Pubdate: Tue, 10 May 2016 Source: Pueblo Chieftain (CO) Copyright: 2016 The Pueblo Chieftain Contact: http://www.chieftain.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1613 Author: David Jiron POT VS. HOMELESS I find it interesting that Posada and some other nonprofits continue to try and connect homelessness with the cannabis industry. It's not far-fetched to see that Posada and these other nonprofits are the enablers of homelessness. You can go to Posada on any given day and Ann Stateleman will give you a handout. If that doesn't work go see Rose Mertz at the Salvation Army for a handout, but if your still unsuccessful, then try Care and Share, the Soup Kitchen, Wayside Mission, commodities,social services and the list goes on. If all else fails then just head over to any intersection in town and someone will eventually pull up and hand you some money. Posada is the true contributor to the homeless population in our community not cannabis. Transients communicate with one another and they inform each other about these free handouts and soft cities and that's what brings them here and contributes to the problem. In a recent article published by The Pueblo Chieftain these nonprofits put the homeless population at 11,000 in Pueblo. So ask yourself how many of those 11,000 were required to clean up around town or perform some kind of duty for the city for the assistance they received? With 11,000 homeless workers our city streets, parks, river trail system and run down properties should be clean and trash free. My solution is that City Council needs to stop enabling the enablers (Posada)and reign in the funding provided to them. Yes, people do need help and I recognize this, but at some point they need to help themselves. Reduce the funding to these organizations that enable homelessness. That will keep Posada from turning around and bad mouthing our city in the local media. Free handouts with nothing required is the problem not cannabis. David Jiron Pueblo - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom