Greyhound therapy is a cost-effective pejorative term to refer to mental health or community authorities dealing with the problem of mentally disturbed persons being around by putting them on a bus and sending them to some other place. Not very humane, is it?
Well, Portland, Oregon has started a practice of sending homeless people to some place where they have family members; and suddenly the homeless problem is locally solved. The sweet old WaPo, bless it's heart, applauded this innovation in a recent article. They were very credulous in doing so; how do they know whether the homeless person would be welcome, have family still there, and whether the recipient community has the resources to deal with homeless.
In other words, It ain't our problem any more! Am I the only one to sense cost-effective hypocrisy rearing its head?
Let me pose a question: Suppose Jackson, Mississippi or Montgomery, Alabama started doing that. What news reception would they get? Or is this just a little paranoia from below the Mason-Dixon line?
I saw this being done back in the 80's in mental health. Not humane but cost effective, as if that's the most important thing. It's tough since there is never enough money to meet all the needs out there. That certainly doesn't make it right.
ReplyDeleteIn a word: Portland gets a free pass.
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