Big Apple's Problem Becoming The Little Apple's

By Michael Gartland Of The New York Post: De Blasio has sent 1,412 homeless packing-- "De Blasio is on pace to send roughly as many homeless from Gotham this year as Bloomberg did in his last year, when the city Department of Homeless Services moved 2,208 from the city to their former hometowns...

The program, dubbed Project Reconnect in 2007 when Bloomberg reintroduced it, provides one-way bus, train or plane tickets to homeless people free of charge if they can show they have relatives outside of New York they can live with."


CommentaryFive things I wonder about..(1) I'm sure none of these folks lied to get a free ticket out of town for them and their family, right?

(2) Allentown is nicknamed 'The Little Apple' for a reason. I wonder just how many were sent here and now become our problem?

(3) I wonder if they received advanced counseling on how to apply for benefits when they get here?

(4) I wonder when voters went to the polls to vote for either a 'bleeding heart liberal' or 'cold hearted conservative' they'd be getting the same mayor either way?

(5) I wonder if their more troublesome homeless received greater priority just to get rid of them first?
So many questions so few answers. I'd be certain we have no way of ever finding out other then if one of our local media filed 'right-to-know requests (if they even have them for this sort of thing). Even if media did I wonder how cooperative NYC would be and not fight them in court.

Face it, we in the Lehigh Valley have become almost a suburb of NYC. When we look at crime reports in the LV all too many are coming in from NYC. When my wife had her car stolen a few years ago from the mall parking lot (while she was at work) it was found totaled after police gave chase (course the perps got away) 2 hours later just outside of NYC.


Pennsylvania The Dumping Ground For NYC?
On June 12, 2014 NBC10 reported,"Environmentalist groups in Chester, Pa. say they're not too thrilled about a recent sanitation deal that will bring hundreds of thousands of tons of New York City trash to a local waste facility... Waste-to-energy company Covanta struck a 20-year deal with New York City's Department of Sanitation last summer. Under the agreement, Covanta will use trains to transport as much as 800,000 tons of waste annually from New York City."

Could it be Pennsylvania is not only becoming a dumping ground for NYC's garbage, but it's human refuse as well?

Apparently This Has Been Going On For 5 Years


In October 1997 'The New York Times reported, "A Federal judge has ruled that states may not discriminate against new residents by paying them lower welfare benefits than longtime residents. His decision blocks Pennsylvania's use of a tool given to states by the 1996 welfare law."

Then on May 24th, 1999 'The Morning Call' reported, "The Supreme Court voted 7-2 to ban states from paying lower benefits to newcomers than to longtime residents." As far as I can determine the ruling still stands.


So What Have We Learned Kids?
* Whether a city is run under a Democrat or Republican administration about the only concern for the homeless is that they go somewhere else so they become somebody's else's problem. Allentown might need to develop the same program and send them right back to NYC when they get off the bus w/o a means to support themselves.

* Judges should consider harsher sentences for those committing crimes here then they would have gotten for the same crime if it were committed in NYC when they come down from NYC to do them.

* Most of all we learned the homeless (no matter how unfortunate the circumstance that befell them) are treated with about as much compassion as doggie droppings left in the streets or parks by either party.


So How Do We Fix This?
(1) Send a clear message to NYC by refusing their garbage unless they stop this practice. Either that or triple the amount it will cost them to do so by Pennsylvania adding fees for outside rubbish from NYC to help pay for them.

(2) Go on a media blitz making people aware of what NYC is doing encouraging many of our tourists from Pennsylvania going into NYC not go there as long as this practice continues.

(3) Establish stricter residency requirements for our benefits. The Supremes addressed the dollar amounts, but never said under what terms (how long before) someone can become eligible.

(4) In regards to those who occupy rentals and purchase homes. Stricter enforcement of moving permits so everyone actually pays their per capita tax (for one). If it even means landlords be required to file them at lease signing or realtors at settlement.

(5) When we come across homeless people ask them where they came from and how they got here. If another city paid for their ticket, send that city a bill. Even though it might not be legal these would pile up and serve as a constant reminder to them we know what they're up to. Send this along with the possible ways it will not continue to benefit them. See #1 & #2 above