Public bathrooms are a simple way of looking at the complexity of homelessness and the negative impacts of mental health and addiction on communities.
It seems that are some that think investing in public bathroom infrastructure is wasting their tax dollars and enabling people to continue to take advantage of their hard work that provides those expenditures. I get this perspective, especially when said infrastructure is vandalized and needs additional funds to repair and security monitor. Frustrating!
Other people are able to rationally see beyond their emotions and see that not offering infrastructure, while it feels right, has trade offs, as you described (public poop, and not punishing rule following citizens and visitors).
And there is compassion, and seeing beyond self interest. Do the right thing for moral reasons, even if means a higher tax bill or short term challenges. How many of us have been in a situation where you had to go but no infrastructure was available. How did that make you feel? What did you do? How much harder would that situation be if you were a person of colour, or showed signs of poverty and addiction?
The last word of my comment only shows if I add a reply and then it redundantly shows twice. Privileged world problem! Which is interesting, because my last paragraph really is about privilege, something I acknowledge I possess.
Public bathrooms are a simple way of looking at the complexity of homelessness and the negative impacts of mental health and addiction on communities.
It seems that are some that think investing in public bathroom infrastructure is wasting their tax dollars and enabling people to continue to take advantage of their hard work that provides those expenditures. I get this perspective, especially when said infrastructure is vandalized and needs additional funds to repair and security monitor. Frustrating!
Other people are able to rationally see beyond their emotions and see that not offering infrastructure, while it feels right, has trade offs, as you described (public poop, and not punishing rule following citizens and visitors).
And there is compassion, and seeing beyond self interest. Do the right thing for moral reasons, even if means a higher tax bill or short term challenges. How many of us have been in a situation where you had to go but no infrastructure was available. How did that make you feel? What did you do? How much harder would that situation be if you were a person of colour, or showed signs of poverty and addiction?
addiction?
The last word of my comment only shows if I add a reply and then it redundantly shows twice. Privileged world problem! Which is interesting, because my last paragraph really is about privilege, something I acknowledge I possess.