One week on a mat

As I mentioned in my last major update, I have become homeless again. The temp job I had ended and my income stopped, leaving me unable to keep my hotel room. For the past week (since February 8) I have been staying in the Men's Outreach Shelter (MOS), colloquially referred to as "overflow", between downtown Phoenix and the Arizona state capitol complex. Everything in this immediate area is centered around the Human Services Campus; a one-stop facility where the homeless population is provided with various services, including shelter beds (Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS)), medical care and soup kitchen meals. The Men's Outreach Shelter is located immediately across the street from the Human Services Campus but is considered part of the same group of services.

I have to get in line at MOS as early as 4pm each afternoon to get the best possible spot inside (they let people in starting sometime around 6pm), which means my days have been a little on the short side. The facility holds about 200-250 men; if there is no room inside, one must sleep out in a gated outdoor area. I sleep on a mat which is foam rubber covered by a thick vinyl shell. The facility has no showers, just four Port-A-Potties, the kind you see at construction sites or outdoor concert events, which get extremely foul smelling as the night wears on (damn I hate using those things). I use the on-campus "bag n' tag" baggage storage facility across the street to store my suitcase and my computer bag for most of the day, but I take the suitcase with me each night to make sure I have my clothes with me as I like to at least change my shirt each day.

Showers are a little problematic, because the MOS has no on-site shower facilities. I have to sign my name on a list to use the main CASS shelter facility on "campus" after it opens at 6:45 and have to coordinate/arrange to go back and forth to "bag n' tag" to take a change of underwear into the shower area and put away my dirty clothes in the suitcase after I am finished; therefore I do not shower every day. I carry a razor and toothbrush with me in my pocket so I can brush my teeth and shave as I can duck into a suitable public restroom and do so.

There are long lines for everything on the Human Services Campus, and a super-high demand for a limited amount of services. However, the setup here in Phoenix is light years better than in, say, Houston, which would greatly benefit from having a Phoenix-style campus for the homeless. One interesting note: the lines get dramatically shorter for everything around the first of each month, as many homeless people receive some sort of cash assistance and leave for a few days to get a hotel room, get drunk, get high or whatever.

As for my immediate situation: things may improve over the next few weeks. Last week, I interviwed for and got a customer service/sales telephone job with a major locally-based company; that position will probably start next week - it's a 60 day minimum temp assignment with strong possibility of permanent hire. I should be able to hold down this job and keep using the MOS for a couple of weeks, I will try and get more clarification on that this week. After that I will try to get a room in a single-room occupancy hotel downtown for under $150 per week. Barring that, because I remained in the main CASS men's shelter from November 2012 until late April 2013, my maximum time frame of 180 days has been exhausted until May 1. There is a 90-day limit on the use of MOS.

The homeless population, particularly in Phoenix, is very diverse and no single stereotype can be fairly applied to all of the people using these services. There are hard-core drug addicts and alcoholics, guys just released from being incarcerated, young people under 25 struggling to get started in life (and some just out of high school), and "normal" people like myself who are unemployed and have no means to pay for a hotel room or apartment and don't qualify for many support services.

In my opinion, the entire mindset and attitude of America needs to change to end poverty and homelessness. Some have the mindset that it is the fault of the poor and homeless for their situation. That is "blaming the victim", which is absolutely incorrect and unacceptable. There is no excuse in my mind for anyone to be homeless or poor. In previous writings and posts, I have expressed my views on this and have outlined my solutions.

Simply put: America needs to get the politcal will, the political desire, to change the lives of the poor, the needy, the homeless and the unemployed, and America needs to do this sooner rather than later - or risk increased chances of social and political unrest. Because when enough of the "middle class" are forced, as I was, to share a mat with people who are the "lowest of the low" (because there are simply NOT ENOUGH jobs to go around to support the entire population and will never be - software/hardware improvements, robotics, higher productivity and globalization will see to that), it will be too late.

How you can help me right now: My FundAnything campaign is still going on. Please consider supporting me and putting me in better accommodations. Any amount is welcome and will be put to good use. Immediate need by the 24th will be a bus pass to get to my new job, but I should have enough money from what I was given before to get at least one bus pass.

On being homeless yet again

I am about to be homeless after living in a hotel for two weeks (and another one for over six months prior). And by homeless, I am referring to having to seek shelter in a homeless shelter, but mind you, the last time I was in an apartment suite I signed a lease and was paying monthly rent for was November 2012. This will be the fourth time in over three years, in three different cities, that I have had to seek accommodations in the "continuum of care".

The employment market acts as though it has no long-term use for me anymore, since I am not young enough or skilled enough or cheap enough - even though I have a degree and enough experience to more than adequately perform in the jobs I want to work - if such jobs are even offered at all.

I am living proof that this economy sucks and "free market capitalism" is an utter and absolute joke and failure. There is enough food, enough housing, enough of everything to provide for the basic needs of everyone on this planet and then some. Why are there still poor? Why are there still homeless?

People are living on the street as we speak because we simply will not house them. We can easily give all homeless people adequate shelter, but we don't. We can give all who are hungry proper food, and many times we do, but many times we don't. We can provide a job to anyone who wants to work, but we don't, and when there is no work needed to be done, we refuse to provide for the basic needs of those displaced when they are no longer needed or wanted in the workforce - many times as a result of the natural technological progress that always happens.

We as a society do not see access to the abundance of the world as a human right. We see it as something with a monetary value to be bought and sold, for the enrichment of an elite class of "our betters".

That is an unacceptable and unsustainable view, and must change. Now. We can no longer afford to say "we can't afford it" when it comes to providing for the basic needs of the people. Change will come in this country. It will come peacefully or it will come through chaos and civil/social unrest. I would prefer peaceful change but as the saying goes, "Power concedes nothing without a demand", and those in power will react angrily to that demand, causing those who demand the concession to react angrily in turn. Not a good situation for the future of our republic.

But if we act now, if we change our minds, our attitudes and hearts to seek solutions that will end poverty, end homelessness, end the dependence on interest and debt - we may have yet a chance. Access to adequate food, shelter/housing, a basic income on which to live - that's a fundamental human right that must be freely provided without prejudice or precondition to all human beings. Until we understand and resolve to make that happen, people will continue to needlessly suffer.

Another update: Possible new job - now what?

I have an interview with a temp agency later this morning concerning a possible assignment as a graphic production artist. If this comes to fruition, the dilemma: I have no idea where I will be staying in 48 hours. I have pretty much run out of the money from my last temp job. My last dinner was at a local soup kitchen here in Mesa, where I am staying in a hotel until Saturday morning (when I must leave).

I did receive a monetary gift over last weekend, but $20 of it was eaten by a Valley Metro ticket machine as I was trying to purchase a bus pass. Now I have no money and no bus pass (I will have enough for one daily bus pass for today and money for another bus pass this weekend.) I have applied to be admitted to the East Valley Men's Center and will find out later today if 1) I have been admitted and 2) if they have space available. If not, I must head back into downtown Phoenix and to CASS, where I stayed for six unsuccessful months.

You may ask "why don't you just apply for unemployment benefits since your temp assignment ended?" I looked into that, and because the earnings threshold is so high and my assignments only paid so much - and I cannot even count the previous three months in my claim - I do not qualify.

You can help out in this situation. I have reinstated my crowdfunding campaign on FundAnything.com. You can literally be that "bridge" that will make it easier to start a new job. Take a look at the link and consider chipping in a little:

Update: I'm unemployed again

There has been a change in my situation effective today. My temp assignment as a customer service rep at DHL ended Friday, which means I am now unemployed. I have also left the downtown YMCA where I have been staying since last July and I am in a Knights Inn in Mesa as of this afternoon. I will be here all this coming week and most likely next week. Where I will go next depends on how much money comes to me in the next 7-10 days, from work or the generosity of friends and/or strangers.

Immediate needs: If I can raise enough money to stay in this new hotel room for the rest of February that should be enough time for me to find new employment or figure out what else to do. The temp agency I worked for has said they will keep an eye out for new assignments, but I have nothing lined up, and this is after sending out several resumes over the last few weeks.

One job I did have an excellent and promising phone interview for about three weeks ago was placed "on hold", apparently for budgetary reasons. Very disappointing as this would have been a nice opportunity for me.

Money for food and mass transit is critical this week and next. I am short on cash immediately because of the new hotel. I have enough for some groceries to get me through the week, but that's about it.

I owe an outstanding balance to the YMCA based on their allowing me to stay there during this past fall when I was in between jobs and unable to pay weekly rent; management has indicated they are no longer willing to work with situations like mine going forward, and I decided it was better to leave and be in slightly better accommodations if only for a couple of weeks. I have one paycheck coming next week from the DHL job.

What I really need are clients willing to commit to my designing their brand identity and willing to accept my payment structure, which involves a limited-time royalty period of a small percentage of gross revenues. My website explains everything in detail.

And what this nation needs is for a stronger job market and a stronger social safety net. I've discussed this at length in previous posts. I'm getting very tired of having to struggle to survive, and equally as tired of hearing about people experiencing worse hardship than even myself. All for no good reason. The economy needs to provide a decent living to all citizens. No excuses. That's our fundamental human right. It's hard to not be in support of strong social programs and "progressive" political policies when you are directly affected by this ongoing recession, and adversely so.

Five things the US can do right now to improve the economy

The following are all hypothetical situations that do not really exist, but they are sorely needed, critical to the long-term success of our economy, and can be passed by Congress Monday morning and on the President's desk by Friday to sign.

1. Repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and implement the United States National Health Care Act (HR 676), to establish a universal single-payer health care system in the United States. Estimated savings: $500-600 billion per year, compared with the current system dominated by the private insurance and the pharmaceutical industries.

2. Implement a 15% federal value added tax (VAT), levied by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), on most goods and services provided by businesses in the US, and some goods and services imported from outside the US; exceptions can be made for food and childrens' clothing items (0%) and services like hotel room rates (10%), and for sales of books/magazines, admission tickets to cultural events and travel within the US (5%). This is intended to replace and/or reduce state and local sales taxes as the localities so designate, with the IRS and US Treasury reimbursing the states/cities accordingly on a percentage basis. Estimated revenue: $750-800 billion per year.

3. Implement a financial transaction tax as proposed in Congress by Tom Harkin, Bernie Sanders, Peter DeFazio and others. Estimated revenue: $50-100 billion per year.

4. Raise the federal minimum wage to $11.25/hr, and require the US Department of Labor to make a cost-of-living adjustment to the minimum wage each year based on the federal Consumer Price Index. If a state minimum wage is higher, that higher state MW still applies, but must be pegged to the CPI.

5. Expand eligibility for unemployment insurance (UI) to anyone who has worked at least six months in a 12-month period, and at least 80 hours per calendar month, and becomes unemployed regardless of the reason for separation. Benefits shall begin at 80% of income earned in the immediate past position for an initial period of 42 weeks, with extensions granted on a case-by-case basis, and automatic extensions in cases where the national economy is poor or the federal unemployment rate is above a specified target level. UI recipients will still be expected to actively seek work and be willing to relocate to another city if necessary to find work (there should be federal financial assistance given to such people relocating to seek work). UI recipients shall also automatically qualify for and receive SNAP benefits if not already.

More things to do after that:
1. Require all public four-year universities in the US established under the Morrill Act, including the related branch/sister campuses of university systems with historical roots in the Morrill Act, to eliminate in-state and out-of-state tuition, as well as certain fees, for admitted students. The US Department of Education will provide block grants to these universities (and also to HBCUs).

2. Require all community college districts in the US to eliminate tuition and fees for all students admitted and enrolled in programs intended and designed for university transfer.

3. Implement fines and other civil and criminal penalties for employers of any size who terminate, penalize, threaten, intimidate or otherwise prevent any or all of their employees from joining a labor union or organizing in large numbers to join a union. Companies who choose to shut down or close a location in response to union organizing efforts will be fined, and if they received economic development benefits in the form of tax incentives, such agreements will be considered nullified and the taxes retroactively assessed to the date of signing of such agreement.

4. Implement fines and other civil and criminal penalties for employers of any size who refuse to hire an applicant on the basis of a consumer credit report or credit score, if the position is not specifically within the financial services industry. If the position is within the financial services industry, the company must not discriminate on the basis of credit score if the position does not involve direct handling of currency and/or confidential customer information.

Note to Phoenix: Here's something you SHOULD copy Texas on (free holiday meal)

Today, Christmas Day 2013, I attended the annual Salvation Army Christmas dinner for needy families and the homeless today. It was an OK experience - I have attended this event before - but after experiencing the H-E-B Feast of Sharing at Fair Park in Dallas (legendary and beautiful home of the State Fair of Texas) for 2012, just before my return to Arizona, the Phoenix event, which has been held in the South Building of the Phoenix Convention Center for decades, could use some help.

If the organizers of the Phoenix event could simply travel to Dallas or Austin and observe how H-E-B does things, it would greatly, greatly improve the "fan experience." The biggest issue I have always had with the Phoenix event was the long wait to be seated at the beginning of the event; the doors opened at 9:30 am and everyone is basically waiting until the 11:30 serving time. How boring and inefficient. There are lots of children's activities such as games and a massive coloring book table to help pass their time, but a more efficient beginning procedure and a longer serving time could help speed things up and actually move MORE people through the event FASTER:

1. In Dallas, patrons entered the (95,000 sf) Centennial Building through a single main entrance. They could come in at any time between 2pm and 7pm. No massive line to get in and no waiting for two hours before everyone clusters in massive, confusing lines to be seated for the meal. In Dallas, the main walkway was lined with several festively decorated tables manned by various community groups giving out information on DART public transit (I still have the DART keychain ring, pencil and plastic ruler) to free health screenings and various educational opportunities.

2. As patrons approached the main seating area, they were immediately escorted to an open seat. NO WAITING. The actual distribution of the meals was handled in a manner similar to the existing Phoenix event (handled mainly by volunteers, many of them kids). There was ample seating for all families and single people who came. And because the event lasted longer, there was less of a scramble and massive cluster.

3. Live entertainment was ONLY in the main hall, performed by a professional band, and MC'd by one of the local news anchors.

If Dallas could get this done in a 95,000 square foot space, Phoenix CAN do better because the South Building is 144,000 square feet.

1. BETTER YET: Consider moving the event to US Airways Center or Chase Field; the Suns and Diamondbacks can score HUGE points by being co-sponsors. In Houston, the United Way recruits and trains all the volunteers (about 800) and two organizations associated with the NBA also help out (NBA wives and retired NBA players). Major League Baseball NEEDS to have a STRONG presence at this event because pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training here in Phoenix in about 45 days!!!

2. One idea for a Chase Field event: serve all the free food at the regular concession stands and have people sit in the stadium seats to eat; live bands can perform in a concert setting and holiday movies such as "A Christmas Story" can play on the JumboTron screen.

2a. Open TGiFriday's restaurant and the Arizona Baseball Club to the event as well; prioritize their use to couples and single people coming with no children (it would be absolutely awesome to have a free holiday meal at the Arizona Baseball Club).

3. Pepsi can sponsor the free sodas and juices that can be served at the event. The H-E-B events served various Coca-Cola soda products with the holiday meal; the Phoenix event only offers coffee, water and Shamrock Farms milk.

Links to where I'm posting things

Haven't posted on here for a while...but catch me in a few places:

www.linkedin.com/in/micmac99

twitter.com/micmac99

twitter.com/msreeddesign

www.quora.com/Michael-Sheldon-Reed

msrdesignmusings.quora.com

Best wishes for a good holiday season.