New York's war on the homeless continues

It's hard to believe it's been over 30 years since Phil Collins sang, "Think twice, 'cause it's another day for you and me in paradise." That was a popular song about the plight of the homeless. Sadly, our "leaders" haven't learned a damn thing since then and have done nothing but double down on failed punitive approaches.

In the United States, it's more true in big cities than in small towns. This shows that COVID and gentrification aren't the only crises that have been handled worse in urban areas. The burgeoning fascism of our cities doesn't exactly help the cause of abolishing the electoral college.

New York City has proven itself a leader at this right-wing tyranny. The city has been hamstrung by a string of inept mayors for at least a generation, and the incompetence shows no sign of slowing down under Mayor Eric Adams.

Adams has now announced that the city will begin removing homeless people from subways each night, citing the public's fear of subways. The city says it will strictly enforce rules targeted at the homeless. "No more just doing whatever you want," the mayor sniffed at a press conference with the despicable New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. Yep, I know that when I want to do whatever I want, I go to a city that's suffered under some of the most authoritarian mayors in America of the past 30 years.

Advocates for homeless people have rightly blasted the plan – especially in the light of the fact that city won't try to ensure affordable housing. They also raised concerns about the expansion of a 1999 state law that lets courts force people into psychiatric "treatment." A 2005 analysis of the law said it was found to be racially discriminatory, and 85% of those who received court orders had no history of violence.

The plan even reverses a 2020 directive that limited the use of police to deal with the homeless.

This is while Adams is proposing slashing $215 million from the city's already-ruined public schools.

This is also while most of the country – including parts of large cities – is treated as a dependency of a rich, powerful elite based in our major cities that lately has showcased its incompetence as never before.