Stossel poses as homeless man; says don't give $$

[mominatrix]

Stossel poses as homeless man: ‘You shouldn’t give to these street people’
By David Edwards
Thursday, July 5, 2012 11:52 EDT

Fox Business host John Stossel
Topics: Fox & Friends ♦ john stossel ♦ Stossel


Fox Business host John Stossel says he recently dressed up as a homeless person and begged for money to prove that “you shouldn’t give money to these street people.”

“Yes, we are turning into a nation of freeloaders,” Stossel told the co-hosts of Fox & Friends on Thursday. “Because you feel like a sucker if you’re not when government keeps offering you stuff.”

“And advertising that there’s food stamps available for you!” co-host Brian Kilmeade agreed.

Guest co-host Peter Johnson wondered if Stossel had ever been a “freeloader.”

“I freeloaded off my parent,” Stossel admitted. “To be fair, it’s wealthy people who do most of the freeloading: corporate welfare, farm subsidies and I collected federal flood insurance because I had a beach house.”

In an effort to prove that freeloading was a lucrative pastime, the libertarian host said he recently posed as a homeless person as stunt for his Fox Business show. In the video clip, Stossel can be seen wearing a fake beard and dirty clothes. He asks people passing on the street to put money in his Styrofoam cup while he holds a sign that reads, “Homeless & Cold: Anything will help, please. God bless.”

“I had heard that some people beg for a living and can make big bucks, $80,000 a year in some cases,” he explained. “I made at a rate of about $24,000 — tax free. I just did it for a couple hours.”

“With one sign that said, ‘I really need help’ and one sign that said, ‘I’ll be honest with you, I just want a beer,’ I collected the same rate,” he added. “People just automatically give.”

“Ah, jeez,” guest co-host Juliet Huddy sighed.

“And you shouldn’t give to these street people,” Stossel advised. “You’re really supporting alcoholism and drug problems.”

Watch this video from Fox News’ Fox & Friends via Mediaite, broadcast July 5, 2012.

www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/07/05/stossel-poses-as-homeless-man-you-shouldnt-give-to-these-street-people/

[pixy0stix]

Oh Fox. Such a deep and thought provoking news article.

[summer]

He is a such a douchebag.

[laurenpetro]

isn't he universally known as an asshole?

[Deleted]

Is it possible he knows nothing at all about homelessness? Wow.

[basilosaurus]

It's better than our city's campaign last summer which was don't feed the homeless. That was suggested by the guy in charge of homelessness. At lest he wasn't the same guy who referred to the park sweeps as taking out the the trash before a guest visits.

[Deleted]

hold UP, the homeless don't pay taxes? that's it. stossel has helped me to see the light.

[noodleoo]

Sorry, but I agree with him. They prey on your sense of guilt but you aren't really helping them. We were at a restaurant sitting at the outdoor patio last night when a homeless woman walked by saying "I'm hungry, can you help me get something to eat?" The table next to us offered to pack up their food or her. Her response? "I don't have teeth, I can't eat it". Maybe that is true and I"m just cynical, but I'm guessing she only wanted money for alcohol.

[summer]

Jul 10, 2012 13:22:24 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

Sorry, but I agree with him. They prey on your sense of guilt but you aren't really helping them. We were at a restaurant sitting at the outdoor patio last night when a homeless woman walked by saying "I'm hungry, can you help me get something to eat?" The table next to us offered to pack up their food or her. Her response? "I don't have teeth, I can't eat it". Maybe that is true and I"m just cynical, but I'm guessing she only wanted money for alcohol.

There is so much more to homelessness than this, which is why Stossel's experiment is so exasperating. Someone walking up to your table at a restaurant is just the bare edges of the problem, and these particular instances aren't just about homelessness.

[msmerymac]

Jul 10, 2012 13:16:49 GMT -5 cville said:

hold UP, the homeless don't pay taxes? that's it. stossel has helped me to see the light.

And will magically stop having drug and alcohol problems if you don't give them money. Score!

[Deleted]

I thought it was pretty much agreed that one shouldn't give actual cash to the homeless. Meals, food, things, yes but not money.

Sure, he's being a dickbag about it but yeah.

[iammalcolmx]

Jul 10, 2012 13:35:42 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

I thought it was pretty much agreed that one shouldn't give actual cash to the homeless. Meals, food, things, yes but not money.

I agree.

Well I admit to being a hypocrite when it comes to the guy who stands at my highway exit with his beagle. I admit to giving him a couple dollars every time I see him. The dog actually recently died and he held up a sign thanking everyone for contribution to the fund for the dogs medical procedure. Poor guy looks so sad now. :-(

[Deleted]

Oh and god forbid we tell poor people that food stamps are available if they qualify. God knows that people see those ads, quit their jobs and go buckwild.

[binichic]

Jul 10, 2012 13:35:42 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

I thought it was pretty much agreed that one shouldn't give actual cash to the homeless. Meals, food, things, yes but not money.

Sure, he's being a dickbag about it but yeah.

This.

He's just being sensationalistic for attention. It worked, I guess.

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2012 13:40:45 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

Oh and god forbid we tell poor people that food stamps are available if they qualify. God knows that people see those ads, quit their jobs and go buckwild.

You know that the only reason I haven't quit my job and applied for food stamps is because I'm better than all those freeloaders. It has nothing to do with the thought that being poor and on food stamps doesn't sound like fun. Nope. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY, YO!

For every anecdote about a homeless person refusing food, you can probably find an anecdote showing the opposite. I've given homeless men food and bus tickets before, and they were very appreciative.

I keep bus tickets in my wallet. I haven't been approached in a while, but I will give one to anyone who asks for money. It costs me a whopping 2 dollars, but it can get the person to a shelter or a meal program or some place else that has more resources to help than I can.

[pixy0stix]

Jul 10, 2012 13:35:42 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

I thought it was pretty much agreed that one shouldn't give actual cash to the homeless. Meals, food, things, yes but not money.

Sure, he's being a dickbag about it but yeah.

I figure if there's enough wrong in their life that they're homeless, a bottle of maddog isn't going to make it any worse. It's going to take a hell of a lot more than my withholding my change to make a difference in their lives.

[bqbride]

I agree with him as well. I've seen how far my local soup kitchen can stretch a dollar, and how many people they feed with that dollar. They make far better use of my money and are able to help more people than if I were to just give it directly to the homeless on the street.

[Deleted]

Jul 10, 2012 13:57:34 GMT -5 pixy0stix said:

Jul 10, 2012 13:35:42 GMT -5 @habbsies said:

I thought it was pretty much agreed that one shouldn't give actual cash to the homeless. Meals, food, things, yes but not money.

Sure, he's being a dickbag about it but yeah.

I figure if there's enough wrong in their life that they're homeless, a bottle of maddog isn't going to make it any worse. It's going to take a hell of a lot more than my withholding my change to make a difference in their lives.

Or I can take the money that would buy that bottle of maddog and give it to an organization that will use it to help more people, like the soup kitchen across the street.

FWIW, I don't think it's wrong to give money to the homeless on an individual level. I'm just speaking to why I personally don't.

[JLN]

Jul 10, 2012 13:22:24 GMT -5 noodleoo said:

Sorry, but I agree with him. They prey on your sense of guilt but you aren't really helping them. We were at a restaurant sitting at the outdoor patio last night when a homeless woman walked by saying "I'm hungry, can you help me get something to eat?" The table next to us offered to pack up their food or her. Her response? "I don't have teeth, I can't eat it". Maybe that is true and I"m just cynical, but I'm guessing she only wanted money for alcohol.

Douchebag antecdote, FTW.

[JLN]

John Stossel's an asshole. And this article proves just how little people actually know about being homeless.

I give money to the homeless all the time. I know several of them, so I do feel comfortable talking to them and giving to them.

[AJL]

Jul 10, 2012 13:44:52 GMT -5 @mrdobalina said:

I give money to homeless people. I don't care if what they buy with it. I think it's a mitzvah to give to people without. Without what? That's for them to decide.

I do, too.

[mx27]

Jul 10, 2012 19:06:38 GMT -5 AJL said:

Jul 10, 2012 13:44:52 GMT -5 @mrdobalina said:

I give money to homeless people. I don't care if what they buy with it. I think it's a mitzvah to give to people without. Without what? That's for them to decide.

I do, too.

agreed.

how do any of us know what someone else does with their money? we can generalize all we want, but we'll never know everyone's personal situation.

[dev22]

Jul 10, 2012 19:06:38 GMT -5 AJL said:

Jul 10, 2012 13:44:52 GMT -5 @mrdobalina said:

I give money to homeless people. I don't care if what they buy with it. I think it's a mitzvah to give to people without. Without what? That's for them to decide.

I do, too.

This is where I am at.

The tone of this article is what gets me though. If you prefer to give to soup kitchens or other resources for the homeless, cool. But the "ew, ick, homeless people suck and will waste your money away" vibe I get from the article irritates me to no end.

[ttt]

FFS these people sleep under highway overpasses. I don't really mind giving them a couple bucks to get drunk if it helps them deal with the shit they live through.

[teflep]

I give money as well. Baltimore City has this change program where, instead of giving it to them, you put it in a machine that looks like a parking meter. It is for services, which may go farther.

[basilosaurus]

I don't give money, and I'm still pissed off and offended by Stossel's comments.

One thing I learned not too long ago, from working with formerly homeless people, is that the dehumanizing part of begging was the worst for them. They said that if you smile, make eye contact, but give nothing, that's worlds better than pretending to not see them. Since then I've tried to be conscious of that. It's especially hard for me considering I'm an east coaster who tries to avoid any and all eye contact with strangers.

[WOT?*]

I don't give money but I will buy food and provide bus passes. Sibil made a very good statement re: the dehumanization of the homeless. Even if I don't have cash and am not near a food joint where I can buy something I try to be certain to look at them and smile, say "sorry I don't have anything on me today." or otherwise somehow relate to them. If I'm near a Subway, for example, I'll ask them what they'd like and come out with a footlong, chips and a large drink to tide them over for a while. But I'm not willing to donate cash that might go to drugs and alcohol because my stepfather was a raging alcoholic and I can't bring myself to provide for others in that same vein, no matter the need to escape from their reality.

FWIW, I was "homeless" for three months when I was pregnant with our youngest. He came home from the hospital to a 2 room tent where we were camping during our transition from military to disabled vet with minimal benefits, non-working spouse and three small children. I didn't panhandle because of pride and because I was too busy trying to get benefits and take care of ex and the kids. I probably could have made a killing with my seven-month pregnant belly and a "spouse is a newly disabled vet" sign.

DH bought me the Myths, Lies and Stupidity book that Stossel wrote because I like to read anything and everything although we never watch Stossel and don't know his leanings. I liked the I am America book by Colbert and he thought it would be in a similar vein. I opened and read the first few pages, skipped around to read a few more pages on other propoganda and ended up closing the book. I can't even bring myself to donate it to the library (although I am, this time around, including it in the boxes to go to them since I'm doing a more thorough "housecleaning" while I'm home.)

[heightsyankee]

Jul 10, 2012 13:44:52 GMT -5 @mrdobalina said:

I give money to homeless people. I don't care if what they buy with it. I think it's a mitzvah to give to people without. Without what? That's for them to decide.

I had an amazing Rabbi as a theology professor in college. He was an amazing man and many of his lessons, not theology lessons but life lessons, are still with me 20 years later. Anyway, he told us once that he often went to NYC for Rabbinical conferences and he would bring a roll of 100 $1 bills. He would give one to every person who asked, saying that if only one of those people actually needed it, it was worth the other $99.

That being said, I stopped giving money to the homeless a few years ago. I donate generously to the food bank in my neighborhood and just prefer that, personally. I don't mind when other people give them money. In Houston, they just passed a law where you can be fined for giving the homeless food. Sucks.

[summer]

Jul 10, 2012 20:03:51 GMT -5 WOT?* said:

I don't give money but I will buy food and provide bus passes. Sibil made a very good statement re: the dehumanization of the homeless. Even if I don't have cash and am not near a food joint where I can buy something I try to be certain to look at them and smile, say "sorry I don't have anything on me today." or otherwise somehow relate to them. If I'm near a Subway, for example, I'll ask them what they'd like and come out with a footlong, chips and a large drink to tide them over for a while. But I'm not willing to donate cash that might go to drugs and alcohol because my stepfather was a raging alcoholic and I can't bring myself to provide for others in that same vein, no matter the need to escape from their reality.

FWIW, I was "homeless" for three months when I was pregnant with our youngest. He came home from the hospital to a 2 room tent where we were camping during our transition from military to disabled vet with minimal benefits, non-working spouse and three small children. I didn't panhandle because of pride and because I was too busy trying to get benefits and take care of ex and the kids. I probably could have made a killing with my seven-month pregnant belly and a "spouse is a newly disabled vet" sign.

DH bought me the Myths, Lies and Stupidity book that Stossel wrote because I like to read anything and everything although we never watch Stossel and don't know his leanings. I liked the I am America book by Colbert and he thought it would be in a similar vein. I opened and read the first few pages, skipped around to read a few more pages on other propoganda and ended up closing the book. I can't even bring myself to donate it to the library (although I am, this time around, including it in the boxes to go to them since I'm doing a more thorough "housecleaning" while I'm home.)

You lived in a tent while transitioning from military to disabled vet with 3 kids? If you don't mind sharing, what happened here? Does this happen a lot?

[WOT?*]

Backstory for summer:

Ex was enlisted Navy when we met and married. We had kids quickly and close together (4 under 5) because that's what you do when you're young and stupid and everyone around you is doing the same thing.

He had a run of really bad luck and stupid decisions during his second enlistment, including two auto accidents that resulted in head injuries (top of his skull and a spinal compression in one and a forehead to the steering wheel in another); a fall down the stairs of base housing (non-carpeted linoleum, wearing socks and carrying our younger daughter. He slipped and couldn't save himself and protect DD so he prioritized protecting DD and concussed himself); a flight line incident during a flight launch causing a head injury (cracked his helmet when a plane pinged him during a launch and concussed him); a flight line incident where a fuel pod was picked up by a rogue gust of wind in a windstorm while they were doing a flightline FOD walkdown (picking up trash to prevent it blowing into the engines) that hit him along the hip, back and back of his head (the fuel pods weigh several hundred pounds and can be upwards of 12 feet in length). Eight head injuries in three years. Between the head injuries and working on live electricity he started having seizures.

Although his seizure rate should have given him a 100% disability rating, the USN gave him a rating of 40% and he was discharged since he was unable to work with a seizure rating. We were entitled to base housing while he was processing but once the determination was made we had one month housing and then we had to move. The 40% rating entitled him to $506/month disability with no allowance for spouse or children because he wasn't "disabled enough." His first suicide attempt was during the evaluation for disability and processing for discharge; I came home one day to find him on our bed (still in base housing) with a gun aimed at his chin and a noose hanging from a hook in the ceiling. This hospitalization was not counted in his determination for disability, although it included six weeks of testing for his disorder, and thus the low determination.

We got an apartment in Everett, WA because he was trying for a job at a Boeing subsidiary. I was pregnant but didn't know it at this time. He got but then lost the job because of his seizures. One night he physically assaulted me and choked me until I blacked out. I took the kids and moved to Cali to live with my brother and his wife; ex stayed in WA to be near his mom and friends. I got two jobs (retail nights and graves at a 7-11) to pay the bills and during the day while my brother and SIL were working I napped for a couple hours and then was up with the kids; I lost both jobs by the time I was five months along due to exhaustion, stress and blackouts. Ex moved down to Cali to be a family after boating season was over (lol - ish), two or three months after I'd moved down, and we tried to make a go of it for the kids and because he really had nobody else to take care of him. We got a place of our own in what we thought was a decent neighborhood near the old Governor's Mansion in Carmichael, an area of Sacramento. The manager agreed to take partial rent while our VA was still pending a re-evaluation. He'd had several more hospitalizations and his seizure rate was still at a 100% rating qualification. While in this apartment there were gunshots in an apartment above us, our DD1 was almost drowned in the swimming pool when a jerkoff teenager jumped on her while she was swimming in her float ring (she slipped through and only through the grace of God and sheer luck did she manage to reach up and grab hold of the ring) and we realized we were ducking past windows so it didn't feel safe.

It turned out that the complex manager never recorded that we moved into the apartment. She took the cash we were paying for the apartment and some other cash she'd embezzled and hied off to Mexico with the money she'd skimmed. We woke up one night to lights flashing in the parking lot and heard the story. We had to move because we coudn't pay full rent.

We had a less than stellar rep in Sacto (he was way overloaded with claim files) and VA came through with a denial for additional disability. We couldn't afford a new place on $525/month (increased due to COLA). We were also denied Social Security which we'd applied for in Sacto because the VA pension and also because epilepsy wasn't a disability (or enough of one) for an initial approval (we could have appealed but the process still required additional time.) We were denied welfare several times, because of his pension amount, his car registration being in Washington (and we couldn't afford to have it re-registered and eat too) and numerous other reasons that didn't make sense to us but did to them for each repetitive denial of welfare benefits.

We couldn't get an apartment in Sacto so we moved to an area near Redding, CA, where we heard there was an outstanding VA rep who could help us. We went to a flea market, bought a $20 tent that would fit us and moved to a campsite near Lake Shasta while we tried to find a house.

I went to the welfare office to apply for emergency assistance. I told them that my husband had left and it was just the kids and me in the campsite, which I was sharing with another couple that had also moved out of the complex (his dad lived near there and he was the one who suggested Redding. We used our car to move everybody's stuff and shared the campsite.) Surprisingly enough (note: sarcasm), without a husband in the picture I got immediate assistance and we were granted welfare and food stamps, in-hand within 24 hours. Miraculously, ex moved back within the week because he was "guilty about leaving us to fend for ourselves." Yeah, I committed fraud but I didn't feel I had much of a choice at that point in time.

We spent three months on welfare living in tents in various campsites. We called it "camping" and did our best to make it fun for the kids. I was 7.5 months pregnant when we left Sacramento and DS2 was six weeks when we finally were able to find a house that was decent and in our reach financially. And I can tell you that there are some horrible memories of being on welfare and how ex was treated, as if he was some sort of subspecies because he wasn't working and supporting his family. I got off welfare about three years too early (after about a year) after the caseworker made one particularly egregious comment and ex almost broke again. Nobody deserves how he was treated (and we were treated), especially not someone who was injured in the line of duty protecting others, had emotional problems and multiple suicide attempts related to his disabilty. I get angry 25 years later when I remember how she spoke to him and his blank, drained face during her tirade. I still remember his face crumbling and the blood draining and his voice cracking as he asked if she'd ever even read the file (no) and did she know he was a disabled veteran (no) and if she could find a job that the government would allow him to do he'd gladly take it and it still makes me cry for him.

The VA rep in Redding (our third, after Washington and Sacramento) pushed for another re-evaluation, had ex get retested and made call after call after call after he'd read and re-read ex's medical records and history.

We moved back to Washington state while the VA rep in Redding continued with our case. He refused to transfer it even if we moved; he was going to see it through for us after we'd been screwed over by the VA before. I thought ex would benefit being close to his family and friends and he'd be able to handle it better the second time around (I was incorrect on that point). Just as importantly, it would be much easier for me to find a job and there was no way I was staying on welfare and putting ex through the wringer any more than he had been. His face and his voice that last time almost broke me as much as it did him.

THREE YEARS after the first evaluation and rating he was FINALLY given his 100% rating. The rating included two years of backpay (the maximum allowed no matter how long the process takes) plus per diem for me and the kids, minus the money they'd already paid out over the prior years. That lovely, lovely check is how we were able to afford our first meal out at a nice restaurant in years to celebrate our victory and our freedom, our first nice Christmas for the kids in four years and the downpayment on our first house.

I'd say our story is not common, but not uncommon either. You still hear a lot about PTSD being unrated or low-rated, and a lot of non-physical ratings are still scored extremely low, even if there are guidelines. Because his was a seizure (neurological, mental or psychological) disorder and not a lost limb (physical), it was much easier for them to improperly review ratings since there wasn't a visible component to the disability that could be challenged.