Downtown Homelessness/Dumpinig

Journal article and comments from the Chief of Police have prompted activity from the downtown business owners. The owners have asked what council is going to do about it........

Would the attention given to this be a priority if the homeless people were dropped off in any other part of the city other than downtown? Would this have gotten any Journal write-up if the dropoffs had occurred in the other sections of the city? Are we only focused on the needs of the downtown area once again?

We know there have been many reasons why Middletown has been reduced in stature with surrounding communities. The rampant buildup of the HUD program a few years ago has given the city a black eye with regard to reputation/image. The nice new Taj Mahal school buildings but the disgusting poor education received by students is another turn off to promoting a respectable community. Quality people attraction has taken a hit as well. This city is now considered a dumping ground for all low income, homeless, destitute individuals who are attracted here using the handout bait that as been promoted with the fostering of low income social programs by city leaders. Other cities know this so what better way to get rid of selected lower class people than to "send them to Middletown". If the story of a Butler Cty sheriff's deputy dropping off a person behind Laubach's brewery is true, then Sheriff Jones should be confronted about it. That is wrong. The downtown business owners and the residents of this city can thank the Gilleland era city leaders for initiating these city destroying programs that do nothing but bring these types of people to our city which has now become a destination for the "undesirables" in surrounding communities. Gilleland was a destructive city manager in many ways. It is yet another example of poor decision making that has brought this once proud city to it's knees in the last three decades.

You can hire all the overtime security you desire at tax payer expense. You can patrol the downtown until the wheels fall off the police cruisers but if the city doesn't go to the source and have a meeting with all the surrounding communities to impose a program where the perpetrators will face legal action, they will keep dumping their unwanted in Middletown. Nothing will be resolved. Simply put, the surrounding communities don't respect Middletown. Middletown needs to meet with those cities to set the record straight on expectations with regard to legal action if they do not cease their dumping. It should be made clear the dumping communities have one chance to change their habits. A tough stance is needed here in defending the city. We should never be the caregivers for other city's problems. Lord knows, we have enough problems of our own to solve in Middletown without this added burden.