Oklahoma is going backwards

[Rob B.]

I come back to Tulsa a few times a year, and honestly I marvel at how pretty and clean it is. I spent quite a bit of time downtown and the surrounding area riding my bike, visiting friends, and going out to eat. I never really felt unsafe anywhere I went. If it weren't for the weather and politics, I'd move back in a heartbeat.

Denvers homeless population exploded in the last few years, mainly due to Abbott and DeSantis bussing migrants here. There are blocks and blocks of homeless encampments. I don't feel particularly safe around them, which sucks.

But, in my limited experience, Tulsa seems to be WAY better in that area. Perhaps I just didn't see it, or I'm desensitized.

See my post above. The only areas in Tulsa that don't have a homeless problem is a few high scale neighborhoods. Even Riverparks is unsafe now.
Tulsa spent $millions to make Turkey Mt. a nice safe nature trail and it's not.

 

[cowboyinexile]

not calling out the entire state, just makes me sick that it is alive and well in Oklahoma and the US...that should not offend you...

I don´t recall you asking me about T-Town...was it recent? anyways, No, haven´t been there lately...

Online is a cesspool. Rochester MN (pretty progressive in general) had a woman call a kid the n word at a park and it was caught on video. Her gofundme raised 6 figures for her and some of the comments/donor names were beyond reprehensible. Some people just want to be terrible human beings.

 

[PF5]

Again, I don't feel that usual Facebook trolls mean racism is alive AND well. It rears it's ugly head and is quickly berated.


Here's what he's doing that you don't feel is compassionate.
He's also giving people a chance to get help instead of living like this on public property. This doesn't even address the many many more who are squatting on private property, so far, the city of Tulsa has taken no action on that issue.

39K views · 1.2K reactions | This encampment was up against the backyard fence line of numerous family homes in Tulsa. Residents had been living in a state of fear— their properties were consistently trespassed, vandalized and burglarized. It’s unac

This encampment was up against the backyard fence line of numerous family homes in Tulsa. Residents had been living in a state of fear— their properties were consistently trespassed, vandalized and...

www.facebook.com

I stand by my quote on Stitt...what he/they did is NOT compassionate...

 

[Rob B.]

I stand by my quote on Stitt...what he/they did is NOT compassionate...

You feel it's more compassionate to let them starve and overdose and live in inhumane conditions?

The Tulsa "elite" feel this way too. They give one of the homeless $10 a week from their car window so they can buy a hit of fentanyl and then scream at the horrors of trying to get them off the streets.

 

[PF5]

You feel it's more compassionate to let them starve and overdose and live in inhumane conditions?

The Tulsa "elite" feel this way too. They give one of the homeless $10 a week from their car window so they can buy a hit of fentanyl and then scream at the horrors of trying to get them off the streets.

I feel that saying they will be taken to a treatment facility or jail was stupid and unrealistic to say...first of all, they would/did not do either one of those...the non profit groups that shelter say there is no more room, so let´s just traumatize them?...he had no intention of helping the homeless, just wanted to ´clean up´...his ṕlan´ was/is uncompassionate!
There has to be a plan in place, and it would take years to do it properly (I´m assuming), not just a week of clearing them out of one area and displacing them to another area.

 

[Stillwaterman]

I feel that saying they will be taken to a treatment facility or jail was stupid and unrealistic to say...first of all, they would/did not do either one of those...the non profit groups that shelter say there is no more room, so let´s just traumatize them?...he had no intention of helping the homeless, just wanted to ´clean up´...his ṕlan´ was/is uncompassionate!
There has to be a plan in place, and it would take years to do it properly (I´m assuming), not just a week of clearing them out of one area and displacing them to another area.

Tulsa is doing a lot. City and Community. There are countless non-profits pushing for housing. MHAO is the 2nd largest landlord in town only to Case and their Mission is to keep people off the streets. Then you have THA. There are several tiny home developments going in now. City Lights (feeds, clothes, treats) anyone who can walk up every Thursday Night (rain or shine). List goes on, that's just what's on the top of my head.

I'm not an expert on this, but it really seems that you just can throw enough at this issue. But if people are creating camps on the backside of housing fence lines, there should be some action. Camping in or around highways/bridges is also extremely dangerous for everyone.

 

[HacklemanPoke]

I come back to Tulsa a few times a year, and honestly I marvel at how pretty and clean it is. I spent quite a bit of time downtown and the surrounding area riding my bike, visiting friends, and going out to eat. I never really felt unsafe anywhere I went. If it weren't for the weather and politics, I'd move back in a heartbeat.

Denvers homeless population exploded in the last few years, mainly due to Abbott and DeSantis bussing migrants here. There are blocks and blocks of homeless encampments. I don't feel particularly safe around them, which sucks.

But, in my limited experience, Tulsa seems to be WAY better in that area. Perhaps I just didn't see it, or I'm desensitized.

We were downtown yesterday at the Performing Arts Center. There were noticeably fewer homeless persons and tents.

Rob is exaggerating or conflating panhandlers w homeless persons. Tulsa is not overrun or unsafe. Like most metro areas there are pockets where it’s not safe. And that also means it’s not safe for people who are homeless.

We live in Stillwater now but called Tulsa home for over 20 years. In the early 90’s downtown was very safe. Then they rebuilt the jail and bus station and the homeless population exploded. We served at several of the downtown ministries and there are plenty of people that care about this issue. To a person they all expressed that most of the ones wanting out of homelessness took advantage of the ministries and resources.

My original post was not respectful. I do think Stitt is correct in wanting to fix the problem. He was not correct in blaming the new mayor. The current county sheriff who runs the jail has been in place for a decade and is MAGA. He could be a part of the solution.

We don’t talk to each other any more. We talk over and blame. That has to stop if we want to solve problems.

 

[CowboyJD]

Again, I don't feel that usual Facebook trolls mean racism is alive AND well. It rears it's ugly head and is quickly berated.

How many racist posts from the “usual Facebook trolls” does it take before one is entitled to conclude racism is alive and well?

I’m just talking ballpark numbers.