NEW YORK CITY: TOURISM AND HOMELESS

Many of the daily news websites I hit over the weekend ran the same disturbing headline... New York Tourism Booming Post-9-11. Cristyne Nicholas, head of NYC's tourism agency is quoted in each of the articles I read as proudly saying, "New York is the safest large city in America. It's family friendly." Family friendly? FAMILY FRIENDLY? Which families is Nicholas referring to? Apparently, only those who can afford to spend $215+ per night for a hotel room.

At the same time that New York City is pumping itself as being a 'family friendly' destination, the not-for-profit Partnership For The Homeless reports that 17,000 NYC kids and their families are homeless this holiday season (the highest number in more than two decades). In the middle of a city of unprecedented wealth and affluence, the ranks of the homeless continue to swell. As is well documented, homeless children are more likely to be under-immunized, have higher rates of nutritional deficiencies and chronic illnesses, and are more prone to suffer from low self-confidence and low self-esteem than children with permanent homes. With so many people teetering on the edge of hopelessness, supported only by an average minimum-wage take home income of $900.00 per month, perhaps NYC should focus more on what's truly important, and less on its public image.

It's so difficult to know how to help these people. Our church has been very active trying to help people in need here in the Indpls. area and their need doesn't even touch the needs of people on the street.
Every time I see some news on how much a pair of shoes cost for some ridiculous television wedding, or hear how Brittney Spears has a jet deliver her favorite coffee, I think how many people that money could have helped. Now tell me, why are these people celebrities? Stars?

Yes, NYC and all citizen governments should focus on helping the homeless, the hungry, the uneducated and a variety of others. However, NYC is the flagship city of the US and of the world. We, as citizens, do want the City to be perceived as safe, and family-friendly. It IS family-friendly, well, at least Times Square is, compared to the decades before. Remember: this is a PR game. No one wants to say we're still straddled with crime & poverty. The goal of tourism councils is to sway public opinion in favor of their city, state, regional, or country. NYC has done a good job of this in the last decade. It IS unfortunate that the number of homeless people has increased. Perhaps the mayor should fund shelters and other programs more - maybe even use his own money instead of spending 2 million to try to have non-partisan elections. What a miserable failure that was.

we should treat the poor not as opposites but as neighbors for that is who they are