Tag: homelessness

Veteran With PTSD Can Sue the Cops Who Arrested Him for Panhandling and Tased His Service Dog, Court Rules

A homeless veteran arrested for panhandling—and whose service dog was tased by law enforcement—can move forward with his lawsuit against police and the city, a federal court ruled this week.

Apart from the individual implications, the case also raises broader questions about the constitutionality of anti-panhandling ordinances, which have suffered defeats in various courts in recent years.

In October 2021, law enforcement in Gastonia, North Carolina, arrived at an intersection where Joshua Rohrer was standing on a median after a 911 caller phoned in to report Rohrer was “using [his] dog to make people feel sorry” for him. An officer requested backup from the Gastonia Police Department (GPD), and the scene quickly became somewhat of a circus, with several patrol cars and a slew of officers dispatched to address an alleged panhandler.

An officer demanded to see Rohrer’s identification, after which he furnished his Veteran ID card. Police said that did not suffice, promptly arresting him and ultimately booking him for solicitation and resisting arrest. (You can watch the bodycam footage here and decide for yourself if he resisted arrest.)

During that interaction, an officer tased Rohrer’s service dog, Sunshine, who ran off and was later hit by a car, killing her.

The government would ultimately drop the charges against Rohrer. But even after the ordeal, law enforcement has continued to subject him “to a relentless campaign of harassment” according to his complaint against the City of Gastonia and several officers with the GPD. It alleges violations of his First and Fourth Amendment rights, including for excessive force and the unreasonable seizure of his service animal.

Rohrer’s complaint also notes that the GPD has posted “hundreds of statements that belittle and disparage Mr. Rohrer and spread false and misleading information about the incident” on social media.

“You also know that two grand juries supported the charges and that Mr Rohrer and his private legal team could have challenged the charges in court but that’s not what they chose to do now was it?”the city posted on its official GPD page. “Instead they accepted the plea deal that was offered to him. Perhaps to avoid having an actual court date where evidence and testimony would have been presented. Who knows why they chose to accept the deal offered.” Rohrer did not, in fact, plead guilty to anything tied to the October arrest.

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Delusional Seattle Democrats Blame Trump While Ignoring Their Role In Homelessness Crisis

In a recent op-ed, radio host Jason Rantz argues that Seattle Democrats outraged by President Donald Trump’s new homelessness executive order are ignoring their own responsibility for the crisis.

Trump’s order, “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” dismantles “Housing First” and “Harm Reduction” strategies, which Rantz calls failed progressive experiments that worsened addiction, street crime, and homelessness. He says local leaders in cities like Seattle and Spokane are “predictably outraged” because the policy is “a direct rebuke to the failed progressive experiments that have crippled Seattle, Spokane, and other left-wing cities.”

Rantz writes that Washington Governor Bob Ferguson called the order “misguided and harmful,” while Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said it was impractical. Rantz counters that their criticisms are hypocritical, as these leaders presided over a surge in encampments, crime, and drug use.

He is particularly critical of “Harm Reduction” programs that distribute drug paraphernalia at taxpayer expense, claiming they enable addiction. “In less than five minutes, I walked away with glass pipes and other fentanyl smoking equipment, no questions asked,” he said of a recent visit to a Seattle facility.

Rantz also dismisses “Housing First” as ineffective, arguing it ignores root causes like mental illness and substance abuse. He claims the program “merely relocates the dysfunction indoors.”

Trump’s order ties federal funding to enforcement of laws against public camping, open drug use, and street crime, which Rantz says restores accountability. “When we stop normalizing drug addiction and homelessness, we offer real compassion — access to treatment, mental health services, and genuine rehabilitation programs,” he writes.

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Trump Signs Executive Order Aimed at Helping Cities and States Get Homeless People Off the Streets and Into Treatment Centers

President Trump has just signed a new executive order which is intended to help cities and states get homeless people off of sidewalks and streets and into treatment centers. It’s part of his effort to make America safe again.

Homelessness has always been an issue in America but has exploded in certain blue cities in recent decades and the people who run these places seem unwilling or unable to deal with the problem.

For some reason, many liberals seem to think it is compassionate to allow people to continue to live in filth, addicted to dangerous drugs.

FOX News reports:

Homeless people can be removed from streets by cities, states in new Trump executive order

As part of his effort to “Make America Safe Again,” President Donald Trump signed an executive order to allow cities and states to remove homeless people off the streets and into treatment centers.

Trump signed the order, “Ending Vagrancy and Restoring,” Thursday afternoon.

The order states that the “number of individuals living on the streets in the United States on a single night during the last year of the Biden administration — 274,224 — was the highest ever recorded.”

It directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to “reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees” stopping or limiting cities and states from removing homeless individuals from the streets and moving them to treatment centers.

Though it is unclear how much money will be allocated to the effort, Trump’s order redirects federal funds to ensure that removed homeless individuals are sent to rehabilitation, treatment and other facilities.

Additionally, the order requires Bondi to partner with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to prioritize federal grants to cities and states that “enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering, and urban squatting, and track the location of sex offenders,” according to USA Today.

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During the Pandemic, NYC Communist Zohran Mamdani Called to ‘Seize’ the Homes of the Rich for the Homeless

Over the course of just a few weeks, it has been revealed that NYC communist and Democrat nominee for mayor, Zohran Mamdani has embraced nearly every stereotypical Marxist slogan that has ever been uttered.

It’s not just words, either. His entire political and policy platform is communist.

Now it is being reported that during Covid, Mamdani called on people to ‘seize’ the ‘luxury’ homes of the rich for the homeless.

Should we start with his?

FOX News reports:

Socialist NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani once called to ‘seize’ luxury homes to house homeless during COVID

Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Party’s candidate for New York City mayor and a self-proclaimed socialist, is once again garnering backlash for previous comments he has made espousing language steeped in radical socialist and communist ideology.

Mamdani, this time, is getting blasted for calling on the government to “seize” luxury condos to house the homeless during the coronavirus pandemic.

The unearthed remarks, stemming from a March 2020 social media post, followed news of separate rediscovered remarks from Mamdami touting the need to “de-commodify” housing through replacing luxury condos with communal-style living that would include things like shared laundry facilities and food co-ops.

“The oligarchs who want us to return to work to goose the stock market are the same ones with thousands of luxury condos as investment properties, sitting empty while NYers die on the streets & in shelters,” Mamdani wrote on social media in response to a news report claiming the first homeless person in New York City with the coronavirus had passed away amid the pandemic.

This guy makes AOC look like a moderate.

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Homelessness Reaches Record High in Bay Area County

Santa Clara County’s total homeless population rose by 8.2 percent to a record high of 10,711 people, according to early results from the county’s latest point-in-time count.

The count used data taken in one night in January 2025, and it serves as the main data source to determine federal funding and homelessness estimates within the county.

The total number of people experiencing homelessness rose from 9,903 in 2023 to more than 10,000 now, consistent with expert observations that “more people are entering homelessness than exiting homelessness in the region,” the report states.

Among the homeless population, the number of sheltered individuals increased by 30 percent, which the county attributes to better use of available shelter beds and more shelter capacity overall.

“Even as we face extraordinary challenges and threats to critical federal and state funding for safety-net services, the County continues to make significant investments in both shelter capacity and permanent housing to combat homelessness in our community,” County Executive James R. Williams stated in a statement.

The investments include approximately $446 million in funding to address homelessness in the 2024–2025 fiscal year. With this funding, the county was able to move more than 8,000 homeless individuals into housing from 2023 to 2025.

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California City Makes Homeless Eligible For Arrest If They Refuse 3 Offers Of Shelter

The San Jose City Council in Northern California voted June 10 to render homeless individuals, who refuse three offers of shelter, in violation of trespassing laws and able to be arrested.

The council members voted 9–2 in favor of amending the city’s encampment code of conduct with a “responsibility to shelter” provision.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a Democrat, introduced the proposal, which is among the stricter anti-encampment laws introduced since the Supreme Court in 2023 made it simpler for cities to ban homeless people from camping on public property. Mahan said that, if the city has enough shelter and interim housing, homeless people should be required to move into them.

Vice Mayor Pam Foley said getting people housed is the first step to getting them the help they need.

“We cannot expect to adequately treat mental illness, addiction, or unemployment effectively if someone is living outdoors,” Foley said during the City Council meeting. “Stable shelter, whether through interim housing, safe parking, or safe sleeping sites, not only connects people with critical services and job training, but ultimately paves the way toward permanent housing.”

Foley said the updated Code of Conduct demonstrates that San Jose is dedicated to reducing homelessness and restoring access to public spaces.

“When shelter becomes available, choosing not to fill those spaces only sets us back,” she said. “We must ensure that every opportunity to move people indoors is used to its fullest potential for both their sake and for the broader San Jose community’s well being.”

The city will not make arrests merely for refusing shelter, but, rather, for trespassing. The goal of the code of conduct revision is to enhance engagement with the homeless community.

Councilmember Peter Ortiz, who voted “no” on the proposal, fears the code of conduct revision could lead to a situation where the city has de facto criminalized homelessness, pointing out that the policy says somebody who simply declines shelter could be arrested. He noted that there are many reasons one may deny shelter, including unsafe shelter conditions or incompatibility.

“I think that by including arrest language in this policy, there could be unintended consequences,” he said at the city council meeting.

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LA City Council OKs $14B budget, allowing for $7K per homeless person each month

The Los Angeles City Council passed a $14 billion budget that reduced citywide layoffs by cutting police hiring and fire department spending.

The approved budget uses emergency funds, such as $29 million from the budget stabilization fund, to pay for ongoing regular services, which is typically only done in a recession. That suggests the city has a structural deficit created by spending more than revenue will allow.

Notably, the budget cuts $36.63 million from the Los Angeles Fire Department’s proposed budget and reduces new police hiring in half from 480 new recruits to 230. At the same time, it restores funding for Animal Services and creates a new Bureau of Homelessness Oversight under the Los Angeles Housing Department.

Councilwoman Traci Park, whose district stretches from the Los Angeles International Airport to the fire-demolished Pacific Palisades, questioned the city’s continued funding of the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, which has failed all recent audits and from which Los Angeles County recently voted to terminate its funding and relationship.

“Spending a million and a half dollars per door to build micro-units of housing to give away to homeless drug addicts when the vast majority of our own city employees could never afford a condo at that price … I don’t think we should agree to spend another penny on homelessness … until we cast a vote on whether we’re finally getting a divorce from LAHSA and what the future of homeless services delivery looks like in LA,” said Park at Thursday’s meeting.

Park also attacked the cuts to the proposed LAFD budget and the halving of the new LAPD officer expansion.

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California Gov. Newsom calls on cities to ban homeless encampments on public property

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday pushed cities to ban homeless encampments or sleeping rough on the streets — and is using state funds to force the issue.

Escalating his push to eradicate scores of encampments across the Golden State, the Democrat called on cities and towns to effectively prohibit tents from being erected on sidewalks, parks, bike paths and other public properties.

People will also be prohibited from sleeping on the streets with a sleeping bag, blankets or any other materials for more than three days in a row, according to the state-issued guidance.

“There’s nothing compassionate about letting people die on the streets. Local leaders asked for resources — we delivered the largest state investment in history. They asked for legal clarity — the courts delivered,” Newsom said in a statement.

“Now, we’re giving them a model they can put to work immediately, with urgency and with humanity, to resolve encampments and connect people to shelter, housing, and care. The time for inaction is over. There are no more excuses.”

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President Trump Signs Executive Order to Establish National Center for Homeless Veterans, Redirects Funds Previously Spent on Housing Illegals

On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order (EO) signalling his administration’s prioritization of the nation’s veterans rather than illegals.

The EO will redirect funds from housing for illegals to establish the National Center for Warrior Independence.  The Center will be located on the Veterans Affairs campus in West Los Angeles.

A Trump administration official told Fox News, “The new National Center for Warrior Independence will help them and other veterans like them rebuild their lives.”

The initiative will focus and providing shelter, healthcare, and job training to veterans in need and will partner with private organizations to expand support and resources.

Per Fox News:

The center will allow veterans from around the nation to seek and receive care, benefits and services “to which they are entitled,” the White House said.

The order redirects funds previously spent on housing or other services for illegal aliens to constructing, establishing and maintaining the new center.

“The Center will promote self-sufficiency through housing, substance abuse treatment, and support for productive work for the veterans housed there,” the White House explained.

According to the White House, the goal is to house up to 6,000 homeless veterans at the center by 2028.

In addition, the order directs the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to use vouchers to support homeless veterans.

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REALITY CHECK: Adam Schiff Says Party Has a “Major Problem” After San Francisco Cashier Tells Him “Democrats are As*holes”

Democrat Senator Adam Schiff (CA) is apparently just now realizing that Democrats need to “change how we do business” in liberal areas that are overrun with crime, drugs, and homelessness, citing an encounter with a Target cashier who told him the hard truth about the Democratic party. 

During an appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher,” Schiff recalled an incident at a Target in San Francisco after his car was robbed in his home state of California. And it wasn’t getting robbed in the notoriously liberal city.

The Gateway Pundit readers will likely recall that Schiff got robbed in San Francisco last year while campaigning for Senate in the city. The robbers took his luggage, and he was forced to attend a dinner party in a t-shirt and hiking vest instead of the appropriate formal attire.

Following this, he went to buy toiletries at a Target store, he says, and the cashier hit him with a blunt reality check.

The party that locked everyone in their homes during COVID, bullies people into silence, and allows criminals and the dregs of society to terrorize everyday Americans are “assholes,” the woman apparently told him.

” I thought, you know, if the cashier in South San Francisco at 10 o’clock at night believes that Democrats are assholes because the shampoo is locked up, and my stuff got stolen out of the trunk, we’ve got a major problem that we have to address,” he said.

Still, it wasn’t until now, after the Democrats’ massive defeat in the 2024 election, that Schiff seemingly had an epiphany and sounded the alarm to his party.

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