacks of Big Brother and is degrading for all when it is only a small percentage that screw the system. And often they have to screw the system in order to survive. You have to fight for disability; you have to get a lawyer in order to get disability even with a legimate medical statement that you are disabled. (& lets not talk about crooked doctors, k.)
No matter what is done there will always be a few to abuse whatever system or program is set up. Retail businesses automatically budget a certain percentage for loss by shoplifters, be they "customers" or employees". And welfare screens out just about every applicant that they can.
Someone on disability gets around $500 a month plus food stamps. You can't even find a place to rent for $500... let alone by toilet paper or soap. A family of three gets about $525 a month plus food stamps. I think that's below the federal poverty line.
Part II
And speaking of jobs, the decent paying jobs are being outsourced to other countries. When you hear the number of jobs available have increased, they are usually talking about jobs at McDonalds and similar places... minimum wage jobs without benefits. Minimum wage BEFORE taxes runs about $15,000 a year. And they wouldn't qualify for food stamps.
People on disability or welfare don't want to be there... its degrading and you have to bend yourself in very uncomfortable positions to get any help. 'The neighbor' may have started doing whatever he's doing because he can't work and he can't survive on what he does get.
Our society is dysfunctional and becoming more so... the spread between the haves and have nots is huge and becoming bigger. I don't have an answer, unless its a miracle and since most miracles come through the hands of others, I don't think anything is going to happen.
Perhaps this is part of where our financial system has to collapse so it can be recreated in a new way. But right now, its all about the rich getting richer.
And the scrap metal people... some of them have turned in people they are suspicious of... they get taken to jail, finger printed, given a court date and then let go because there's no room in the jails.
I don't mean to sound like I'm taking the 'abusers' side, but there is no easy answer...its all very convoluted and complex.
I think it's fascinating the way you can see this stuff and write about it. Seeing it from a creative way (instead of going crazy?) You need a sign on your door saying something like I'M NOT THE PERSON YOU ARE LOOKING FOR!
interesting pictures of "the whore" (she even stands like I might imagine they would)
I take a lot of pictures, too, like when I'm out (which isn't too often) and sometimes think maybe Homeland Security or something will swoop down on me and ask why I am taking pictures!
I try not to get people in them (at least that they know about)for this reason. Paranoid, I guess. At the nursing home where my husband is, they got a notice a few years back, from Homeland Security (or maybe the Patriot Act?) that taking any pictures with the residents in them (unless it's one's own family, of course) requires written permission from the person. And a lot of people there can't give that. So, they had to stop taking pictures like at Christmas parties, etc. and putting them up on the bullitin board in the hall. The notice went out all over, and what might apply more in a city, really doesn't so much in a small, rural area.
Like someone is going to take a picture of the resident of a nursing home and somehow use this to threaten national security?
I took a picture there the other day, a door was open on the assisted living apartments floor, a long corridor dimly lit by soft lights going way down the hall. But it didn't have enough light to come out clear (and a flash would have ruined the effect)I thought I hope nobody thinks I'm taking a picture to "case the joint" or something. You know, come in and steal a few old people... (this place doesn't even lock the door, till after 9 PM and even then you can call or ring a bell and get let in. Since I used to live in a bigger city, this seems unsafe to me. But, it's how it is (so far) here)
Carrie
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