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Urban Exile
Urban Exile: Michigan Legislature Votes to Toss 30,000 Puppies Out of Shelters
by Erika McNamara
Now. Replace "puppies" with "children," and "shelters" with "public assistance."
One morning last week while I made coffee and semi-listened, Good Morning America announced its exclusive new series HUNGER AT HOME: CRISIS…
Urban Exile: The Growing Problem of Homeless Senior Citizens
by Erika McNamara
If asked, the average person would probably describe a homeless person as a thirty-something male, addicted to some substance, too lazy to go out and find work. But thanks to the Great Recession, this demographic of the…
Urban Exile: On the 4th of July Remember…The Few, The Proud, America’s 76,000 Homeless Veterans
by Erika McNamara
On June 11, 2011, the Los Angeles Times reported:
Contending that the region's population of disabled homeless veterans has reached crisis proportions, a coalition led by the ACLU of Southern California filed a lawsuit…
Urban Exile: The Growing Trend of Arresting People For Feeding the Homeless
by Erika McNamara
In November, Hawaii will be the host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit. This summit has been a long time in coming since the last time the event was in the United States was in 1993. This is good for…
Urban Exile: Memorial Day Feasts Versus Every Day Childhood Hunger in Michigan
by Erika McNamara
A quick review of the menu for Memorial Day grill extravaganza left me wondering if hotdogs, short ribs, steak, and all of the side dishes that accompanied the main meat feast this year would all be enough. Well if it…
Urban Exile: Panhandling Can’t Be Legislated Out of Existence
by Erika McNamara
Once again panhandling has grabbed the attention of the Ann Arbor public and media. Recently, the Ann Arbor City Council decided to amend the city Panhandling Ordinance. This decision was based on the recommendation of…
Urban Exile: Ann Arbor Panhandling Task Force Recommendations Wrong-Headed, Study Shows
There is a lot of advice in recent articles about the right and wrong way to help panhandlers. Many times this advice conflicts with the on-the-spot feelings of individuals who want to give to panhandlers. Some are adamantly against…
Urban Exile: “Curbing” the Panhandling “Epidemic” Gets Sexy
A2PNotes: In 2010, John Hieftje and First Ward Council member Sandi Smith both ran for re-election and patted themselves on the back for "doubling beds at the homeless shelter." If you count a chair as a bed, Hieftje and Smith were…
Urban Exile: Common Courtesy & Every Day Strangers
A2PNotes: In 2010, John Hieftje and First Ward Council member Sandi Smith both ran for re-election and patted themselves on the back for "doubling beds at the homeless shelter." If you count a chair as a bed, Hieftje and Smith were telling…