I will keep this article in the top spot for through the weekend.

I've had to think hard on this one before I could continue to comment. It got real nasty real fast.

First I think we need to stop judging. Homelessness is caused by many things and is often outside the control of the person who has been cast into homelessness.
Many are no danger to anyone except themselves. I think it is unfounded to think they are any more a danger to you than any other population of person.

Second, it is not a crime to be homeless. Some here have made ridiculous suggestions about rounding up the homeless and sending them to camps. That is idea an unconstitutional. Is most certainly does not solve the problem.

Third, I reject any attack against Micah. Micah is a model organization created by the Christian community of Fredericksburg to deal directly with the problem at the source. Micah knows exactly how to deal with the homeless. These men and women have to sometimes be re-introduced into society. It is not as easy as getting them a job and a place to stay. Many have deep emotional and sometimes mental problems.

The homeless need therapy/counseling, transitional housing and job training. And I promise providing these is just as expensive as the time and money that can be spent on arresting them, convicting them and incarcerating them. The former has proven to be more successful even though it requires more time, effort and love than it does to keep arresting someone for public drunkenness.

Mac, I agree with some of the things you are saying and I think there are some homeless that are legitimately trying to get back into society. There are others that are wanting to be in that situation or just don't want to participate in society. A lot of these are the ones that are causing the problems of public drunkenness.

Enforcement of anyone who is breaking laws such as drunkenness should be jailed, especially those are are repeat offenders. There should be a no tolerance for public drunkenness no matter what your status is. It is a danger to that individual and society.

As far as Micah being downtown. Well, I disagree. We are a historical city and depend on tourism as a resource. When we have drunkards in public, when individuals are panhandling and loitering, it makes this city look bad. I brough in friends from out of town and people that I know are homeless were handing around the visitor center, in the visitor center bathrooms shaving, and smoking in the market square. There was a lot of trash and cigarette butts where they were sitting and when I went back later, the trash was still there. It was nice over the summer when we had law enforcement officers on foot all day long to keep them moving. I hate walking down on Caroline Street where someone is always asking me for money or a cigarette.

I am not of the opinion that Micah has the best interest of the community in mind. I believe that in order for Micah to keep their doors open, they prey on the church going population's feelings and guilt. They send them donations and perhaps don't ask exactly where the money goes.

I have word from a reliable source that Micah attracts out of area homeless people via the internet. I have not personally seen the sites but it does seem to me that people are learning of Micah from somewhere.

Micah should NOT be giving tents out to people when camping is not allowed in Fredericksburg.

As far as the homeless population being harmless or not as bad as some state, that is patently false. Refer to the article here written after the meeting of business owners. There is a statement that says that this particular population is committing more crimes than their non-homeless counterparts. Add to that there is a known sex offender living the street life here and it becomes an ugly cocktail, pardon the pun, of bad possibilities.

From my posts on Paul Quinn's blog site on the homeless issue:

I would be interested in having a discussion on homelessness as I alluded to above. A conversation where there will be no posturing or name calling but an opportunity to put all the issues on the table for discussion. I won't advertise the date or time so it doesn't become a circus. I want to get a good understanding of all the issues and perspectives regarding homelessness in our community. If you are interested please drop me a line. On Monday, if there is any interest, I’ll throw out some dates and times to those who responded and we will go from there. My e-mail address is kelly058@verizon.net.

I had a very thoughtful and productive meeting with Micah today. Some very good initial ideas exchanged and I look forward to working with Micah, Continuum of Care, Regional Elected officials and others as we pull together a joint task force to educate and more thoroughly inform those of us in leadership positions to make decisions to direct and most importantly optimize all available resources to address homelessness and its impact on our community. This will take time and I'm actively forming a viable way ahead.

Good news. The homeless problem in Fredericksburg has been solved. Micah and Catholic Charities have now teamed up to BRING African refugee's into Fredericksburg. Micah even mentions on their website the home THEY BOUGHT to resettle African refugee's in Fburg. Way to go guys, you have done such a great job at recruiting drunk criminals into our home that I'm sure you'll have no problem with them!

A housed sex offender is just as likely to (if not more so) to attack your children than homeless ones. Remember, housed sex offenders have a lot of time on their hands that homeless ones don't AND no one says a darn thing about where the housed ones go, what they do and whose kids they're watching. How is it fair to "track" a homeless sex offender and not the housed ones, too?

So homeless sex offenders have no free time. Really, so tell me, what do they do all day that makes them have no free time?

Khanoom, I already brought up the fact that there are two types of homeless people, but unfortunately there are people who think there are only bad ones and the people who think there are only good ones. I was homeless once and can tell you there are two types and one type is chronically homeless, they do not want to conform, they panhandle, sometimes very aggressively, they follow and harass people, they liter, they hang out in front of business to pester the people going in and out, they drink, they do drugs and they steal to get the money for these activities. I grew up just North of Flint Michigan and can tell you that letting them people wander around, hang out, harass people and panhandle is going to kill this city. I already no longer go downtown because I do not want to leave my car parked and walk away from it to where it might get broken into and the amount of homeless people wandering around, sitting in doorways and on the curbs and drinking early in the morning makes me nervous. If these kind of people don't make someone nervous then they have never been in the bad part town in a big city. It certainly is only going to get worse not better if something is not done. I think Micah should not be downtown so the people getting the free handouts do not hang around there.

I totally agree with you Karen and sincerely, congrats on making such positive changes in your life. YOU are the one people should be interested in hearing from.

Go to this link to search the Virginia State Police sex offender registry: http://sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov/sor/
If you go into the search function and input the zip code 22401, it will bring up the registered offenders who list either a work or home address in Fredericksburg. There are 55 offenders in that category, and of those, all but 8 of them are considered violent offenders. Of the non-violent offenders, none of them were convicted of public urination or indecent exposure. The offenses run the gamut from soliciting minors online to forcible rape and sodomy.
There is one offender who lists his home address as "in the woods" and another whose home address is the same as Micah Ministries on Princess Anne St. Other offenders claim home addresses that are actually motels, and a few list an address that is housing provided by a service organization.
If sex offender status is going to be part of this conversation, then it's important to get accurate information directly from the registry.

From Natatia Bledsoe: Go to this link to search the Virginia State Police sex offender registry: http://sex-offender.vsp.virginia.gov/sor/ If you go into the search function and input the zip code 22401, it will bring up the registered offenders who list either a work or home address in Fredericksburg. There are 55 offenders in that category, and of those, all but 8 of them are considered violent offenders. Of the non-violent offenders, none of them were convicted of public urination or indecent exposure. The offenses run the gamut from soliciting minors online to forcible rape and sodomy. There is one offender who lists his home address as "in the woods" and another whose home address is the same as Micah Ministries on Princess Anne St. Other offenders claim home addresses that are actually motels, and a few list an address that is housing provided by a service organization. If sex offender status is going to be part of this conversation, then it's important to get accurate information directly from the registry."

I've gotten some interest in a small get together to discuss the homelessness issue. I'd like to have some people who have issues with the current situation to be part of this discussion. Again, I have no plans in advertising the date or location. My interestes here is in getting people with different perspectives to sit down and talk this through without all the rhetoric. If interested drop me an e-mail at kelly058@verizon.net.

Micah needs to be shut down. By clothing and feeding the homeless they are only giving them a sleeve to roll up when they shoot up or something to puke out when they've had one too many Colt .45's. To put a spin on a quote from a Colt .45 commercial starring the great Billy Dee Williams, "I'm not saying Fredericksburg would be a better city without the homeless around, but why take chances." While people like Matthew Kelly sit and discuss their softball solutions to this blight there is probably a homeless person soiling himself in the woods right now. These vagrants shouldn't have the right to walk the same city streets as us. They should be concentrated in one area of the city where they can be controlled and monitored.
To the point of sex offenders; none of the bums listed on the sex offender registry are there because they decided to relieve themselves on a tree. Judging by their stench they prefer to do that in their pants. The two listed as living in the woods are both guilty of crimes against children. They shouldn't be pitied, coddled, fed or clothed. They should be rotting away in the general population at a penitentiary (no protective custody so the other prisoners can see to it that they pay for their crimes)

Cindy:
I have been wanting to form a "REGIONAL TASK TEAM" to work on all of the issues surrounding HOMELESSNESS; to improve the condition! Complainers, stay away!
Anyone interested e-mail me and lets get started.
capapa123@yahoo.com

Look. They must be moved from downtown. Period. End of story.