OPINION: “Shasta Jim’s” Words of Warning to Washoe County: “All the homeless everywhere are learning about Reno’s CARES Campus.”

On a recent visit to Northern California, my dog and I ran into a homeless-by-choice vagrant I’ll call “Shasta Jim.”

He and I had a lot of things to talk about.

• “Jim” has 10 years of vagrancy, living homeless-by-choice in the Pacific Northwest.

• I have decades of experience teaching naive communities that 90% of the misnamed “homeless” are just vagrants-by-choice who are scamming the system.

 Jim was particularly interested when I told him I was from Reno. “That’s where I’m heading,” he said. “I’m going to live at the Reno CARES Campus!”

I was amazed that Jim knew about Washoe County’s mega-million-dollar corrupt/violent/failed homeless facility, so I asked him how he discovered it.

“Everybody on the street knows about Reno’s CARES Campus,” Jim said. “It’s posted all over the internet.” I asked him how CARES Campus was described. He gave a big smile, and it’s easy to see why.

Jim explained, “The messages say CARES Campus is a place where they give you everything for nothing, and you can do whatever you want. There are practically NO rules.”

• “There are usually no cops at CARES. They tell the cops to stay away!”

• “Everyone, including staff, has drugs, and you can buy them inside.”

• “You don’t have to get a job or even clean up after yourself.”

• “You can stay there as long as you want for free.” (note: some CARES clients have lived there for over 4 years).

Just before we shook hands and went our separate ways, I said to Jim, “Maybe you’ll be able to get a job in Reno and live on your own.” He shook his head.

“I won’t need a job.”

• “My phone’s free.”

• “There’s lots of free food in Reno, so I can sell my food stamps. If I need more, they say you can steal bags of food in the stores, and nobody stops you.”

• CARES Campus doesn’t make you pay for anything, and my disability check (approximately $1,000/month) is starting soon, so I’ll be fine.”

“Besides,” he added, “I’ve heard that if you hang around the CARES Campus long enough, they’ll give you a rent-free apartment for years!.” (That is true.)

Walking back to my hotel, my first thought was I wished I’d video-taped my conversation with “Shasta Jim.”  I would have shown it to all 5 of the Washoe County Commissioners who are responsible for the CARES Campus, and to every voter who elected them.

But I realized that would have done no good.

• There is not ONE Commissioner who has made any attempt to make unannounced visits and see  what actually goes on inside CARES’ 700-person “tent.”

The Commissioners have NO interest in hearing firsthand accounts of the dozens of lethal weapons, multiple assaults, rapes, constant theft, credible death threats, and MUCH more that is a daily part of living in the main CARES Campus tent.

FACT

• The CARES Campus was sold to Washoe County voters as a place that would care ONLY  for Washoe County’s homeless individuals, get them rehabilitated, and rapidly return them to our communities as self-sufficient, employed, and contributing residents.

FACT

• Only 20% of the homeless vagrants living at CARES Campus are from Washoe County.

• 80%  are from all over the United States. (Source:  CARES employees).

CONCLUSION

That means that the CARES Campus our County Manager and Commissioners sold to Washoe taxpayers, is not REDUCING the number of Washoe’s homeless at all.

 It is INCREASING our homeless population at an exponential, unsustainable rate because the CARES Campus is so ineffectively and incompetently operated by the County and its primary vendor. 

How out-of-control is the growth of the CARES-caused homeless problem? 

Bad enough that the County Manager announced he was going to stop counting Washoe’s homeless population, “because it’s hard to get the numbers accurate.”  The truth is, the County fears that releasing an accurate homeless count would cause massive blow-back from half-a-million residents … which it should – and would.

What Can Each One of US Do About This Situation? 

 We either need to get involved in correcting this homeless mess … or get busy making OUR cardboard signs to hold up at intersections with the following message:

“Welcome to Reno, ‘Shasta Jim,’ and the thousands MORE vagrants-by-choice who are coming right behind you.”

_______________________________________

Speak Up, Nevada! What’s on Your Mind? Send us your opinion!

Got the inside scoop on something happening in Nevada? Or the country? Do you have thoughts about life in Nevada that are too good to keep to yourself? Whether it’s a hot take on our politics, crime, education, or even the secret to surviving our summers, we’re all ears! Swing them our way at editor@thenevadaglobe.com. Come on, give us the scoop on what makes Nevada tick—or what ticks you off. Let’s make some noise and have some fun with it!

*************************

Legal Disclaimer

The opinions expressed in this article, authored by Paul White, are solely those of the author and do not reflect the views or positions of Nevada Globe. This content is provided for informational purposes only and has not been endorsed by Nevada Globe. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability, or availability with respect to the content contained on this site for any purpose. Any reliance you place on such information is therefore strictly at your own risk.

Nevada Globe is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on any information contained within the article. No guarantee is given that the information provided in this article is correct, complete, or up-to-date.

Although this article may include links providing direct access to other Internet resources, including websites, Nevada Globe is not responsible for the accuracy or content of information contained in these sites.

Links from Nevada Globe to third-party sites do not constitute an endorsement by Nevada Globe of the parties or their products and services. The appearance on the website of advertisements and product or service information does not constitute an endorsement by Nevada Globe, and Nevada Globe has not investigated the claims made by any advertiser.