Nowhere Man

He's a real Nowhere Man
Sitting in his Nowhere Land
Making all his Nowhere Plans
For Nobody...
The Beatles
Yes folks, this is how I'm starting to feel. I'm going nowhere, just making plans for nobody. The more contacts I make, the more empty responses I get, if I get any at all. I was very encouraged to find so many homeless and veterans organizations out there on the fronts, trying to fight this situation. With so many groups out there working on this, shouldn't we have some kind of a solution in hand? Or is the problem that there are too many groups, fighting too many individual battles in their own way? In any case, my mission is going nowhere. I haven't gotten any concrete response from any of the groups I've contacted, other than to point me to someone else. What I'm looking for is "yes, that sounds like a plan, let's get together and work on moving forward with it". I'm not trying to establish my own organization, just a new event to help fund existing organizations. Are they afraid that I'll be fighting with them for their publicity and dollars?
I can expect no help from politicians. Now that the White House has labeled veterans as potential threats to national security, I've lost any HOPE that Mr. Obama will return my e-mail. Maybe the backlash will cause him to CHANGE his mind. As I mentioned in a previous post, Congressmen don't want to hear from me if I'm not in their district. The standard response I get is this: Your zip code indicates that you are outside of the _th District of California. Regrettably, I am unable to reply to any email from constituents outside of the _th District of California.
Amazingly, I DID get a response from one politician, none other than Governor Schwarzenegger! He writes:
Thank you for writing about Californians facing homelessness. With a 10-percent unemployment rate and one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, California is at the epicenter of our nation's economic crisis. I saw the numbers illustrated in a very real way when I visited an encampment of homeless people along the banks of the American River in Sacramento. I listened to their stories and pledged to do what I could to help. I am working to craft a long-term solution to homelessness that will go beyond one night in a shelter or an occasional checkup. I signed and promoted the largest housing bond in the nation - Proposition 1C - and directed the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) to identify a permanent, ongoing source of funding for affordable housing. Additionally, HCD committed to increasing the housing available to lower income individuals, and it expects to occupy an estimated 15,900 affordable rental units and supportive housing units during next 6 years; an additional 495 units will be dedicated to serving homeless youth. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 will provide much-needed assistance to this population. The Homelessness Prevention Fund - provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) - will help keep individuals and families from becoming homeless and help those who are homeless to quickly find stable housing. California expects to receive $189 million in these funds. Services allowed under this program include rental assistance, housing relocation and stabilization services, credit counseling, security or utility deposits, utility payments, moving cost assistance and case management. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts. As Californians, we all play a vital role in helping those who are less fortunate. Sincerely, Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Take that in whatever way you want. He didn't mention my plan at all, nor is there any indication that he read my blog, but at least it's a start, a response, and he's working on some kind of plan, even if it has nothing to do with my own. Awareness is also part of my mission, and I just have to keep pushing forward....