Rents are high in many places, certainly in Auckland, and although a bit cheaper in Hamilton, not that affordable there either, that is when you have NO income, except perhaps a benefit.

As this man appears to have “savings” he must clearly be mentally ill. He may have disorders that make it difficult for him to be acceptable to most landlords. So some will say he “chooses” to be homeless, but I feel one can only “choose”, if one is of sound mental health and can make sensible decisions.

Mental health in NZ is neglected in many ways, despite of some improvements over the years. Some fall between the gaps, and this person is one of them. He clearly needs some proper supervision and care out of the ordinary. But it seems, the system is not geared for delivering that.

The media like such odd stories, but do they help the man and offer any answers?

Let’s not continue to rise to their bait.

How many thousands of other more important issues are there? One can imagine the editor going “Homeless man has $70 grand in the bank! – What a great headline”. And he says he has tried for what, 800 jobs? Who fact-checked that? And we know that he is on prescription medication, and that those drugs are for psychosis and depression. Really? I’d be depressed too, not really national news.

I certainly do not begrudge him his public health system support for his conditions. I would hope that no one else would either. To say that those conditions somehow make him incapable flies in the face of the other evidence presented in the article.

How much do cigarettes cost? Geez mate… I don’t know… if you’re a dude that gets 10 out of 10 on every political pub quiz I’d have thought you could look that one up or know from your own infinite general knowledge.

Not sure he can afford to be so choosy: Choosy? That’s an average of one job application every other day… slightly more even. How many do you want him to apply for? Every job on planet earth? And he’s been granted one interview. Out of 800 job applications?

Why no job? Because he’s probably unemployable with quite a few problems of varying descriptions. And he’s been granted one interview. Out of 800 job applications? 0.0125 success rate getting an interview. That’s why. You’d have to ask the employers or recruiters why they wouldn’t interview the man. Out of 800 job applications you’re bound to get some fruitcake do-gooders who would try to help him as a charity case and he’d end up on Cambpell Live right after old chipmonk face has finished spoonfeeding hot gruel into some brown Northland kids mush in the previous segment.

20 cups of coffee a day? What the fuck else are you going to do if you’re homeless? That’s nothing mate… nothing. 20 is nothing. I’ll do 20 cups of tea in a day and that’s nothing. Waiting for an upcoming exam I was doing 600mls of tea every five minutes at it’s worst. I’m not exaggerating. It was the only cop-out I had left to get away from continual revising and cramming. 20 is nothing. It’s five cups every four waking hours on average. That’s nothing. I hope he drinks sixty cups.

The guy has apparently applied for 800 jobs or something. And says he wants to work.

How is he a bludger genius? He might be delusional… but if you are at least making the right noises… ‘I want to work’…

If he’s looking for work, then he’s looking for work. Doesn’t matter how unlikely he is to get it. If he can’t get a job does that make him a bludger?

Just be thankful it’s not you. I’d love to see how enjoyable you found his ‘lifestyle’. I’d say it’s more akin to ‘coping’ than ‘enjoying’ in his case.

Still, if i ever decide to throw in the towel and live off the state as a mental inmate, I know what to tell them, aye.

Mick must have been more stoned than the seller if he bought that deal!

As for his drug addiction, he is working the System fine.

I once met a guy who was doing this. He had a MK3 Ford Cortina with a V8 that had heads on the motor from a two stroke train engine; he was in the process of selling it to Mick Jagger.
No BS – Taharoto Unit North Shore.

I was at the Unit to drive a patient’s car away

I never said I was an authority.

I can only speak from my own perspective, and therefore saw that without stating my “unrelated” story I could not make the point I wanted to make. And I wished to point out that from where I stand, most of the posters were taking an ill-informed shot at this homeless guy who possibly has all sorts of reasons for his position – conceivably even that he is a lazy, drug-addicted bludger who choses to live in filth.

So yes, I stand by my statement that thoughtless “twerps” were behaving in the classic manner of bullies everywhere. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings if you identified with that, and meant you no offence.

Do you have a reason why you are taking the position that you are? – At the risk of making this a very long forum, of course.

Not sure what gays adopting children and giving them a loving home when other won’t has to do with that quote, nor those dysfunctional environments where children have their future taken away from them either – your quote leaves me mystified. Your point, though probably decipherable, is lost on me. My kids come from a “broken” home – they are loved and well cared for, confident and high achievers, with both a strong sense of right and wrong and a semblance of social conscience. It doesn’t make them socialists or anything else. I can’t speak for anyone else’s.

@ Redbaiter

That quote is variously attributed too Churchill, Truman, Dostoevsky and Ghandi, amongst other. It might represent what they conceive to be an ideal to strive towards, or just a platitude to quell the unrest of the masses, but either way it’s hardly crap, and indeed, not necessarily socialist either.

Nor worthless. It is at least worthy of intelligent consideration, before dismissing in such a prejudicial manner.

A “nation” is composed of individuals, so what you have stated is that actually you agree? I find that hard to fathom, unless you have confused “nation” with “State”, as in a government.

That is crap.

Worthless socialist crap.

Its up to individuals and their families to look after each other, its got nothing to do with any “nation”.

Like gay child adoption?

Like children who are in homes with complex dysfunctional parents who will never make an enviroment where children thrive?

As has been said before “The massed ranks of the welfare state hesitate!”

The nation as a whole can’t be blamed for what the government WON’T do!

If we assume he is telling the truth and has got the money, well he’s representative of a huge swathe of New Zealanders who have been conditioned to take from the ever generous state and give nothing back in return. Sweet as bro. At least he’s saved it!

thoughtless twerps… ego … bully.

arseholes

coward keyboard fascists

Ahhh empathy.

Is that when you defend one obvious target and get stuck into another?

An affliction that is not physically obvious is hard for people to comprehend. As you say, a broken leg easily garners sympathy, however it’s not sympathy we need, it’s understanding. Empathy is probably too much to ask for.

I really appreciate your supportive comment, and good wishes. I hope your family is also regaining some sort of normalcy.