this is important. I think that homelessness is something that all politicians should have some sort of understanding around. does that mean everyone should sleep outside? no. but they should have a good understanding of what it is like
I congratulate him on his willingness to dig in to the issue and find out what it is like.
thanks
Patrick

I lived in my VW bus for a year. I got two week free memberships at all the gyms in town for a year to take showers and brush my teeth. Can I be Mayor too?

I lived in my VW bus for a year. I got two week free memberships at all the gyms in town to take showers and brush my teeth. Can I be Mayor too?

That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard of. It's like something out of The Onion.

Well, at least he's passing Davis' record. Hell, I've been passed out on the streets of Portland longer then he made it.

You emailed him but I would be curious to know if he responds. Now I may not have too many personal relationships with the homeless in town, but also I didn't know they had readily available internet access.

Puzzled—

He wrote in his press release that he wouldn't be in phone contact, but would have limited email access. (Indeed, he emailed me at 4:44, :44 minutes into his adventure, to double check if I'd gotten his original email.)

He can always hit the library, right?

When I first saw this headline my gut reaction was to offer Mr. Burris my couch to sleep on, then I thought, naw- he'd have to report that as an in-kind campaign contribution.
Then I read the story.
Good for him.

Please. Gee - another person who will more likely than not ever experience real homelessness on any ongoing basis.

Was Matt Davis poor? Is this guy poor? How does either of their experiences relate to the real world?

Can this be anything other than a media event?

Isn't it nice to pretend to be homeless knowing that my warm home, condo or apartment is waiting for me.

Get elected - come up with some solutions.

Stupid? Obviously you have no idea what its like to find yourself with out a place to live and without enough cash to survive on a week to week basis. But showboating for a week out on the streets does not a mayor make. Wasting votes on this guy is only going to take votes away from viable candidates. Assuming anyone actually takes this guy seriously.

Yeah, I can get internet access at the library, Freegeek, and my school's library (where I am right now).

And yeah, Norton, I am poor. I've been poor most of my life. I've always managed to keep a roof over my head, but outside of that, it's been pretty hit and miss.

You're right, I may never experience real homelessness on any ongoing basis, but I don't really see what that has to do with what I'm trying to do here. And yes, this is a little bit of a media event, but if I can get the media talking about the homeless in some real capacity, isn't that a good thing?

If anything I just typed is gibberish, I'm sorry. I'm going on two hours of sleep here.

No, Kyle, its not a good thing. Its a nothing. Talk, especially from the media, is cheap.

No, Kyle, its not a good thing. Its a nothing. Talk, especially from the media, is cheap.

Years ago, both Jeff Gianola at KATU and Mike Donahue at KOIN spent "nights" as proto-homeless people, somewhat "undercover" and absolutely thinking, seeing and feeling things in a very different way.

It's always an interesting story. Read George Orwell's Down And Out In Paris And London.

You can even sensitize yourself. Leave your wallet and keys at home. Feel what happens during the day. Good luck getting home.