The penniless in school: New report on homeless students - LaSalle News Tribune - LaSalle, IL
This link will take you to the News Tribune for the article. This is the first time I have done this in a long time and I realize many will not be able to read it because you have used up your 5 reads to the paper. Go to the library or ask someone you know to share their paper with you. We here spend enough time discussing our city and its downhill slide and this is about real people and especially children having a very difficult time and they are living here and even sleeping in our local PADS shelter.
I think about all the money we spend needlessly and many times unnecessarily here in Peru and take a minute and think about having nothing. Most of us cannot do a great deal do help them but it does help to be aware. Ask anyone on the PPD and they can tell you about the increasing number of homeless people they encounter on a daily basis. Winter is a very hard time and especially during the very cold days and nights.
26 comments:
just google the headline of the article.
How can a person who reads this article not have tears? This is right in out own back yard. I hope this mother/daughter is on the list for public housing. Public housing is based on a persons ability to pay by their income. I know a person who two years ago, lost his job(hard worker, never missed work), lived in LaSalle. He was able to get a job at a place in Mendota doing dishes a few hours a week. He was able to be put on the list for public housing in Mendota, after a couple days he receives a call saying there was an apartment available. His rent was $15 a month. He of course qualified for a link card for food. Public housing from what I understand has rules that tenants have to follow(like guests aren't allowed after certain hours or before a certain time) , etc.. If rules can't be followed they no longer have a place to live. There is housing, etc.. Available, I hope these people are being directed in the right direction for help. Thank goodness for the shelter. Bless all those who are going through hard times.
Great comment 2:05! I would add that this also shows the burdens placed on our schools in dealing with these things. While it is funded with our tax dollars, they do so much to help those most in need and far more than most people realize.
Now I just hope we can keep the comments here constructive and not about politics for a change. Thank you Lois!
and meanwhile, the unions and our elected officials make it difficult (to say the least) for businesses to operate in the Illinois Valley.
Doesn't the township offer help?
Agreed 256. Minimum wage should be repealed so these people can find actual jobs
What entity audits/monitors how LaSalle County Housing Authority spends federal $? With appropriations in 2011 and 2012 each over $10 million and 2013 over $6 million; I am curious who is accountable for those funds. Is it the LaSalle County board? There appears to be a lack of transparency with this entity and zero financial information available on LCHA website.
5:01 - first you need to get the name correct. It is the Housing Authority for LaSalle County. It is funded by the Federal and State Governments - not the county.
How can you be homeless when you are living with a family member? I feel for the 'true homeless' but how can the government call you homeless when you are living with loving relatives and have a roof over your head? We had situations like this when I was a kid and nobody thought anything about it. Sooner or later every living person is going to want the government to hold their hand 24 hours a day.
6:14 - It is called cooking the books. The more homeless people, the larger the funding. If they are living with friends or family, I say they are not homeless. Don't get me wrong, I feel sorry for people that have no place to go and I support shelters and low income housing programs. But, charity starts at home.
6:02 thank you for the name correction of Housing Authority of LaSalle County or LaSalle County Housing Authority (6 or 1/2 a dozen...). Also thank you for proving my point that very little is "known" about HALC or the $26 million in appropriations over the past 3 years. I realize HALC is not funded by the county BUT does the County have any oversight (my original question) regarding the Housing Authority or does the HALC have it's own board? How did the director get hired or appointed? Who is the director accountable to? Please since you were adamant about correcting my error in the Housing Authority name if you also have additional information regarding the history or accountability/transparency by all means please provide it to the readers. I assume you would concur funding whether State, federal, or County should include transparency since it IS taxpayer money?
5:01
6:02 – the name is important. You see, the nuances of a government bureaucracy are meant to confuse the casual observer. If it where the LaSalle County Housing Authority, it would be a county authority. But it is “Housing Authority FOR LaSalle County.” That name implies a higher level of government that divides areas of responsibility by counties within a state. I’m not expert in this area, but a little research shows that The Housing Authority for LaSalle County Illinois is not controlled locally. Municipal and county authorities have absolutely no jurisdiction regarding the operation and funding of HALC. It falls under the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development that is run by Secretary Shaun Donovan. According to the HUD website, HALC falls under Elillian Lewis (“PHRS” - whatever that is), Eric Sandstedt (Facilities Manager), and Donica Davis (Financial Analyst). Their phone numbers all have 312 area codes. So if you want financial information you need to dig through whatever is available about the HUD budget on-line or through FOIA. Good luck, because it will be comingled with information about every other county in Illinois. You can also try calling them and asking for a copy of their budget. The phone number is listed on their web page. So let’s see if I hit all your questions… The county has no oversight, HALC does not have a board, the director or whatever the title is hired through the bureaucratic staffing process, the local director is accountable to Steven E. Meiss (Director, Illinois State Office of Public Housing).
9:59 thank you; I believe that answers all my questions for now...
I have met and have had many conversations with many homeless people over the period of many many years. Throughout the United States. These people come from all walks of life. From being financially stable for many years and then their lives were turned upside down by job loss, divorce, illness, etc. Many times these people are too embarrassed to ask for help. I recommend if any of you see it or hear of a person you believe to be in need, help them. I suggest, and have done this several times, buy what they need and give to them. Don't give money directly to them. They may use the money for drugs and alcohol. If they enjoy smoking, buy a pack of cigarettes, it's better then seeing them pick butts from a ashtray(seen happen). One time, at a gas station, a family needed gas. I put $10 in their tank and watched them drive away. The shell on 251. I could not believe the car even started due to its condition. Help those in need and God will reward you. You will feel good personally in your giving to those in need.
Sad. If you ask a police officer about many homeless people who travel by foot, they will tell you that many of them have a companion of a dog. Many of these dogs have befriended them in their travels, and the homeless person is taking care of a homeless or abandoned dog. They depend on each other.
This story is SHOCKING. Yet we the citizens of Peru ignore an issue as this and fight/debate over a Mayor who is not interested in the well being of its citizens but what stature "he can self elevate". have ever heard of the Mayor doing anything to help or solve issues as homelessness.,. No, just look around, if the empty store buildings had businesses that would mean jobs that would mean LESS homelessness and better schools because of increased tax money. It all has a domino effect. It all comes down to "YOUR VOTE MATTERS", elections haves consequences.
What you vote for is what you live with!!!
"WHAT YOU VOTE FOR IS WHAT YOU LIVE WITH"
"WHEN YOU DO NOT VOTE YOU SURRENDER YOUR RIGHTS TO CHOOSE WHAT YOU WILL HAVE TO LIVE WITH"
"wHEN THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES IS, 3 OR 4, RATHER THAN 2 IT ALLOWS A CANDIDATE TO WIN WITH A LESS THAN 51% MAJORITY. FOR EXAMPLE SCOTT HARL WON THE LAST PERU MAYORS ELECTION WITH 35% OF THE VOTES CAST."
I HAVE OFTEN HEARD THAT IF 5 OR MORE CANDIDATES WOULD RUN FOR MAYOR OF PERU UNDER PERUS STATURES THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A PRIMARY TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES TO 2. IS THIS CORRECT?
12:30 - You are correct - but it is a State Law, not a Peru ordinance. Five qualifying candidates for Mayor in a Non-partisan election automatically triggers a primary. We need to be more careful next time. I think one of the candidates ran just to break up the anti-Harl vote.
Thank you 3:14 With your answer that 5 candidates triggers a primary in the case of 5 or more candidates for Mayor. Once more than 2 are reached the answer may be to make sure the number reaches 5 candidates to achieve a primary. This would also enable a candidate to introduce himself for a the Mayors race. A key to winning the Mayorship of Peru has been to run for election two times in a row. No one has been elected for Mayor at the first attempt since Robert Potthoff in 1957 and William Palmatier in 1961. I guarantee you that if more than 2 are running and one is the present Mayor I'll run mysef and my dog to get it up to 5. The way things are going I know my dog is assured of 3rd or above with myself at least 4th with the present incumbent as 5th.
People also need to be aware that they can sign more than one petition.
Anon 3:50 Good topic and intelligent thinking. My only correction is that I think the dog would end up in the top 2 and eventually be elected Mayor.
Absolutely people can sign more than one petition. If you really need signers you can get names from the cemetary off of tombstones, you can get names from in and out of town phone books and if in desperation out of state phone books. Another good source is a library and its city directories and/or city centennial books. Walt Disney characters are nowhere near as good athey were at one time. The reason could be that many politicians are still crazy over Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and Bambi.
It is no secret that you can sign more than one petition and also remember you can sign the same petition a endless number of times if you always use a differet name. When really good at multiple signings you can interchange names for example on one page were Scoop Heart, Ike Hurl and Gary Treasurer. Just think how many people over 60 would throw out the name Mickey Mantle or Knunte Rockne. That would be signing your passport to Hell. If properly done it can be twisted to appear legal, not quite as legal as paying a person for work he didn't perform but awful close. By the way how has the Peru investigation coming along. Should be aout ready to become public knowledge isn't it. Oh well, it will take give the governorship of Illinois some slack. Peru has never had any Mayors taking license plate production 101 before. But as the man said there has to be and always is a first time. There is a good name for a petition signature, First Time Fredie.
Everyone in Peru knows that they can sign more than one petition but few know that they should not sign the same petition more than once. When signing this different name stuff has to stop. I understand that One signature on Page two was Ding Dong Daddy, and on Page four was Dong Daddy Ding and on page five was Daddy Ding Dong.
3:50 Funny! I would also run if there ends up being 4 candidates, but it's really a non-issue because Harl is going to have to resign.
1:03 AM - ???????? what are you ranting on about? The 5:58 PM comment simply stated that there is nothing wrong with signing the petition for each candidate - be it 2 or 52, a legal voter can sign the petition of each and every candidate if they so desire. By signing the petition you simply are saying you want them to run and be on the ballot.
Also be aware that the person collecting the signatures also signs a statement that saying the signatures are valid "under penalty of perjury." So if Ding Dong Daddy signs the petition and the collector does not scratch it - they collector could go to jail or be fined by the judge the petition is being presented to.
A person doesn't even have to be a legal voter when signing the petition. Sign it then Register to vote by deadline for the next election.
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