I wonder what would happen if vagrancy was
classified as a crime. If police had the power
to arrest people who were sleeping out on the
streets and could put them onto buses and drive
them to country towns where they would be forced
to work for farmers who now rely on backpackers
for their labour - because no one else wants to
do the work. Would this solve any problems - both
for farmers and the homeless?

Just a thought.

Foxy,

No-one, least of all me, wants to compel anyone. But you already know that.

Most would realise too that there are some people who experience difficulty handling their own affairs. Some may have had wretched luck.

What I am suggesting is that there are opportunities for lifestyles that are superior to what many know and if it is their inability to get moving, get sorted or whatever they need helpful nudges.

Helpful nudges can include some respite, temporary accommodation, in group houses in the country in lieu of the city where they fall back into the same problems.

That can also provide some employment in country towns and business which are welcome.

Hey Foxy,
Re: Inclusionary Zoning.
I don't know much about it, but if the pro's outweight the cons and it make the community more liveable for the people in it then I'm all for it.
But I see these kinds of 'normal ideas' as band-aid ideas no offence when the real problem is more at the core.
Try this: draw a triangle on a piece of paper and in one corner (bottom left) write 'Capitalist and Socialist Education" and under it write 'Public and Private Schools' then on another corner of the triangle write 'Capitalist and Socialist Healthcare' and under it write 'Public and Private Hospitals'

Now look at it and tell me whats missing in our society. ?
We've got something better than America does in socialst base level healthcare but what's missing?
Think about it.
How do we pay for these benefits of socialist base-level education and healthcare if we don't have socialist base-level jobs?

And we COULD do it now, with the help of smart phones and apps.
Using the wasted resource of people 'looking for work but not finding work' from the 5% of workers capitalism need to prevent wage growth, and you create a system where the socialst base-level jobs help build the infrastructure that creates more job and business oportunities in the private sector. (ie non socialist base-level jobs)

You have to fix the problems at the core first, then everything else will fall into place.

Leoj, How to get people off the easy beach lifestyle?
Don't force them, make them an offer so good they can't refuse.

Think about if I created this 'job you have when you don't have a job system, think of those 2 bums of the beach.... what if one of them CHOOSES, NOT FORCED to login and find and do a work shift in my job system.. The other guys going to feel like a loser when he has less for not going, and suddenly I've won the game, 'I've created a culture of employment within the ranks of the unemployed'

AC,
I can recall that people went fruit picking during their holidays, to earn extra money cash in hand or, in the city, went to the markets and pushed a barrow for 4 hours before going to their normal job. This was all cash in hand and not declared income and used to buy the house or some other major item. The thing was that people are willing to work the hard or difficult jobs if the incentive is there.

Keating PM ruined this by introduction of the Tax File Number needed to get a job and policing those employers that were willing to pay cash in hand. This took all the incentive out of going away fruit picking so people lost interest. Many people paid for their building block or set up business this way with the extra cash and the money ended up in the economy anyway, it just took a little longer to get there.

So history has shown that Aussies will do the work if the incentive is there

Foxy,

Vagrancy used to be a crime, and it still might be for all I know. I cannot see the people posing as politicians going down that track, though.

Armchair Critic,

The only suggestion I have is to use every available 'nudge' to get people to be responsible and to take some pride in themselves. It might work with a few.

However, by far the biggest problem I observe and read about is drugs, including alcohol.

It is not unusual to see in the council park a mess of stinking, but apparently recently supplied, sleeping bag, doona and whatever with the drug/alcohol affected bodies in it and often arguing. And the tents in the undergrowth on building sites where protective fences have been destroyed.

They will dirty and destroy any house given to them. They learn to be highly manipulative. My kind parents learned that lesson a number of times loaning farm worker and township cottages to people they though were 'needy and deserving, in need of a break'. Costly experience and no thanks, just abuse and more filth when they were finally caused to leave.

They will tell you it is their right to live that way and of course, 'no-one knows what they are like'.

It so happens that after years of volunteering I agree with them. It IS their choice. But it should not be the fate of their children, many of whom are born drug damaged. The circle needs to be broken and some children might find another way.

There is very little hope of reducing the problem where drug manufacture and dealing is a booming business, turning over $Millions a month.