Think I've mentioned before that my walk to and from work includes crossing Peachtree Creek. The creek crossing is a four-lane bridge, sidewalks on each side, built in 1967 (if I'm remembering the date on one end correctly, with the creek itself maybe 20 feet below the span midway across. I'm not real sure just what the terrain is like immediately under the bridge, but it's become obvious that more and more people are living there. And I'm not talking camping out for a day or two -- I'm talking something that's starting to resemble the shanty towns you see in Save the Children commercials. Residents have even put up wind chimes.
I saw an estimate a few months ago that there were approximately 6,000 homeless people in the Atlanta area. I find myself wondering what the actual numbers are. There are a lot of bridges in this city, as well as abandoned buildings and other odd corners. How many squats are out there that no one knows about?
If government -- federal, state, or local -- is looking for projects to stimulate the economy, maybe some low income housing would be a good place to start.
It's absolutely horrifying to me that we can boast to be such a great nation (we, the collective) and yet we tolerate homelessness, poverty, hunger and lack of healthcare while allowing the very richest to moan about the fact that they might have to give up some luxury so that others might have a chance at eating.....
ReplyDeleteTwo weeks in a row, I've seen people sleeping under overpasses on I75 north of Atlanta.
our own collective greed brought most of this down on us. not individually but by the big business's and those places under the bridge should be called Bush Camps.
ReplyDeleteHey, I thought I'd let you know I finally got around to updating my blogroll and adding your site.
ReplyDeleteI love your thoughtful posts.
This economy is in such tatters that it's going to take a concerted push in many areas at once, I'm afraid - more than we can afford, or Gov't is willing to make.
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