CA already has one of the highest state income tax rates, yet our roads are in terrible condition, we have homeless all over the already filthy streets, people are living in RVs on the side of the road, people are shooting up heroine on the sidewalks, and the Bart smells like shit.

Lol. That was pretty much my impression the first time I visited SF. It seemed just overrun by homeless people. Gross piss smell was way too common.

And I was kind of hobo'ing around myself, lol. And still found it ugly.

Something I wonder is if something as simple as if it weren't illegal to settle unused land (I.e, the government not magically claiming ownership of unimproved land that no one is currently using), and making you buy it from them before you use it..

If homelessness would just dissipate kind of immediately.

There'd still be the stragglers who are drunk and smell bad, but then it would be clear that what we're talking about is a mental health issue.

If you're free to claim unused land (to grow food there, begin a community with your friends etc), then the worst case scenario isn't bad at all and lack of resoraces has a much softer cushion.

I've been homeless before. I just find a comfortable place to camp, and people at the coffee shop in the morning probably don't know the difference. It's a solid life lol. Often when people talk about "the homeless" they're actually talking about a mental issue. Which by effect causes them to be homeless (wagon/horse). And ya, throwing more stolen resources at them isn't going to change it.