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17th & Pearl. Denver continues adding deeply subsidized and supportive housing in dense central neighborhoods like Capitol Hill/Uptown, including Renaissance Uptown Lofts on Pearl, nearby projects adding 100+ units, and City Council eyeing another $4.5M purchase at 12th & Sherman for more “affordable” units. Last night: another outdoor death...

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The Mental Health Crisis in New York City: A System in Disarray New York City’s mental health and homelessness crisis, already severe, worsened in the wake of COVID-19. The isolation and trauma of the pandemic pushed many into mental health struggles, with some turning to drugs as a way to cope. As a result, the city is now grappling with a system that fails to adequately help its most vulnerable. Having spent years on the streets, researching this issue and speaking with hundreds of individuals, including both professionals and homeless New Yorkers, I’ve seen firsthand the extent of the problem. From Penn Station to Washington Square Park, the streets are filled with individuals struggling with severe mental health and addiction issues. Many of these individuals refuse to enter city shelters, citing the violence and unsafe conditions that make living on the streets seem like a safer option. “It’s safer on the street,” they say, as shelters are often described as places filled with crime and exploitation. At some locations where homeless people are living, cops are left as babysitters, assigned to watch over them while they should be fighting crime elsewhere. This not only wastes valuable resources but also highlights how the system has failed to address the root causes of homelessness and mental health crises. When police bring people in crisis to hospitals, they’re often released within 20 to 30 minutes, particularly if they lack insurance. This revolving door continues as the system struggles to provide proper treatment, due to both legal restrictions and underfunded services. Unless someone is deemed an immediate danger, intervention must be voluntary. But many individuals suffering from mental illness and addiction believe they’re fine, keeping them trapped in the cycle of homelessness and untreated conditions. Recent violent incidents, including stabbings and the death of multiplevictims, highlight the dangers of untreated mental illness in public spaces. Washington Square Park, for example, has become a hotspot where vulnerable individuals, often struggling with mental health and addiction, are preyed upon by drug dealers. The lack of intervention puts both these individuals and the public at risk. Politicians remain divided on how to solve the crisis. Some advocate for allowing the homeless to live on the streets, citing personal freedom, while others argue for involuntary treatment for those who pose a risk to themselves or others. The debate over how to handle those in crisis is complicated, with each side offering a different vision for what should happen next. Many individuals in the crisis have expressed a desire for help. “If I could get help, I know I could do better,” one man told me. But help remains scarce. Shelters must be made safer, hospitals must offer long-term care, and laws need to allow for earlier intervention. For those who don’t believe they need help, outreach and education are key to breaking through the denial. New York City has an opportunity to address this crisis, but it requires a unified approach that balances compassion, safety, and effective intervention. If the city can overcome its divisions and create a cohesive strategy, it can begin to break the cycle of mental illness and homelessness that continues to plague its streets. By Leeroy Johnson For licensing email viralnewsnyc@gmail.com
0:38

The Mental Health Crisis in New York City: A System in Disarray New York City’s mental health and homelessness crisis, already severe, worsened in the wake of COVID-19. The isolation and trauma of the pandemic pushed many into mental health struggles, with some turning to drugs as a way to cope. As a result, the city is now grappling with a system that fails to adequately help its most vulnerable. Having spent years on the streets, researching this issue and speaking with hundreds of individuals, including both professionals and homeless New Yorkers, I’ve seen firsthand the extent of the problem. From Penn Station to Washington Square Park, the streets are filled with individuals struggling with severe mental health and addiction issues. Many of these individuals refuse to enter city shelters, citing the violence and unsafe conditions that make living on the streets seem like a safer option. “It’s safer on the street,” they say, as shelters are often described as places filled with crime and exploitation. At some locations where homeless people are living, cops are left as babysitters, assigned to watch over them while they should be fighting crime elsewhere. This not only wastes valuable resources but also highlights how the system has failed to address the root causes of homelessness and mental health crises. When police bring people in crisis to hospitals, they’re often released within 20 to 30 minutes, particularly if they lack insurance. This revolving door continues as the system struggles to provide proper treatment, due to both legal restrictions and underfunded services. Unless someone is deemed an immediate danger, intervention must be voluntary. But many individuals suffering from mental illness and addiction believe they’re fine, keeping them trapped in the cycle of homelessness and untreated conditions. Recent violent incidents, including stabbings and the death of multiplevictims, highlight the dangers of untreated mental illness in public spaces. Washington Square Park, for example, has become a hotspot where vulnerable individuals, often struggling with mental health and addiction, are preyed upon by drug dealers. The lack of intervention puts both these individuals and the public at risk. Politicians remain divided on how to solve the crisis. Some advocate for allowing the homeless to live on the streets, citing personal freedom, while others argue for involuntary treatment for those who pose a risk to themselves or others. The debate over how to handle those in crisis is complicated, with each side offering a different vision for what should happen next. Many individuals in the crisis have expressed a desire for help. “If I could get help, I know I could do better,” one man told me. But help remains scarce. Shelters must be made safer, hospitals must offer long-term care, and laws need to allow for earlier intervention. For those who don’t believe they need help, outreach and education are key to breaking through the denial. New York City has an opportunity to address this crisis, but it requires a unified approach that balances compassion, safety, and effective intervention. If the city can overcome its divisions and create a cohesive strategy, it can begin to break the cycle of mental illness and homelessness that continues to plague its streets. By Leeroy Johnson For licensing email [email protected]

Viral News NYC

36,854 views • 1 year ago

NEW: It's been more than two months since socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson promised to enforce the law and cleanup Chinatown-ID's open air drug market. It's now worse than ever and the mayor is running from all my questions. Saturday afternoon, I bumped into an old school street cat who goes by "Antoine." Not sure if that's even his real name. He has government subsidized housing but is deeply addicted to fentanyl. Last time I saw him he was walking near 12th Ave & Jackson St in Chinatown-ID. Today, I found him smoking drugs with his feet amputated. Instead of arresting this young man for public drug use and getting him into treatment, the city's LEAD diversion program has allowed him to stay on the streets. Unless someone intervenes, he will likely be another statistic at the King County Medical Examiner's Office. This city is the epitome of failed progressive policies in action. Mayor Katie B. Wilson|Seattle Police Department
1:38

NEW: It's been more than two months since socialist Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson promised to enforce the law and cleanup Chinatown-ID's open air drug market. It's now worse than ever and the mayor is running from all my questions. Saturday afternoon, I bumped into an old school street cat who goes by "Antoine." Not sure if that's even his real name. He has government subsidized housing but is deeply addicted to fentanyl. Last time I saw him he was walking near 12th Ave & Jackson St in Chinatown-ID. Today, I found him smoking drugs with his feet amputated. Instead of arresting this young man for public drug use and getting him into treatment, the city's LEAD diversion program has allowed him to stay on the streets. Unless someone intervenes, he will likely be another statistic at the King County Medical Examiner's Office. This city is the epitome of failed progressive policies in action. Mayor Katie B. Wilson|Seattle Police Department

Jonathan Choe

110,141 views • 10 days ago

🚨West Village Spiral: Drug Use, Violence, and Fear Grip One of NYC’s Wealthiest Neighborhoods I left the West Village a few years ago to document the migrant crisis and the rise in gang activity in Midtown. But when I came back, the neighborhood had completely fallen apart—just like a security guard warned me. I ran into him the other night while filming. He said, “I haven’t seen you in a long time. The minute you left to cover Midtown, this place went to crap again.” And the most shocking part? This is happening in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in New York City. Million-dollar brownstones line the streets. High-end boutiques and upscale restaurants are just blocks away. But none of that wealth is stopping the decay. Luxury and lawlessness now exist side by side. Drug addicts are passed out on stoops, lighting crack pipes on porches, and shooting heroin in the open. Lighters flicker all night as people stagger around or collapse in groups. The chemical stench in the air is overwhelming. Overdose calls come in multiple times a day and night at this location. EMTs respond constantly, reviving the same people over and over—only for them to relapse again. While documenting this location, I always carry Narcan. The other night, I had to bring someone back to life—right there on the street. Residents told me they’re scared to walk outside after dark. They say things briefly improved about three years ago—but that didn’t last. The neighborhood spiraled again, fast. Police officers are present, but they look helpless. Their presence hasn’t stopped the chaos. Drug dealers linger nearby, waiting to supply addicts as soon as their high fades. All night long, you hear shouting—usually fights between addicts over drugs. Random violence is now expected. Some residents have been attacked or even killed by individuals suffering from untreated mental illness and addiction who snap without warning. This isn’t the first report I’ve put out on the West Village—and it probably won’t be the last. I’ve documented this neighborhood for years. And now, even in a place as wealthy and high-profile as this, it’s clear: the city has lost control. By Leeroy Johnson . For licensing email viralnewsnyc@gmail.com
1:02

🚨West Village Spiral: Drug Use, Violence, and Fear Grip One of NYC’s Wealthiest Neighborhoods I left the West Village a few years ago to document the migrant crisis and the rise in gang activity in Midtown. But when I came back, the neighborhood had completely fallen apart—just like a security guard warned me. I ran into him the other night while filming. He said, “I haven’t seen you in a long time. The minute you left to cover Midtown, this place went to crap again.” And the most shocking part? This is happening in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in New York City. Million-dollar brownstones line the streets. High-end boutiques and upscale restaurants are just blocks away. But none of that wealth is stopping the decay. Luxury and lawlessness now exist side by side. Drug addicts are passed out on stoops, lighting crack pipes on porches, and shooting heroin in the open. Lighters flicker all night as people stagger around or collapse in groups. The chemical stench in the air is overwhelming. Overdose calls come in multiple times a day and night at this location. EMTs respond constantly, reviving the same people over and over—only for them to relapse again. While documenting this location, I always carry Narcan. The other night, I had to bring someone back to life—right there on the street. Residents told me they’re scared to walk outside after dark. They say things briefly improved about three years ago—but that didn’t last. The neighborhood spiraled again, fast. Police officers are present, but they look helpless. Their presence hasn’t stopped the chaos. Drug dealers linger nearby, waiting to supply addicts as soon as their high fades. All night long, you hear shouting—usually fights between addicts over drugs. Random violence is now expected. Some residents have been attacked or even killed by individuals suffering from untreated mental illness and addiction who snap without warning. This isn’t the first report I’ve put out on the West Village—and it probably won’t be the last. I’ve documented this neighborhood for years. And now, even in a place as wealthy and high-profile as this, it’s clear: the city has lost control. By Leeroy Johnson . For licensing email [email protected]

Viral News NYC

74,714 views • 1 year ago

Mamdani just set off a devastating domino effect with his new tax on the second homes of the wealthy in New York City. He's bragging about forcing those evil capitalists to pay their fair share so the City can fund more libraries. But has he ever actually done the MATH? And I mean real math, not socialist math. Because the rich homeowners will do the real math. And they'll LEAVE. Socialist math ALWAYS leads to suffering for the very people it promised to lift up. Here's what Mamdani just set into motion: First, high-end owners will just dump their properties. Why pay the tax when it's cheaper to rent a nice hotel? And they'll sell low because 1) NOBODY wants to pay that tax, so buyers will just factor it into the property's cost and offer less, and 2) the longer the sellers wait to sell, the more they're being taxed. So, selling low is cheaper. Because math. That will drive down luxury property values citywide. Sounds great, right? Well... unless you're a developer. Let's say you've already gotten funding from the bank to build new housing, including that affordable housing the socialists love so much. But now, the expensive units at the top of the building won't sell for nearly as much as the bank was hoping for. So, they run the math and the project stops. Now, all that's left is a giant hole. And all those people hired to build that building - hundreds of excavators, plumbers, electricians, and ironworkers - just lost their jobs, their hourly paychecks, and their pension credits for the year. From there, it's more basic math - supply and demand. The supply doesn't get built, so the demand increases and the rent for other affordable units goes up. The policy sold as "pro-working class" just made their lives more expensive. But at least the City will generate more taxes for the libraries, right? Nope. The rich will dump their second homes, so there goes that tax money. Nobody will want to buy that property as a second home, so maybe it will sell to someone living there full time. That's a win by Mamdani's math, but it also means nobody's paying that tax anymore. And also, all those people who just lost their jobs won't be paying taxes either. But hey, at least you stuck it to the capitalists! That's socialism in a nutshell. Thanks, Mamdani.
8:02

Mamdani just set off a devastating domino effect with his new tax on the second homes of the wealthy in New York City. He's bragging about forcing those evil capitalists to pay their fair share so the City can fund more libraries. But has he ever actually done the MATH? And I mean real math, not socialist math. Because the rich homeowners will do the real math. And they'll LEAVE. Socialist math ALWAYS leads to suffering for the very people it promised to lift up. Here's what Mamdani just set into motion: First, high-end owners will just dump their properties. Why pay the tax when it's cheaper to rent a nice hotel? And they'll sell low because 1) NOBODY wants to pay that tax, so buyers will just factor it into the property's cost and offer less, and 2) the longer the sellers wait to sell, the more they're being taxed. So, selling low is cheaper. Because math. That will drive down luxury property values citywide. Sounds great, right? Well... unless you're a developer. Let's say you've already gotten funding from the bank to build new housing, including that affordable housing the socialists love so much. But now, the expensive units at the top of the building won't sell for nearly as much as the bank was hoping for. So, they run the math and the project stops. Now, all that's left is a giant hole. And all those people hired to build that building - hundreds of excavators, plumbers, electricians, and ironworkers - just lost their jobs, their hourly paychecks, and their pension credits for the year. From there, it's more basic math - supply and demand. The supply doesn't get built, so the demand increases and the rent for other affordable units goes up. The policy sold as "pro-working class" just made their lives more expensive. But at least the City will generate more taxes for the libraries, right? Nope. The rich will dump their second homes, so there goes that tax money. Nobody will want to buy that property as a second home, so maybe it will sell to someone living there full time. That's a win by Mamdani's math, but it also means nobody's paying that tax anymore. And also, all those people who just lost their jobs won't be paying taxes either. But hey, at least you stuck it to the capitalists! That's socialism in a nutshell. Thanks, Mamdani.

Glenn Beck

580,169 views • 1 month ago

NEW: Friday afternoon, WA Governor Bob Ferguson quietly signed into law HB 2266. This controversial homeless housing bill strips away safeguards protecting communities from crime, chaos, and death that always follows "permanent supportive housing" units like the ones run by Plymouth Housing and the Downtown Emergency Service Center(DESC.) The government can now ram through these apartments and shelters for drug addicts and neighbors can't do anything about it. We knew the Democrats would vote for this insane bill. But I could not believe the Republicans were totally caught with their pants down and failed to understand what was at stake. All the GOP arguments against HB 2266 centered on the dangers of state overreach. They should have focused on the drug dealers living in these apartments or the fact more people now die of drug overdoses behind closed doors than on the streets. Let's also not forget about the inordinate amount of 911 calls these Housing First drug dens trigger in the community. The reality is, Republican lawmakers do not live in Seattle and King County. They can't win seats in these far-left progressive bastions. Point is, many of these conservative elected officials living in smaller cities have never seen these devastating effects first hand. But now they will. And they're going to have to explain to their constituents how we got to this point. I asked Governor Ferguson last week if he would consider vetoing HB 2266. Here 's what he had to say. 🧵👇 Center on Wealth & Poverty at Discovery Institute|Marsha Michaelis|Bob Ferguson
0:48

NEW: Friday afternoon, WA Governor Bob Ferguson quietly signed into law HB 2266. This controversial homeless housing bill strips away safeguards protecting communities from crime, chaos, and death that always follows "permanent supportive housing" units like the ones run by Plymouth Housing and the Downtown Emergency Service Center(DESC.) The government can now ram through these apartments and shelters for drug addicts and neighbors can't do anything about it. We knew the Democrats would vote for this insane bill. But I could not believe the Republicans were totally caught with their pants down and failed to understand what was at stake. All the GOP arguments against HB 2266 centered on the dangers of state overreach. They should have focused on the drug dealers living in these apartments or the fact more people now die of drug overdoses behind closed doors than on the streets. Let's also not forget about the inordinate amount of 911 calls these Housing First drug dens trigger in the community. The reality is, Republican lawmakers do not live in Seattle and King County. They can't win seats in these far-left progressive bastions. Point is, many of these conservative elected officials living in smaller cities have never seen these devastating effects first hand. But now they will. And they're going to have to explain to their constituents how we got to this point. I asked Governor Ferguson last week if he would consider vetoing HB 2266. Here 's what he had to say. 🧵👇 Center on Wealth & Poverty at Discovery Institute|Marsha Michaelis|Bob Ferguson

Jonathan Choe

72,407 views • 5 months ago

HUMAN TRAGEDY: The fentanyl crisis continues to play out on multiple streets in Seattle, especially in places like #Chinatown-ID. This evening, a young man in his 20's showed me the early stages of "TRANQ FENTANYL" eating away at his skin. Pills laced with xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, are starting to show up more often on the streets. It's also leaving addicts walking around in a zombie like stupor. Another man nearby using fentanyl said, "I can see the silhouette of a demon" in his friend's flesh eating wound. Camp Site Seattle and others have documented the aftermath of "tranq" across the city. There is no denying the zombie drug is here. Nothing has changed in Councilmember Tammy Morales'(Councilmember Tammy J. Morales) district. Where is Morales? This is all happening on her watch. She recently voted against a common sense drug bill that would have allowed the City Attorney to prosecute open air drug use and possession of illegal drugs. Even this addict says a few days in jail could help in the journey to detox. But no one in the "harm reduction" lobby is out here trying to intervene. They're just giving away drug supplies like foil and meth pipes. Someone please tell me, what's the "harm reduction" plan for "tranq?" NARCAN doesn't even work. It's so upside down in this city right now. #Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson Kshama Sawant Casino Siteleri King County Executives Braddock & Constantine Joe McDermott Seattle City Council King County Council Public Health - Seattle & King County @CMSaraNelson Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda Seattle Fire Dept. Seattle Police Department King County Regional Homelessness Authority Downtown Seattle Seattle SeattleMetroChamber
2:34

HUMAN TRAGEDY: The fentanyl crisis continues to play out on multiple streets in Seattle, especially in places like #Chinatown-ID. This evening, a young man in his 20's showed me the early stages of "TRANQ FENTANYL" eating away at his skin. Pills laced with xylazine, an animal tranquilizer, are starting to show up more often on the streets. It's also leaving addicts walking around in a zombie like stupor. Another man nearby using fentanyl said, "I can see the silhouette of a demon" in his friend's flesh eating wound. Camp Site Seattle and others have documented the aftermath of "tranq" across the city. There is no denying the zombie drug is here. Nothing has changed in Councilmember Tammy Morales'(Councilmember Tammy J. Morales) district. Where is Morales? This is all happening on her watch. She recently voted against a common sense drug bill that would have allowed the City Attorney to prosecute open air drug use and possession of illegal drugs. Even this addict says a few days in jail could help in the journey to detox. But no one in the "harm reduction" lobby is out here trying to intervene. They're just giving away drug supplies like foil and meth pipes. Someone please tell me, what's the "harm reduction" plan for "tranq?" NARCAN doesn't even work. It's so upside down in this city right now. #Seattle Mayor Katie B. Wilson Kshama Sawant Casino Siteleri King County Executives Braddock & Constantine Joe McDermott Seattle City Council King County Council Public Health - Seattle & King County @CMSaraNelson Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda Seattle Fire Dept. Seattle Police Department King County Regional Homelessness Authority Downtown Seattle Seattle SeattleMetroChamber

Jonathan Choe

181,381 views • 3 years ago

The Dirty Little Secret About Homelessness Is Also The Key To Ending It The US Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments about what cities can and cannot do to end homelessness. "What if there is a bed available in the Gospel Rescue Mission, but Ms. Johnson, a person, doesn't want it? Doesn’t wish to leave their pet. Her Rottweiler's not permitted there. So that is a difficult question for a person and a difficult policy question..." What everyone agreed on was that homelessness is a difficult problem. "Many people have mentioned this is a serious policy problem… So, the policy questions in this case are very difficult….Martin speaks in terms of someone who is involuntarily homeless and that raises all of those policy questions… We usually think about whether state law, local law already achieves those purposes so that the federal courts aren't micromanaging homeless policy…" I think most people listening to the Supreme Court would agree: it isn’t going to solve homelessness. That is a job for state legislators. So why haven’t they? Why has homelessness gotten worse? The answer that many homeless advocates give is that it’s because we don’t have enough homes, and poverty has increased. But neither is true. Poverty has steadily declined since the 1980s, when homelessness first became an issue of public concern. And very few people are on the street simply because they can’t afford the rent. The evidence is overwhelming that the majority of people on the street are there because of untreated mental illness or addiction, which leads people to use all their money to support their drug habit and be high, rather than work. People who can’t afford the rent but are able to work and aren’t in the grip of addiction or untreated mental illness find a cheaper place to live, move somewhere cheaper, or live with family and friends. It’s true there aren’t enough shelter beds, case workers, group homes, and psychiatric hospitals to care for the homeless. But a big part of the reason for that is that advocates for the homeless have, for 40 years, demanded that funding for dealing with the homeless go into giving people private studio apartments rather than building sufficient shelter beds. They call this “Housing First,” and its record is awful. Few stay in housing, and many die because it fails to treat the cause of the problem, addiction, and untreated mental illness rather than the symptoms. Studies find that cities that prioritize basic shelter over expensive housing reduce the deaths of homeless by 3-fold. And so in LA, homeless die at a rate 3 times higher than New York because living inside protects people from murder, drug overdose, and car accidents. Making matters worse, homeless advocates, along with the ACLU, have opposed expanding psychiatric hospitals, and mandatory care in general, because they believe it’s worse to mandate hospitalization for people who are dangerously psychotic or manic than to simply leave them on the street. But it’s not. Last year, 112,000 Americans died from drug overdose and poisoning because we failed to mandate treatment. Two of my friends from high school would still be alive today had we mandated they get treatment for addiction rather than letting them die. What is happening on homelessness is a record of failure. The number of drug deaths quintupled from 20,000 in 2022 to 112,000 last year. That’s more people dying per year than died in Hiroshima. Homelessness is not a fundamental problem of housing. It’s a problem of enabling addiction and untreated mental illness, both of which lead people to give up on work, lie, steal, cheat their families and friends, and live on the street, where they turn to petty crime to sustain their drug habits. This seems cruel to many people, which is why homelessness has gotten worse. In other words, the reason homelessness has gotten worse is because we’ve enabled it, and subsidized it, rather than funded treatment and recovery. Nobody has subsidized homelessness more than California, Washington, and Oregon. And it’s been in those states that homelessness has worsened the most. Why? The homelessness groups really believe it’s more cruel to mandate care than to let people die on the streets. But there is an ideology behind this, too. It’s the idea that people suffering from addiction and mental illness are victims of society or the system, which is fundamentally evil. And, according to their logic, to restore justice in the world, we must give victims whatever they want, including the right to camp anywhere and use hard drugs, even if it results in their death. You might call this "pathological altruism. Think of the Kathy Bates character in Misery. Or of the mother who poisons her child in order to have a sick person to take care of, like in “Sixth Sense.” It’s no coincidence that the same people who believe this also think civilization is evil and should be replaced by something more akin to primitive anarchism, like the kind romanticized by intellectuals since Rousseau. The alternative to this dystopia is tough love. We need to give people the care they need, but that’s not through enabling addiction and illegal behavior, but rather enforcing laws and mandating care, as an alternative to jail, when they are broken. It’s not enough to do what many Republicans want to do, which is to enforce laws and recriminalize shoplifting and hard drugs simply. We need to do that, for sure. But states must also have caseworkers, group homes, and psychiatric hospitals so there is an alternative to jail, and so states can provide people with the specialized care where it’s available, which simply isn’t going to be in many of the small towns, like the one at the center of the Supreme Court hearing. The dirty little secret about homelessness, which is also the key to ending it, is...
5:52

The Dirty Little Secret About Homelessness Is Also The Key To Ending It The US Supreme Court recently heard oral arguments about what cities can and cannot do to end homelessness. "What if there is a bed available in the Gospel Rescue Mission, but Ms. Johnson, a person, doesn't want it? Doesn’t wish to leave their pet. Her Rottweiler's not permitted there. So that is a difficult question for a person and a difficult policy question..." What everyone agreed on was that homelessness is a difficult problem. "Many people have mentioned this is a serious policy problem… So, the policy questions in this case are very difficult….Martin speaks in terms of someone who is involuntarily homeless and that raises all of those policy questions… We usually think about whether state law, local law already achieves those purposes so that the federal courts aren't micromanaging homeless policy…" I think most people listening to the Supreme Court would agree: it isn’t going to solve homelessness. That is a job for state legislators. So why haven’t they? Why has homelessness gotten worse? The answer that many homeless advocates give is that it’s because we don’t have enough homes, and poverty has increased. But neither is true. Poverty has steadily declined since the 1980s, when homelessness first became an issue of public concern. And very few people are on the street simply because they can’t afford the rent. The evidence is overwhelming that the majority of people on the street are there because of untreated mental illness or addiction, which leads people to use all their money to support their drug habit and be high, rather than work. People who can’t afford the rent but are able to work and aren’t in the grip of addiction or untreated mental illness find a cheaper place to live, move somewhere cheaper, or live with family and friends. It’s true there aren’t enough shelter beds, case workers, group homes, and psychiatric hospitals to care for the homeless. But a big part of the reason for that is that advocates for the homeless have, for 40 years, demanded that funding for dealing with the homeless go into giving people private studio apartments rather than building sufficient shelter beds. They call this “Housing First,” and its record is awful. Few stay in housing, and many die because it fails to treat the cause of the problem, addiction, and untreated mental illness rather than the symptoms. Studies find that cities that prioritize basic shelter over expensive housing reduce the deaths of homeless by 3-fold. And so in LA, homeless die at a rate 3 times higher than New York because living inside protects people from murder, drug overdose, and car accidents. Making matters worse, homeless advocates, along with the ACLU, have opposed expanding psychiatric hospitals, and mandatory care in general, because they believe it’s worse to mandate hospitalization for people who are dangerously psychotic or manic than to simply leave them on the street. But it’s not. Last year, 112,000 Americans died from drug overdose and poisoning because we failed to mandate treatment. Two of my friends from high school would still be alive today had we mandated they get treatment for addiction rather than letting them die. What is happening on homelessness is a record of failure. The number of drug deaths quintupled from 20,000 in 2022 to 112,000 last year. That’s more people dying per year than died in Hiroshima. Homelessness is not a fundamental problem of housing. It’s a problem of enabling addiction and untreated mental illness, both of which lead people to give up on work, lie, steal, cheat their families and friends, and live on the street, where they turn to petty crime to sustain their drug habits. This seems cruel to many people, which is why homelessness has gotten worse. In other words, the reason homelessness has gotten worse is because we’ve enabled it, and subsidized it, rather than funded treatment and recovery. Nobody has subsidized homelessness more than California, Washington, and Oregon. And it’s been in those states that homelessness has worsened the most. Why? The homelessness groups really believe it’s more cruel to mandate care than to let people die on the streets. But there is an ideology behind this, too. It’s the idea that people suffering from addiction and mental illness are victims of society or the system, which is fundamentally evil. And, according to their logic, to restore justice in the world, we must give victims whatever they want, including the right to camp anywhere and use hard drugs, even if it results in their death. You might call this "pathological altruism. Think of the Kathy Bates character in Misery. Or of the mother who poisons her child in order to have a sick person to take care of, like in “Sixth Sense.” It’s no coincidence that the same people who believe this also think civilization is evil and should be replaced by something more akin to primitive anarchism, like the kind romanticized by intellectuals since Rousseau. The alternative to this dystopia is tough love. We need to give people the care they need, but that’s not through enabling addiction and illegal behavior, but rather enforcing laws and mandating care, as an alternative to jail, when they are broken. It’s not enough to do what many Republicans want to do, which is to enforce laws and recriminalize shoplifting and hard drugs simply. We need to do that, for sure. But states must also have caseworkers, group homes, and psychiatric hospitals so there is an alternative to jail, and so states can provide people with the specialized care where it’s available, which simply isn’t going to be in many of the small towns, like the one at the center of the Supreme Court hearing. The dirty little secret about homelessness, which is also the key to ending it, is...

Michael Shellenberger

29,148,789 views • 2 years ago

🚨Death, Drugs, and Despair in Washington Square Park: West Village Store Owners Beg for Help as Crisis Deepens By Leeroy Johnson | Viral News NYC Email: viralnewsnyc@gmail.com Another visit to the north side of Washington Square Park in the West Village reveals the same nightmare—if not worse. The stench of death lingers in the air. Drug syringes litter the sidewalks. Paraphernalia is scattered everywhere. Drug addicts lie motionless on the pavement. And nearby, drug dealers stand like vultures, waiting for their next customer. Despite public officials claiming the area is improving, there is no visible sign of change. In fact, sources tell me the situation has gotten worse. Drug dealers, recently pushed out of Times Square, have moved into the neighborhood. According to those sources, they chose the area because, in their words, “the addicts live here” and “the money never stops.” NYPD sources tell me there’s not much they can do. One officer said, “We’re not mental health workers or drug counselors.” Another admitted they feel helpless: “We see this every day. We feel bad, but we can’t do any more to help these people.” Officers stress that it’s now up to the courts to start mandating individuals into drug treatment programs, because arrests alone aren’t solving anything. A big part of the problem is the drugs themselves. Many addicts are not even taking what they think they are. The drugs flooding the streets today are often mixed with fentanyl and crank—a synthetic drug that hooks people instantly and plays a huge role in the deadly overdose crisis. The mental health crisis is also spiraling. In the same area, someone was recently stabbed in the head by an individual described as having serious mental health issues—he walked right up and attacked with no warning. Just a few weeks earlier, another person was killed in a stabbing nearby. According to police, both attacks were committed by individuals struggling with drug addiction and untreated mental illness. The crisis isn’t limited to violence and addiction. A female resident told me she’s scared to walk the streets at night, afraid she might be robbed, hurt, or even worse—raped. Over the past few months, multiple rape and sexual abuse cases have been reported in the area, all allegedly committed by individuals with mental health and drug problems. Store owners are desperate. One shopkeeper told me their store is broken into regularly. Others say they no longer feel safe opening their doors. “It’s not just the crime. It’s the fear,” one local business owner said. “We’re scared. We don’t know what to do anymore.” Multiple store owners shared the same frustration: City officials and law enforcement came through once or twice, promised support, and then vanished. "They told us not to worry. That they'd be around to check in," one merchant said. "But they disappeared. Nothing changed." Politicians still occasionally visit the park—for photo-ops. But those moments don’t capture the real crisis. The overdose deaths. The drug markets. The shattered businesses. The lives lost every month while nothing is done. The people who live and work in the West Village are watching their community rot from the inside out—and they're running out of hope. For licensing email viralnewsnyc@gmail.com
1:35

🚨Death, Drugs, and Despair in Washington Square Park: West Village Store Owners Beg for Help as Crisis Deepens By Leeroy Johnson | Viral News NYC Email: [email protected] Another visit to the north side of Washington Square Park in the West Village reveals the same nightmare—if not worse. The stench of death lingers in the air. Drug syringes litter the sidewalks. Paraphernalia is scattered everywhere. Drug addicts lie motionless on the pavement. And nearby, drug dealers stand like vultures, waiting for their next customer. Despite public officials claiming the area is improving, there is no visible sign of change. In fact, sources tell me the situation has gotten worse. Drug dealers, recently pushed out of Times Square, have moved into the neighborhood. According to those sources, they chose the area because, in their words, “the addicts live here” and “the money never stops.” NYPD sources tell me there’s not much they can do. One officer said, “We’re not mental health workers or drug counselors.” Another admitted they feel helpless: “We see this every day. We feel bad, but we can’t do any more to help these people.” Officers stress that it’s now up to the courts to start mandating individuals into drug treatment programs, because arrests alone aren’t solving anything. A big part of the problem is the drugs themselves. Many addicts are not even taking what they think they are. The drugs flooding the streets today are often mixed with fentanyl and crank—a synthetic drug that hooks people instantly and plays a huge role in the deadly overdose crisis. The mental health crisis is also spiraling. In the same area, someone was recently stabbed in the head by an individual described as having serious mental health issues—he walked right up and attacked with no warning. Just a few weeks earlier, another person was killed in a stabbing nearby. According to police, both attacks were committed by individuals struggling with drug addiction and untreated mental illness. The crisis isn’t limited to violence and addiction. A female resident told me she’s scared to walk the streets at night, afraid she might be robbed, hurt, or even worse—raped. Over the past few months, multiple rape and sexual abuse cases have been reported in the area, all allegedly committed by individuals with mental health and drug problems. Store owners are desperate. One shopkeeper told me their store is broken into regularly. Others say they no longer feel safe opening their doors. “It’s not just the crime. It’s the fear,” one local business owner said. “We’re scared. We don’t know what to do anymore.” Multiple store owners shared the same frustration: City officials and law enforcement came through once or twice, promised support, and then vanished. "They told us not to worry. That they'd be around to check in," one merchant said. "But they disappeared. Nothing changed." Politicians still occasionally visit the park—for photo-ops. But those moments don’t capture the real crisis. The overdose deaths. The drug markets. The shattered businesses. The lives lost every month while nothing is done. The people who live and work in the West Village are watching their community rot from the inside out—and they're running out of hope. For licensing email [email protected]

Viral News NYC

398,782 views • 1 year ago

🚨HOLY SH*T! If Democrats lose CNN, then you know we’re in trouble. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria TORCHES NYC and other Democrat-led cities over failed policies and astronomical spending, promising everything while wasting billions of taxpayers’ dollars and dodging accountability. “Zohran Mamdani ran on a promise to make New York affordable — a mandate for a city we can afford. Last week, he unveiled a budget that is, in a word, UNAFFORDABLE. NYC’s budget has ballooned in recent years. Michael Bloomberg’s last budget, adopted for fiscal year 2014, totaled about $70 billion. With population decline, New York’s general spending in 2023 was more than 30% higher per capita than Los Angeles and more than double Houston’s. NYC’s largest school district in the country — the city’s education budget — has climbed while enrollment has shrunk. The DOE budget has risen from roughly $34 billion in 2019 to over $40 billion, while the DOE says per-student spending is projected to reach nearly $35,000 in fiscal year 2026, among the highest in the nation. The outputs — graduation numbers, test scores, and reading levels — are, at best, middling, often comparable to places that spend a fraction of what New York does. New York already sits at the extreme end of the American tax spectrum. For high earners, the combined state-plus-city income tax reaches 14.76%, and the combined marginal rate can reach roughly 55% on certain investment income. New Yorkers pay tax rates comparable to European countries that, in return, provide universal healthcare, free college education, and outstanding infrastructure. New Yorkers get some 300 miles of sidewalk sheds. On business taxation, the city is also off the charts: the Citizens Budget Commission reports that New York City business activity faces the country’s highest combined corporate tax rate, 70.44%. Mamdani wants to hike income and corporate rates even further — or else, he says, he will raise property taxes by almost 10%. Property taxes already made up more than 27% of the cost of homeownership in the city as of 2022, above the national average. New York is really a prime example of a problem Democrats seem unwilling to confront: blue cities are out of control — promising more, spending more, delivering less, and pushing off fiscal problems to some future day. Los Angeles is another one-party metropolis wrestling with affordability and disorder. The city’s homelessness budget for fiscal year 2025–2026 totals about $950 million. The LA Homeless Services Authority reported that in 2023 homelessness was up 9% countywide and 10% in the city, and a 2024 AP account noted that homelessness has surged 70% countywide since 2015 and 8% in the city — all this amid public frustration despite billions spent. An audit reviewed $2.4 billion in city homelessness funding and found that officials could not reliably track where it went, what it achieved, or take Chicago, with a mayor whose approval rating is deep underwater, where the pension promises are so large that they will surely bankrupt the city at some point. What is the theory of good government here? If the answer is “keep adding programs,” the city will keep producing unaffordability — because unaffordability is what happens when government becomes a machine that grows faster than the society it governs. NYC’s rental assistance spending rose from $263 million in fiscal year 2020 to $1.3 billion in the most recently reported fiscal year — a fivefold increase in a handful of years — and housing costs only got worse. For Democrats in city halls, there is a choice: stop governing as if the goal is to announce new entitlements, and instead make government work — safer streets, functioning schools, predictable sanitation, and, above all, enough housing that the middle class can find places to live. New York City does not need more soaring rhetoric; it needs more homes.”
6:01

🚨HOLY SH*T! If Democrats lose CNN, then you know we’re in trouble. CNN’s Fareed Zakaria TORCHES NYC and other Democrat-led cities over failed policies and astronomical spending, promising everything while wasting billions of taxpayers’ dollars and dodging accountability. “Zohran Mamdani ran on a promise to make New York affordable — a mandate for a city we can afford. Last week, he unveiled a budget that is, in a word, UNAFFORDABLE. NYC’s budget has ballooned in recent years. Michael Bloomberg’s last budget, adopted for fiscal year 2014, totaled about $70 billion. With population decline, New York’s general spending in 2023 was more than 30% higher per capita than Los Angeles and more than double Houston’s. NYC’s largest school district in the country — the city’s education budget — has climbed while enrollment has shrunk. The DOE budget has risen from roughly $34 billion in 2019 to over $40 billion, while the DOE says per-student spending is projected to reach nearly $35,000 in fiscal year 2026, among the highest in the nation. The outputs — graduation numbers, test scores, and reading levels — are, at best, middling, often comparable to places that spend a fraction of what New York does. New York already sits at the extreme end of the American tax spectrum. For high earners, the combined state-plus-city income tax reaches 14.76%, and the combined marginal rate can reach roughly 55% on certain investment income. New Yorkers pay tax rates comparable to European countries that, in return, provide universal healthcare, free college education, and outstanding infrastructure. New Yorkers get some 300 miles of sidewalk sheds. On business taxation, the city is also off the charts: the Citizens Budget Commission reports that New York City business activity faces the country’s highest combined corporate tax rate, 70.44%. Mamdani wants to hike income and corporate rates even further — or else, he says, he will raise property taxes by almost 10%. Property taxes already made up more than 27% of the cost of homeownership in the city as of 2022, above the national average. New York is really a prime example of a problem Democrats seem unwilling to confront: blue cities are out of control — promising more, spending more, delivering less, and pushing off fiscal problems to some future day. Los Angeles is another one-party metropolis wrestling with affordability and disorder. The city’s homelessness budget for fiscal year 2025–2026 totals about $950 million. The LA Homeless Services Authority reported that in 2023 homelessness was up 9% countywide and 10% in the city, and a 2024 AP account noted that homelessness has surged 70% countywide since 2015 and 8% in the city — all this amid public frustration despite billions spent. An audit reviewed $2.4 billion in city homelessness funding and found that officials could not reliably track where it went, what it achieved, or take Chicago, with a mayor whose approval rating is deep underwater, where the pension promises are so large that they will surely bankrupt the city at some point. What is the theory of good government here? If the answer is “keep adding programs,” the city will keep producing unaffordability — because unaffordability is what happens when government becomes a machine that grows faster than the society it governs. NYC’s rental assistance spending rose from $263 million in fiscal year 2020 to $1.3 billion in the most recently reported fiscal year — a fivefold increase in a handful of years — and housing costs only got worse. For Democrats in city halls, there is a choice: stop governing as if the goal is to announce new entitlements, and instead make government work — safer streets, functioning schools, predictable sanitation, and, above all, enough housing that the middle class can find places to live. New York City does not need more soaring rhetoric; it needs more homes.”

I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸

137,496 views • 6 months ago

A Real New Yorker for New Yorkers: Curtis Sliwa Still Fighting for the City He Loves As usual, while I was out on the streets talking to people — including NYPD officers — the topic of the day was the New York City elections. When I mentioned Curtis Sliwa, the reactions were all the same: people lit up. They told me they support him because he understands this city in ways most politicians never could. Many said after the debate, they saw a different side of him — someone who truly knows the streets of New York and what they’ve become. I also spent some time with Curtis yesterday at the Halloween Parade, and one thing really stood out — he stopped for everyone. And I don’t mean just a few blocks. Curtis walked the entire parade route, shaking hands, taking photos, and talking to anyone who wanted a moment with him. You could see the respect and love people had for him — families, kids, and long-time New Yorkers alike. It wasn’t just a photo-op; it was Curtis being Curtis. This really highlights the disconnect between what the mainstream polls are showing and what the streets are actually saying. Out here, people are telling me they want Curtis. You can feel the support, you can see it in how people react to him. But the media keeps pushing a different story — one that doesn’t reflect the energy and the voices echoing across this city. Myself, as a native New Yorker who’s lived here for over 40 years, I know a b******* artist when I see one. I understand people — their tone, their movement, their energy — and I can spot the fake ones from a mile away. Now, look — nobody’s perfect. People do stupid things sometimes, and Curtis is no exception. He’s pulled off a few stunts in the past that made people shake their heads or laugh, maybe even question him. But that’s part of who he is — raw, unfiltered, and human. Sometimes people act out to get attention, but in his case, it always came from a place of caring about the city and trying to wake people up. That’s the difference. Curtis might have done things that looked crazy, but his heart’s always been in the right place. He’s real. He’s not a politician — he’s a regular guy who truly wants to save this city and have honest conversations with real New Yorkers. Some people say Curtis is a little crazy — s***, we’re all a little crazy. The man got shot multiple times trying to protect these same streets. Of course he’s going to be a little different. We’ve all seen a lot. Me, being in the line of work I’m in, I’ve seen things I didn’t want to see — things I never signed up to see. Did it make me a little crazy? Absolutely. It changes the way you look at life, at people, and at this city. Let’s not forget, Curtis founded The Marvelous 13 back in 1979 — a small group that later evolved into the now world-famous Guardian Angels. That was the start of a lifelong mission to protect and serve New Yorkers, and he’s been doing it ever since. For over 45 years, Curtis has stood up for the city when few others would. Now, at his age, this is most likely his last run for New York City Mayor, and you can see he’s giving it everything he’s got. Whether he’s walking a parade route, visiting neighborhoods most politicians avoid, or talking directly to everyday New Yorkers, Curtis is still doing what he’s always done — showing up. After so many years putting his life and energy into protecting New Yorkers, the city owes him respect, and voters owe him a fair shot at leading this city the way he’s been fighting to protect it for decades. That’s what makes him different. He’s not trying to be perfect — he’s trying to be real. And in a city that’s seen it all, that’s exactly what people are looking for. By Leeroy Johnson For licensing email viralnewsnyc@gmail.com
0:46

A Real New Yorker for New Yorkers: Curtis Sliwa Still Fighting for the City He Loves As usual, while I was out on the streets talking to people — including NYPD officers — the topic of the day was the New York City elections. When I mentioned Curtis Sliwa, the reactions were all the same: people lit up. They told me they support him because he understands this city in ways most politicians never could. Many said after the debate, they saw a different side of him — someone who truly knows the streets of New York and what they’ve become. I also spent some time with Curtis yesterday at the Halloween Parade, and one thing really stood out — he stopped for everyone. And I don’t mean just a few blocks. Curtis walked the entire parade route, shaking hands, taking photos, and talking to anyone who wanted a moment with him. You could see the respect and love people had for him — families, kids, and long-time New Yorkers alike. It wasn’t just a photo-op; it was Curtis being Curtis. This really highlights the disconnect between what the mainstream polls are showing and what the streets are actually saying. Out here, people are telling me they want Curtis. You can feel the support, you can see it in how people react to him. But the media keeps pushing a different story — one that doesn’t reflect the energy and the voices echoing across this city. Myself, as a native New Yorker who’s lived here for over 40 years, I know a b******* artist when I see one. I understand people — their tone, their movement, their energy — and I can spot the fake ones from a mile away. Now, look — nobody’s perfect. People do stupid things sometimes, and Curtis is no exception. He’s pulled off a few stunts in the past that made people shake their heads or laugh, maybe even question him. But that’s part of who he is — raw, unfiltered, and human. Sometimes people act out to get attention, but in his case, it always came from a place of caring about the city and trying to wake people up. That’s the difference. Curtis might have done things that looked crazy, but his heart’s always been in the right place. He’s real. He’s not a politician — he’s a regular guy who truly wants to save this city and have honest conversations with real New Yorkers. Some people say Curtis is a little crazy — s***, we’re all a little crazy. The man got shot multiple times trying to protect these same streets. Of course he’s going to be a little different. We’ve all seen a lot. Me, being in the line of work I’m in, I’ve seen things I didn’t want to see — things I never signed up to see. Did it make me a little crazy? Absolutely. It changes the way you look at life, at people, and at this city. Let’s not forget, Curtis founded The Marvelous 13 back in 1979 — a small group that later evolved into the now world-famous Guardian Angels. That was the start of a lifelong mission to protect and serve New Yorkers, and he’s been doing it ever since. For over 45 years, Curtis has stood up for the city when few others would. Now, at his age, this is most likely his last run for New York City Mayor, and you can see he’s giving it everything he’s got. Whether he’s walking a parade route, visiting neighborhoods most politicians avoid, or talking directly to everyday New Yorkers, Curtis is still doing what he’s always done — showing up. After so many years putting his life and energy into protecting New Yorkers, the city owes him respect, and voters owe him a fair shot at leading this city the way he’s been fighting to protect it for decades. That’s what makes him different. He’s not trying to be perfect — he’s trying to be real. And in a city that’s seen it all, that’s exactly what people are looking for. By Leeroy Johnson For licensing email [email protected]

Viral News NYC

78,182 views • 10 months ago

Have you heard about the new R18 billion ‘city’ being built right next to Sandton in Jozi?👀 It’s called the Bankenveld District City (BDC), and here’s what’s up: • Size: 300 hectares • Construction timeline: 15 - 20 years • Location: Between Sandton and Waterfall, just off the Marlboro offramp. • Developers: Eris Property Group & Calgro M3 (with Nedbank Property Partners as equity partner) The plan is ambitious: nearly 30 000 homes, plus a shopping centre, schools, offices, clinics, green spaces and 500 000m2 of industrial, commercial and retail space. The land (portion 5 of the Farm Bergvallei 37) once belonged to Wits and was sold for R200 million. About 34% of the site will go into infrastructure. Calgro M3 will drive the residential side, while Eris handles retail, commercial, industrial, healthcare and education. Developers are calling it a “city”… but to me, it feels more like a large-scale mixed-use precinct. Still, it raises important questions about how Joburg is growing: • Will projects like this ease pressure on Sandton and Waterfall, or just extend the urban sprawl? • Can infrastructure keep up, especially roads, utilities, water, electricity, and public transportation? • And at a time when housing affordability is a national concern, how many of these 30 000 homes will really be accessible to the middle market? South Africa needs bold developments that match the scale of our challenges. Challenges that we know the government cannot solve solo. I am looking forward to seeing these private developers make a difference with BDC. Is this the future of Joburg’s growth, or just another mega-project with too many promises?
1:04

Have you heard about the new R18 billion ‘city’ being built right next to Sandton in Jozi?👀 It’s called the Bankenveld District City (BDC), and here’s what’s up: • Size: 300 hectares • Construction timeline: 15 - 20 years • Location: Between Sandton and Waterfall, just off the Marlboro offramp. • Developers: Eris Property Group & Calgro M3 (with Nedbank Property Partners as equity partner) The plan is ambitious: nearly 30 000 homes, plus a shopping centre, schools, offices, clinics, green spaces and 500 000m2 of industrial, commercial and retail space. The land (portion 5 of the Farm Bergvallei 37) once belonged to Wits and was sold for R200 million. About 34% of the site will go into infrastructure. Calgro M3 will drive the residential side, while Eris handles retail, commercial, industrial, healthcare and education. Developers are calling it a “city”… but to me, it feels more like a large-scale mixed-use precinct. Still, it raises important questions about how Joburg is growing: • Will projects like this ease pressure on Sandton and Waterfall, or just extend the urban sprawl? • Can infrastructure keep up, especially roads, utilities, water, electricity, and public transportation? • And at a time when housing affordability is a national concern, how many of these 30 000 homes will really be accessible to the middle market? South Africa needs bold developments that match the scale of our challenges. Challenges that we know the government cannot solve solo. I am looking forward to seeing these private developers make a difference with BDC. Is this the future of Joburg’s growth, or just another mega-project with too many promises?

Ash Müller

159,517 views • 1 year ago

Is Northland Selling Poisoned Dirt as Topsoil? The feds are digging in, and one of the companies that dumped contaminated dirt into the city is now responsible for part of the cleanup By Charlie LeDuff Charlie LeDuff There are so many scoundrels involved in the potential mass poisoning of Metro Detroit that it was right for the Detroit Police to turn their case over to the FBI. The conflicts of interest are obvious. The tendrils of this scandal reach to the highest levels of Detroit and Southfield city halls, where the leaders continue to claim they know nothing. And the feds are digging. The case is widening, according to sources. And the case is starting reveal the tell-tale signs of an organized racket. In the meantime, the ding-dongs of the public bureaucracy bury their heads and hide behind rule books and claims of jurisdiction. All the while, tests have shown that the dirt in hundreds of holes contains toxins and heavy metals so pernicious they can permeate cell walls and lead to cancer and cognitive impairment. The Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy will not involve itself, preferring to pass jurisdiction to city leaders who are subjects of the federal investigation themselves. The Center for Disease Control told me two weeks ago that the data the city of Detroit collected on 77 poisoned holes last year is useless because the city did not test the topsoil—an industry standard. Moreover, no new results have been publicly posted since last November. The Michigan Department of Transportation does not sufficiently track where its highway slag is being dumped (hint: in Detroit's demolition holes). The Michigan Economic Development Corporation doles out graft to pay for $4,500 coffee makers but can’t supply soil analytics for brownfield redevelopment projects. The City of Detroit itself has handpicked 650 sites for testing. How? By what criteria? Why so few? To date, just 175 of those 650 have been tested. About 145 have come back hot. That’s more than 80%. Back in 2019, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield wrote to Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib asking for a federal investigation into the poisoned dirt. A couple months later, Sheffield flew off to Miami for an Easter weekend with Brian McKinney, the founder of Gayanga Co. who is now in the federal crosshairs for dumping the poisoned dirt. In turn, Tlaib called for a federal investigation. Nothing came of it then. And today Tlaib stands mute while running for re-election as a protector of the people and the environment. Meanwhile, a company named SC Environmental won contracts from the City of Detroit to clean up some of Gayanga’s poisoned holes. But SC Environmental has been found to have been involved in at least 25 poisoned holes itself. Gayanga was suspended from the demolition program. SC Environmental continues to work. Why was Gayanga suspended and SC Environmental wasn’t? Further adding to the plot is that SC Environmental was kicked out of the program back in 2022 for using unsourced dirt, leaving demo holes open, and not abating asbestos. Calls to the company were not returned. Then there’s this: Dirt at the old Northland Mall redevelopment site is being sifted and sold for top soil, sources say. Northland is the very place the Detroit Office of Inspector General believes to be the source for at least some of Gayanga’s killer dirt. Southfield Mayor Ken Siver and his bureaucrats promised interviews, and then canceled. Health bureaucracies refuse to step in. I leave it to you to suppose why. But the question remains: How big is this? Hundreds of holes. Thousands? Tens of thousands? We may never know. And that’s precisely the game being played here by the government. Collective stupidity and amnesia. Bury your head and hope it all goes away. The old saying goes you can’t fight city hall. But the FBI can. I wish Johnny Fed all the luck. He’s the only hope we have.
2:17

Is Northland Selling Poisoned Dirt as Topsoil? The feds are digging in, and one of the companies that dumped contaminated dirt into the city is now responsible for part of the cleanup By Charlie LeDuff Charlie LeDuff There are so many scoundrels involved in the potential mass poisoning of Metro Detroit that it was right for the Detroit Police to turn their case over to the FBI. The conflicts of interest are obvious. The tendrils of this scandal reach to the highest levels of Detroit and Southfield city halls, where the leaders continue to claim they know nothing. And the feds are digging. The case is widening, according to sources. And the case is starting reveal the tell-tale signs of an organized racket. In the meantime, the ding-dongs of the public bureaucracy bury their heads and hide behind rule books and claims of jurisdiction. All the while, tests have shown that the dirt in hundreds of holes contains toxins and heavy metals so pernicious they can permeate cell walls and lead to cancer and cognitive impairment. The Michigan Department of Environment Great Lakes and Energy will not involve itself, preferring to pass jurisdiction to city leaders who are subjects of the federal investigation themselves. The Center for Disease Control told me two weeks ago that the data the city of Detroit collected on 77 poisoned holes last year is useless because the city did not test the topsoil—an industry standard. Moreover, no new results have been publicly posted since last November. The Michigan Department of Transportation does not sufficiently track where its highway slag is being dumped (hint: in Detroit's demolition holes). The Michigan Economic Development Corporation doles out graft to pay for $4,500 coffee makers but can’t supply soil analytics for brownfield redevelopment projects. The City of Detroit itself has handpicked 650 sites for testing. How? By what criteria? Why so few? To date, just 175 of those 650 have been tested. About 145 have come back hot. That’s more than 80%. Back in 2019, Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield wrote to Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib asking for a federal investigation into the poisoned dirt. A couple months later, Sheffield flew off to Miami for an Easter weekend with Brian McKinney, the founder of Gayanga Co. who is now in the federal crosshairs for dumping the poisoned dirt. In turn, Tlaib called for a federal investigation. Nothing came of it then. And today Tlaib stands mute while running for re-election as a protector of the people and the environment. Meanwhile, a company named SC Environmental won contracts from the City of Detroit to clean up some of Gayanga’s poisoned holes. But SC Environmental has been found to have been involved in at least 25 poisoned holes itself. Gayanga was suspended from the demolition program. SC Environmental continues to work. Why was Gayanga suspended and SC Environmental wasn’t? Further adding to the plot is that SC Environmental was kicked out of the program back in 2022 for using unsourced dirt, leaving demo holes open, and not abating asbestos. Calls to the company were not returned. Then there’s this: Dirt at the old Northland Mall redevelopment site is being sifted and sold for top soil, sources say. Northland is the very place the Detroit Office of Inspector General believes to be the source for at least some of Gayanga’s killer dirt. Southfield Mayor Ken Siver and his bureaucrats promised interviews, and then canceled. Health bureaucracies refuse to step in. I leave it to you to suppose why. But the question remains: How big is this? Hundreds of holes. Thousands? Tens of thousands? We may never know. And that’s precisely the game being played here by the government. Collective stupidity and amnesia. Bury your head and hope it all goes away. The old saying goes you can’t fight city hall. But the FBI can. I wish Johnny Fed all the luck. He’s the only hope we have.

Michigan Enjoyer

15,105 views • 1 month ago

SAVING CALIFORNIA: Young Gen Z Republican Darren Stallcup CONFRONTS Billion Dollar Socialist Grifter Jennifer Friedenbach in Fiery San Francisco City Hall Showdown There is a civil war happening in San Francisco between Moderate Democrats & Republicans VS Democrat Socialists. Families in San Francisco don’t want what’s happening in New York City and Seattle to happen here in California. Young Gen Z Republican Darren Stallcup just roasted socialist Jennifer Friedenbach right outside San Francisco City Hall He accused the leftist mob boss of wasting hundreds of millions if not billions of taxpayer dollars on useless programs that do nothing but keep the homeless problem growing. There is no money in actually solving the problem so the humanitarian crisis on the streets of California is perpetuated for political power as well as financial gain. These crooked nonprofits then turn around and pour even more money back into these leftist Democrat campaigns, helping politicians stay in power while our beautiful city turns into Mos Eisley. It’s no secret that these corrupt Democrats benefit from keeping the homeless crisis alive because it literally gives them more votes and cash from groups like hers. And every year the cycle spins bigger and faster… In this first person video on the streets of downtown San Francisco, Darren Stallcup directly accuses the Coalition on Homelessness Executive Director of thriving on the misery of the city’s exploding homeless population while at the same time also funneling hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into failed socialist schemes. Stallcup, representing a new generation of patriotic young conservatives on the West Coast is rejecting the leftist insanity, though he has never been invited to White House, he has been a conservative on the frontlines of California, in the trenches of San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Los Angeles for YEARS fighting the good fight. A unsung hero that is a wild card loose cannon who is not media trained, politically correct or polished. In this video, Stallcup blasts Friedenbach for giving out free drug paraphernalia like crack pipes and needles to the less fortunate struggling with addiction and mental health on the street. Stallcup also confronts Friedenbach for supporting the very dangerous and wasteful “housing first” models and endless welfare expansions that have brought about more open air drug markets, tents, chaos and human tragedy on the streets. (Despite Prop C’s bloated $1 billion dollar plus revenue stream since 2018, homelessness has skyrocketed under her watch, proving once again that big government socialism doesn’t solve problems.) The money that is meant for the less fortunate actually goes towards a very comfortable career for insiders like Friedenbach and other cronies… of course, all at the expense of our vulnerable. Harm reduction is causing more harm. Again. There is no money in actually solving the humanitarian crisis. What does Stallcup do? He is a citizen journalist that volunteers at homeless shelters and churches who has also spent years helping the homeless by passing out food, blankets, winter jackets, ponchos and hygiene kits to the homeless. On the weekends he is a vigilante stopping hordes of thieves from ransacking downtown San Francisco’s last few remaining grocery stores. What does Jennifer do? Virtue signal and benefit millions of dollars from the suffering of the less fortunate on the streets while claiming to care about our community. Notice the difference? Friedenbach’s progressive empire of business taxes, grants and unchecked spending has turned San Francisco into a leftist social experiment. I speak for all of our San Francisco families when I say that We The People don’t want to be labeled rats anymore. While she and her allies constantly virtue signal about expanding services, everywhere you look are the signs of the decline of western civilization under failed leftist leadership. We can’t forget about The Fentanyl Bazaar in downtown San Francisco which is the largest black market on the West Coast, where the cheapest fentanyl in the United States is sold as well as the collective stolen property of our community which is bartered for Pennies on the dollar. This is the true story of how leftist policies prioritize ideology and self enrichment over actually helping the less fortunate or implementing common sense solutions. Stallcup’s bold stand against the leftist machine shines as a light in the dark. These corrupt and incompetent socialist grifters profit from the very suffering they claim to fight. Progressive policy is making everything progressively worse.
1:07

SAVING CALIFORNIA: Young Gen Z Republican Darren Stallcup CONFRONTS Billion Dollar Socialist Grifter Jennifer Friedenbach in Fiery San Francisco City Hall Showdown There is a civil war happening in San Francisco between Moderate Democrats & Republicans VS Democrat Socialists. Families in San Francisco don’t want what’s happening in New York City and Seattle to happen here in California. Young Gen Z Republican Darren Stallcup just roasted socialist Jennifer Friedenbach right outside San Francisco City Hall He accused the leftist mob boss of wasting hundreds of millions if not billions of taxpayer dollars on useless programs that do nothing but keep the homeless problem growing. There is no money in actually solving the problem so the humanitarian crisis on the streets of California is perpetuated for political power as well as financial gain. These crooked nonprofits then turn around and pour even more money back into these leftist Democrat campaigns, helping politicians stay in power while our beautiful city turns into Mos Eisley. It’s no secret that these corrupt Democrats benefit from keeping the homeless crisis alive because it literally gives them more votes and cash from groups like hers. And every year the cycle spins bigger and faster… In this first person video on the streets of downtown San Francisco, Darren Stallcup directly accuses the Coalition on Homelessness Executive Director of thriving on the misery of the city’s exploding homeless population while at the same time also funneling hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into failed socialist schemes. Stallcup, representing a new generation of patriotic young conservatives on the West Coast is rejecting the leftist insanity, though he has never been invited to White House, he has been a conservative on the frontlines of California, in the trenches of San Francisco, Oakland, Sacramento and Los Angeles for YEARS fighting the good fight. A unsung hero that is a wild card loose cannon who is not media trained, politically correct or polished. In this video, Stallcup blasts Friedenbach for giving out free drug paraphernalia like crack pipes and needles to the less fortunate struggling with addiction and mental health on the street. Stallcup also confronts Friedenbach for supporting the very dangerous and wasteful “housing first” models and endless welfare expansions that have brought about more open air drug markets, tents, chaos and human tragedy on the streets. (Despite Prop C’s bloated $1 billion dollar plus revenue stream since 2018, homelessness has skyrocketed under her watch, proving once again that big government socialism doesn’t solve problems.) The money that is meant for the less fortunate actually goes towards a very comfortable career for insiders like Friedenbach and other cronies… of course, all at the expense of our vulnerable. Harm reduction is causing more harm. Again. There is no money in actually solving the humanitarian crisis. What does Stallcup do? He is a citizen journalist that volunteers at homeless shelters and churches who has also spent years helping the homeless by passing out food, blankets, winter jackets, ponchos and hygiene kits to the homeless. On the weekends he is a vigilante stopping hordes of thieves from ransacking downtown San Francisco’s last few remaining grocery stores. What does Jennifer do? Virtue signal and benefit millions of dollars from the suffering of the less fortunate on the streets while claiming to care about our community. Notice the difference? Friedenbach’s progressive empire of business taxes, grants and unchecked spending has turned San Francisco into a leftist social experiment. I speak for all of our San Francisco families when I say that We The People don’t want to be labeled rats anymore. While she and her allies constantly virtue signal about expanding services, everywhere you look are the signs of the decline of western civilization under failed leftist leadership. We can’t forget about The Fentanyl Bazaar in downtown San Francisco which is the largest black market on the West Coast, where the cheapest fentanyl in the United States is sold as well as the collective stolen property of our community which is bartered for Pennies on the dollar. This is the true story of how leftist policies prioritize ideology and self enrichment over actually helping the less fortunate or implementing common sense solutions. Stallcup’s bold stand against the leftist machine shines as a light in the dark. These corrupt and incompetent socialist grifters profit from the very suffering they claim to fight. Progressive policy is making everything progressively worse.

Darren Stallcup - World Peace Movement

12,043 views • 1 month ago

My graphic illustrates the large number of vacant and derelict properties in Dublin City. It also shows the 4,666 entire houses or apartments currently listed for short-term letting on the Airbnb platform, with a total of 18,649 across Ireland. Landowners owe councils €50 million as 90% of vacant site levies go unpaid. Intended to prevent land hoarding and accelerate housing development, only €138,335 of €9.6 million owed in 2022 was collected. Thirteen of 31 local authorities issued no demands, and of the 18 that did, only four collected any money. Dublin City Council imposed nearly €4.9 million in levies but collected nothing. The prolonged dereliction of properties should be considered social vandalism, a crime against the state and the common good. An effective vacant and derelict tax, coupled with a compulsory sales order, could dissuade landlords from hoarding land, particularly sites that have been vacant and derelict for an extended period. Homelessness in Ireland has reached another new record high, with 14,760 people homeless and relying on emergency accommodation, including 4,561 children from 2,133 families, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Housing. The Housing for All plan, launched by the Irish government in September 2021, is their housing strategy aimed at addressing the country's housing crisis. However, since its implementation, statistics have revealed alarming trends: • Total homelessness increased by 74%, from 8,475 to 14,760. • Homeless adults increased by 66%, from 6,131 to 10,199 . • Homeless children increased by 95%, from 2,344 to 4,561. The 2022 Census shows that the country has 166,752 vacant homes and 66,135 empty holiday homes. Notably, nearly a third of these vacant homes (48,387) have been unoccupied since 2016. Predictably, rent has doubled over the past 13 years and house prices have surged by 55%, marking the fastest growth in any major EU economy. Average rents have soared by 43% compared to pre-Covid levels, with Dublin rents now averaging €2,476. In the capital, a typical three-bed semi-detached home costs €517,333. The average house price in Dublin is rising by €469 per week. To purchase a new home in Dublin priced around €395,000, a first-time buyer typically needs an annual income of at least €77,142 and must also have a minimum deposit of 10%, amounting to around €39,500. This financial barrier helps explain why an estimated 10,600 people left Ireland to live in Australia last year, up from 4,700 the previous year—a staggering 126% increase. This marks the highest level of emigration to Australia since 2013. Currently, vulture funds own 1 in 6 mortgages in the Irish housing market, while cuckoo funds and the State purchase 42% of new homes. This situation has led to a record number of first-time buyers competing for the smallest supply of housing stock in over a decade. Nationally, just over 11,000 homes are available for purchase, a stark contrast to 2012 when 60,000 homes were on the market. A garda and a nurse with a combined salary of €89,000 cannot afford a three-bedroom semi-detached house in greater Dublin. To add to the crisis, the income needed to buy a new home in Dublin is €127,000, which surpasses even a TD's basic salary of €108,987. Consequently, 68% of people in their late 20s still live with their parents, a figure that is nearly 26% higher than the EU average of 42.1%. #Dublin #Ireland #HousingCrisis #DerelictIreland #homeless #Airbnb #GE2024 #HousingForAll #Election24 #RTEPT
1:42

My graphic illustrates the large number of vacant and derelict properties in Dublin City. It also shows the 4,666 entire houses or apartments currently listed for short-term letting on the Airbnb platform, with a total of 18,649 across Ireland. Landowners owe councils €50 million as 90% of vacant site levies go unpaid. Intended to prevent land hoarding and accelerate housing development, only €138,335 of €9.6 million owed in 2022 was collected. Thirteen of 31 local authorities issued no demands, and of the 18 that did, only four collected any money. Dublin City Council imposed nearly €4.9 million in levies but collected nothing. The prolonged dereliction of properties should be considered social vandalism, a crime against the state and the common good. An effective vacant and derelict tax, coupled with a compulsory sales order, could dissuade landlords from hoarding land, particularly sites that have been vacant and derelict for an extended period. Homelessness in Ireland has reached another new record high, with 14,760 people homeless and relying on emergency accommodation, including 4,561 children from 2,133 families, according to the latest figures released by the Department of Housing. The Housing for All plan, launched by the Irish government in September 2021, is their housing strategy aimed at addressing the country's housing crisis. However, since its implementation, statistics have revealed alarming trends: • Total homelessness increased by 74%, from 8,475 to 14,760. • Homeless adults increased by 66%, from 6,131 to 10,199 . • Homeless children increased by 95%, from 2,344 to 4,561. The 2022 Census shows that the country has 166,752 vacant homes and 66,135 empty holiday homes. Notably, nearly a third of these vacant homes (48,387) have been unoccupied since 2016. Predictably, rent has doubled over the past 13 years and house prices have surged by 55%, marking the fastest growth in any major EU economy. Average rents have soared by 43% compared to pre-Covid levels, with Dublin rents now averaging €2,476. In the capital, a typical three-bed semi-detached home costs €517,333. The average house price in Dublin is rising by €469 per week. To purchase a new home in Dublin priced around €395,000, a first-time buyer typically needs an annual income of at least €77,142 and must also have a minimum deposit of 10%, amounting to around €39,500. This financial barrier helps explain why an estimated 10,600 people left Ireland to live in Australia last year, up from 4,700 the previous year—a staggering 126% increase. This marks the highest level of emigration to Australia since 2013. Currently, vulture funds own 1 in 6 mortgages in the Irish housing market, while cuckoo funds and the State purchase 42% of new homes. This situation has led to a record number of first-time buyers competing for the smallest supply of housing stock in over a decade. Nationally, just over 11,000 homes are available for purchase, a stark contrast to 2012 when 60,000 homes were on the market. A garda and a nurse with a combined salary of €89,000 cannot afford a three-bedroom semi-detached house in greater Dublin. To add to the crisis, the income needed to buy a new home in Dublin is €127,000, which surpasses even a TD's basic salary of €108,987. Consequently, 68% of people in their late 20s still live with their parents, a figure that is nearly 26% higher than the EU average of 42.1%. #Dublin #Ireland #HousingCrisis #DerelictIreland #homeless #Airbnb #GE2024 #HousingForAll #Election24 #RTEPT

Rob Cross

46,353 views • 1 year ago

Glen Beck is another podcaster that is right far more than he's wrong. I told you this Housing Bill was a scam, and so it is. The following research went out to my subscribers first, as they deserve some perks for supporting me, but now it's time for you all to see the truth: 🚨The "bipartisan" housing bill is another masterclass in missing the point. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act just passed the House 358-32 (Senate passed it earlier). 32 Republicans actually voted NO and stood against this watered-down garbage. Here’s what the bill SAYS vs what it actually means (10 points): 1. What it says: “We’re investing $200 million in an Innovation Fund to boost housing supply!” 😡What it actually means: Thanks to Rashida Tlaib’s amendment, we’re dumping more taxpayer money into dense subsidized housing projects that frequently become crime magnets and tanks nearby property values. 2. What it says: “We’re cracking down on big investors buying up single-family homes!” 😡What it actually means: Only American institutional investors who already own 350+ homes are restricted. Foreign buyers (especially from China and other countries) can still purchase American homes with zero limits. 3. What it says: “We’re streamlining regulations and cutting red tape to build more homes faster!” 😡What it actually means: Minor NEPA tweaks and some grants, while local zoning and NIMBY rules (the real barriers) stay mostly untouched. Plus new federal “incentives” that pressure localities into more government control. 4. What it says: “We’re helping tenants with counseling and support services!” 😡What it actually means: Funding special counselors and hotlines to help problem tenants fight or delay lawful evictions, making it even harder for landlords to remove bad actors. 5. What it says: “We’re modernizing and reauthorizing key HUD programs!” 😡What it actually means: Expanding and reauthorizing the same bloated, failed HUD bureaucracy that’s been mismanaging housing policy for decades. 6. What it says: “We’re protecting housing stability and access!” 😡What it actually means: Lingering tenant protections and extensions keep elements of the old COVID-era eviction environment alive, shielding deadbeats instead of prioritizing responsible landlords and paying tenants. 7. What it says: (Absolutely silent on illegals still qualifying for housing which is a main driver of the problem) 😡What it actually means: Housing benefits and assistance can still flow to illegal immigrants, increasing demand and driving up costs for American citizens. 8. What it says: (Silent on Sanctuary cities) 😡What it actually means: Sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement still get full access to federal housing-related funding. No cuts, no accountability. 9. What it says: “This will increase housing supply and lower costs for families!” 😡What it actually means: It does almost nothing to address the massive surge in demand from record illegal immigration while only nibbling at supply-side barriers. Real relief requires both more building and securing the border. 10. What it says: “Bipartisan victory for housing affordability!” 😡What it actually means: Classic “bipartisan” = Republicans and Democrats agreeing to do something that sounds nice but changes very little for working Americans because they think we're stupid. Are they right? ✅Foreign buyers welcome ✅Bad tenants protected ✅Bureaucracy expanded ✅Citizens ignored This bill was sold as a big win. It’s mostly theater. The 32 Republicans who voted NO saw through it. The rest just wanted something to brag about before midterms. Homes should be for American families, not foreign investors, not government-subsidized experiments, and not endless bureaucracy. We need real solutions, not more of the same failed policies wrapped in bipartisan wrapping paper. 💫Give Glenn Beck a follow because he's one of the good ones! Links to his channel and the Blaze in the comments!
15:28

Glen Beck is another podcaster that is right far more than he's wrong. I told you this Housing Bill was a scam, and so it is. The following research went out to my subscribers first, as they deserve some perks for supporting me, but now it's time for you all to see the truth: 🚨The "bipartisan" housing bill is another masterclass in missing the point. The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act just passed the House 358-32 (Senate passed it earlier). 32 Republicans actually voted NO and stood against this watered-down garbage. Here’s what the bill SAYS vs what it actually means (10 points): 1. What it says: “We’re investing $200 million in an Innovation Fund to boost housing supply!” 😡What it actually means: Thanks to Rashida Tlaib’s amendment, we’re dumping more taxpayer money into dense subsidized housing projects that frequently become crime magnets and tanks nearby property values. 2. What it says: “We’re cracking down on big investors buying up single-family homes!” 😡What it actually means: Only American institutional investors who already own 350+ homes are restricted. Foreign buyers (especially from China and other countries) can still purchase American homes with zero limits. 3. What it says: “We’re streamlining regulations and cutting red tape to build more homes faster!” 😡What it actually means: Minor NEPA tweaks and some grants, while local zoning and NIMBY rules (the real barriers) stay mostly untouched. Plus new federal “incentives” that pressure localities into more government control. 4. What it says: “We’re helping tenants with counseling and support services!” 😡What it actually means: Funding special counselors and hotlines to help problem tenants fight or delay lawful evictions, making it even harder for landlords to remove bad actors. 5. What it says: “We’re modernizing and reauthorizing key HUD programs!” 😡What it actually means: Expanding and reauthorizing the same bloated, failed HUD bureaucracy that’s been mismanaging housing policy for decades. 6. What it says: “We’re protecting housing stability and access!” 😡What it actually means: Lingering tenant protections and extensions keep elements of the old COVID-era eviction environment alive, shielding deadbeats instead of prioritizing responsible landlords and paying tenants. 7. What it says: (Absolutely silent on illegals still qualifying for housing which is a main driver of the problem) 😡What it actually means: Housing benefits and assistance can still flow to illegal immigrants, increasing demand and driving up costs for American citizens. 8. What it says: (Silent on Sanctuary cities) 😡What it actually means: Sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement still get full access to federal housing-related funding. No cuts, no accountability. 9. What it says: “This will increase housing supply and lower costs for families!” 😡What it actually means: It does almost nothing to address the massive surge in demand from record illegal immigration while only nibbling at supply-side barriers. Real relief requires both more building and securing the border. 10. What it says: “Bipartisan victory for housing affordability!” 😡What it actually means: Classic “bipartisan” = Republicans and Democrats agreeing to do something that sounds nice but changes very little for working Americans because they think we're stupid. Are they right? ✅Foreign buyers welcome ✅Bad tenants protected ✅Bureaucracy expanded ✅Citizens ignored This bill was sold as a big win. It’s mostly theater. The 32 Republicans who voted NO saw through it. The rest just wanted something to brag about before midterms. Homes should be for American families, not foreign investors, not government-subsidized experiments, and not endless bureaucracy. We need real solutions, not more of the same failed policies wrapped in bipartisan wrapping paper. 💫Give Glenn Beck a follow because he's one of the good ones! Links to his channel and the Blaze in the comments!

Lj Priest (Formerly Trader Jill)

10,472 views • 2 months ago

The election of a charismatic democratic socialist as the Democratic Party’s mayoral candidate yesterday stunned New York's political establishment and appears to signal the most radical shift in city politics in a generation. With no executive experience, limited name recognition, and a fraction of the budget of his rival, a 33-year-old State Assemblyman named Zohran Mamdani defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo outright in the Democratic primary, winning 44 percent of the vote in the first round and avoiding a runoff entirely. Mamdani’s rise was powered by younger, progressive voters hungry for moral clarity and economic redistribution. Mamdani is a practicing Muslim and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018. He is a true political star, radiating warmth and intelligence. Mamdani called for a citywide rent freeze, universal rent control, fare-free public transit, and city-run grocery stores — all without raising taxes on working- and middle-class New Yorkers. But if Mamdani wins the general election in November and implements his policies, their impact would be disastrous for the people of New York City, including the poor, the working class, and many of the young voters who carried him to victory. A citywide rent freeze and expanded rent control would choke new housing supply, discourage landlords from maintaining existing units, and entrench inequality by rewarding incumbency while locking out newcomers. The evidence is already stark: New York City's acknowledgment on February 8 that the latest Housing and Vacancy Survey (HVS), a study of housing conditions, shows the rental vacancy rate in early 2023 at 1.4 percent, the lowest in more than 50 years. This crisis emerged after the 2019 rent laws that Mamdani wants to expand. Berlin tried a similar approach in 2020; construction collapsed, black markets emerged, and rents ultimately surged when the courts overturned the law. Mamdani's plan to eliminate transit fares would exacerbate the Metropolitan Transit Authority's multibillion-dollar deficit and compromise service quality in a system already operating at capacity. His proposal for city-run grocery stores ignores Chicago’s failed attempt, where poor oversight led to spoiled food, inventory gaps, and unsustainable losses. And his pledge to slash the NYPD budget comes at a time when violent crime remains elevated, assaults on transit workers are rising, and 911 response times lag across the boroughs. Mamdani is raising legitimate concerns, including on affordability and the city’s poor treatment of the mentally ill. From 1968 to 2024, the full span of New York’s current rent stabilization system, rents went up 1,017 percent, while costs for all other measured goods rose 826 percent. Public transit in New York is expensive and unreliable, grocery prices are punishing, and far too many mentally ill New Yorkers are left untreated on the streets, cycling through shelters, jails, and emergency rooms. In April 2025, 108,464 people slept each night in NYC shelters, while the majority of unsheltered homeless individuals are people living with a mental illness or other severe health problems. Mamdani’s willingness to confront issues that the other candidates evaded made him a symbol of hope for voters who rightly feel abandoned. But Mamdani’s proposals would make each of those issues worse, not better. A citywide rent freeze and expanded rent control would drive down construction, accelerate building withdrawal, and deepen the housing shortage. Operating costs of buildings containing rent-stabilized apartments already increased by 6.3 percent between 2024 and 2025. His call for fare-free public transit ignores the experience of other cities where eliminating fares led to overcrowding, reduced reliability, and funding crises. His plan to establish city-run grocery stores fails to take into account operational challenges. On safety, Mamdani pledges to remove police from schools, public housing, and subways, even as violent crime remains above pre-pandemic levels. And on mental illness, his opposition to court-ordered treatmentwould leave people in psychosis on the streets, untreated and deteriorating. And the people those policies would most harm would be many of the very people Mamdani claims to care most about. It would be low-income renters who find themselves unable to move because no new units are being built. It would be transit-dependent workers in the outer boroughs who rely on reliable subway service but would be left waiting for overcrowded, underfunded trains. It would be families in food deserts who need access to affordable groceries, not government-run stores plagued by mismanagement and waste. It would be children in public schools, tenants in public housing, and straphangers who face rising violence and would see fewer officers on patrol. And it would be the mentally ill and addicts themselves in crisis who need an intervention, not just outreach, left to suffer on sidewalks and subway platforms in the name of autonomy. Why then did he win such a resounding victory, particularly from those voters under 40 years old? ... Please subscribe to support Public's award-winning investigative journalism, watch the full video, and read the rest of this article coauthored with Alex Gutentag alex gutentag !
5:52

The election of a charismatic democratic socialist as the Democratic Party’s mayoral candidate yesterday stunned New York's political establishment and appears to signal the most radical shift in city politics in a generation. With no executive experience, limited name recognition, and a fraction of the budget of his rival, a 33-year-old State Assemblyman named Zohran Mamdani defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo outright in the Democratic primary, winning 44 percent of the vote in the first round and avoiding a runoff entirely. Mamdani’s rise was powered by younger, progressive voters hungry for moral clarity and economic redistribution. Mamdani is a practicing Muslim and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018. He is a true political star, radiating warmth and intelligence. Mamdani called for a citywide rent freeze, universal rent control, fare-free public transit, and city-run grocery stores — all without raising taxes on working- and middle-class New Yorkers. But if Mamdani wins the general election in November and implements his policies, their impact would be disastrous for the people of New York City, including the poor, the working class, and many of the young voters who carried him to victory. A citywide rent freeze and expanded rent control would choke new housing supply, discourage landlords from maintaining existing units, and entrench inequality by rewarding incumbency while locking out newcomers. The evidence is already stark: New York City's acknowledgment on February 8 that the latest Housing and Vacancy Survey (HVS), a study of housing conditions, shows the rental vacancy rate in early 2023 at 1.4 percent, the lowest in more than 50 years. This crisis emerged after the 2019 rent laws that Mamdani wants to expand. Berlin tried a similar approach in 2020; construction collapsed, black markets emerged, and rents ultimately surged when the courts overturned the law. Mamdani's plan to eliminate transit fares would exacerbate the Metropolitan Transit Authority's multibillion-dollar deficit and compromise service quality in a system already operating at capacity. His proposal for city-run grocery stores ignores Chicago’s failed attempt, where poor oversight led to spoiled food, inventory gaps, and unsustainable losses. And his pledge to slash the NYPD budget comes at a time when violent crime remains elevated, assaults on transit workers are rising, and 911 response times lag across the boroughs. Mamdani is raising legitimate concerns, including on affordability and the city’s poor treatment of the mentally ill. From 1968 to 2024, the full span of New York’s current rent stabilization system, rents went up 1,017 percent, while costs for all other measured goods rose 826 percent. Public transit in New York is expensive and unreliable, grocery prices are punishing, and far too many mentally ill New Yorkers are left untreated on the streets, cycling through shelters, jails, and emergency rooms. In April 2025, 108,464 people slept each night in NYC shelters, while the majority of unsheltered homeless individuals are people living with a mental illness or other severe health problems. Mamdani’s willingness to confront issues that the other candidates evaded made him a symbol of hope for voters who rightly feel abandoned. But Mamdani’s proposals would make each of those issues worse, not better. A citywide rent freeze and expanded rent control would drive down construction, accelerate building withdrawal, and deepen the housing shortage. Operating costs of buildings containing rent-stabilized apartments already increased by 6.3 percent between 2024 and 2025. His call for fare-free public transit ignores the experience of other cities where eliminating fares led to overcrowding, reduced reliability, and funding crises. His plan to establish city-run grocery stores fails to take into account operational challenges. On safety, Mamdani pledges to remove police from schools, public housing, and subways, even as violent crime remains above pre-pandemic levels. And on mental illness, his opposition to court-ordered treatmentwould leave people in psychosis on the streets, untreated and deteriorating. And the people those policies would most harm would be many of the very people Mamdani claims to care most about. It would be low-income renters who find themselves unable to move because no new units are being built. It would be transit-dependent workers in the outer boroughs who rely on reliable subway service but would be left waiting for overcrowded, underfunded trains. It would be families in food deserts who need access to affordable groceries, not government-run stores plagued by mismanagement and waste. It would be children in public schools, tenants in public housing, and straphangers who face rising violence and would see fewer officers on patrol. And it would be the mentally ill and addicts themselves in crisis who need an intervention, not just outreach, left to suffer on sidewalks and subway platforms in the name of autonomy. Why then did he win such a resounding victory, particularly from those voters under 40 years old? ... Please subscribe to support Public's award-winning investigative journalism, watch the full video, and read the rest of this article coauthored with Alex Gutentag alex gutentag !

Michael Shellenberger

182,912 views • 1 year ago