Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order this weekend ordering that the homeless be removed from the streets of New York State by any means and forced into homeless shelters once outside temperatures hit 32 degrees or below and during inclement weather.
Local police and representatives of social service agencies (relabeled outreach officers) are to take to the streets in search of the homeless, have a fireside chat during which the individual(s) will be ordered to head to a shelter, i.e., off the streets aka out of public view.
Of course, should the individual refuse, he or she would then be forcibly removed to one of the many dangerous and ill reputable homeless shelters in New York State, which has been ordered to maintain extended hours allowing the homeless access.
The ideological rationale for Cuomo’s executive order is to ensure “that homeless individuals are directed to shelter during inclement winter weather which can cause hypothermia, serious injury and death.” Translation: For the safety and greater good of the individual.
Except that, the executive order does not protect the homeless nor is it for their greater good and most certainly not because Cuomo or any other government official has the right to usurp the will of an individual. They do not.
It is no secret that homeless shelters are a hellhole and often life threatening, one of the primary reasons is that so many choose living on the streets, in the subways and back allies over the shelters.
Adding to that, many of the people who run and work in the shelters are corrupt, equally dangerous, see the homeless as someone to take advantage of, and abused because after all, if they don’t like the service (or living conditions), they can always remove themselves from the environment. Yet with those options, correction lack thereof, many have opted to leave the shelters.
Rather than deal with the insanity and threats that send people fleeing from shelters or rolling back legislation and social engineering policies that are contributory to the escalated rents, cost of living, homelessness, etc. Cuomo diminishing the options, further infringes upon the liberties of the homeless by ordaining that the State of New York can “take appropriate steps, including involuntary placement, to protect individuals from harming themselves or others.”
Excerpt of Cuomo’s executive order No. 151:
DURING INCLEMENT WINTER WEATHER…I direct all local social service districts, police agencies including the New York State Police, and state agencies to take all necessary steps to identify individuals reasonably believed to be homeless and unwilling or unable to find the shelter necessary for safety and health in inclement winter weather, and move such individuals to the appropriate sheltered facilities;
FURTHER, I direct all local social service districts to take all necessary steps to extend shelter hours, to allow individuals who are homeless to remain indoors, to instruct homeless service outreach workers to work with other relevant personnel and to work with local police in relation to the involuntarily transport of at-risk individuals who refuse to go inside and who appear to be at-risk for cold related injuries to appropriate facilities for assessment consistent with the provisions of section 9.41 of the Mental Hygiene Law, and to work in coordination with the State Police and all police agencies to ensure that homeless individuals receive assistance as needed to protect the public health and safety and at all times consistent with the State’s Constitution and existing statutes…
See Executive Order # 151 here in pdf format.
Alleging that case law is on his side, Cuomo phoned in to 1010WINS Saturday insisting that his decision to force the homeless aka “these people” against their will into homeless shelters is for the good of the collective, correction individual [my emphasis], “What we’re saying is these are people who are placing themselves in danger, and if you are placing yourself in danger, we believe as a society you should be given help because you can hurt yourself…”
Designating that the homeless be involuntarily remanded to a homeless shelter implies that the homeless are mentally unstable and thereby incapable of making decisions for themselves but fear not because the Marxist ideologues running the government are here to help.
Well sort of anyway. While Cuomo’s executive order states that “homelessness is an issue that impacts citizens in all regions of the State, from large cities to small towns and rural communities; and WHEREAS, certain parts of the State are facing a crisis of homelessness unprecedented in recent history;” it is another slap in the face directed at NYC’s Communist mayor, Bill de Blasio under whose tenure homelessness in New York City has returned to 1980’s level.
Commie de Blasio who early last summer blamed NYC’s homeless problem on Cuomo while at the same time stating that, “Homelessness is not going up, thank God,” and whose deputy mayor of health and human services resigned shortly thereafter objects to the executive order but not for the reasons that one would expect.
According to Karen Hinlon, de Blasio’s press secretary,
“We support the intent of the Executive Order, but to forcibly remove all homeless individuals in freezing weather, as the Governor has ordered, will require him to pass state law…
This Executive Order adds no legal or financial resources to New York City’s programs to assist the homeless, and merely requires all New York State localities follow many of the same requirements as New York City to shelter families and individuals in need in freezing temperatures…”
[Note: While homelessness and quality of life in New York City was returning to the cesspool it became during the Dinkins era, Commie Bill took a trip to Italy that included a $ 4,519.66 overnight flight to Rome where he sought company with the Pope.
Instead of addressing the City’s problems, de Blasio gallivants from state to state, whining about how New Yorkers hate him.]
Alphonso David, Cuomo’s legal counsel insists that Cuomo’s executive order “’does not mandate involuntary commitment for competent individuals’ and requires cities to conduct ‘an individualized assessment pursuant’ to state mental hygiene law ‘for those who refuse shelter.’”
Translation: If it is 32 degrees out with a wind chill of 15 and an individual still refuses to enter into a homeless shelter, it cannot possibly be that the individual fears for his or her safety, it is that the individual is mentally unstable.
Commie mayor’s treatment of the homeless in NYC is the confiscation and destruction of what little property the homeless sleeping on NYC streets has in their possession including documentation, which is vital to getting anything done in the United States.
Does Andrew Cuomo who has been aggressively fundraising for his 2018 re-election campaign since early 2015 have the right to force homeless adults off the streets against their will?
What about de Blasio, up for re-election in 2017 whose actions appears to be also infringing upon the liberties of while disrespecting the homeless by erasing their existence?
Are both attempting to push for the illusion of “out of sight — out of mind — crisis handled and contained?”
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