LUCKY

People say I'm lucky.  Lucky, because I happen to be homeless in the best place to be homeless - a hop, skip and a jump from the nations Capital - Washington DC.  Heck, Congressman Van Hollens office is literally right in my backyard;  Or it would be if I had one....Surely the 'powers-that-be' wouldn't allow that to happen there.... ?!?!  

See, I've lived, worked and volunteered in Rockville, Maryland for the last 25 years.  But, apparently that's not good enough for the rich, upper crust here.  No, they want me to shuck and jive, dance a jig - do blackface for their entertainment, sing for my supper, while they toss pennies into my hat.  And, for that - I should be grateful.

"Oh, you're SO lucky !" (As if being homeless is a fortunate event...)  "There're SO MANY RESOURCES available for you !!".... (Uuuhhhhhhh.... No.... There're not)

This is an election year, and it might seem that local politicians would jump at the chance to show that they support and care for their homeless Veteran population, but they can't even muster the energy to fake it.  Nope, just can't be done....  Unfortunately, I've had to deal with a confederacy of dunces, and a long list of imbeciles which includes a shady cast of characters:  

There's 'Liz' (her real name, I pull no punches here, and nobody gets any protection), a housing specialist whose affiliated with my counseling agency.  She's just wayyyyyyyyyyy, wayyyyyyyyyyy "too busy" to give a shit about me.

There's Ike Leggett, current County Executive whose also wayyyyyyyyy, wayyyyyyyyyy too busy running his re-election campaign, and pandering to the white elite to even be bothered to return my phone calls, so he shunts me off to his henchman - 

Michael Subin.  What can I say about Mike?  Just google his name, you'll figure him out soon enough.....

Then there's City Councilwoman - the token black - Virginia Onley.  Sure, she's shuttled me back and forth from one seedy motel to the next, as she should, because her son (whose a Montgomery County Police Officer), was instrumental in evicting me illegally; But as far as any REAL advocacy or 'help'?  Nope, not happening.

Let's not even talk about the merry band of bumbling idiots at DHHS (Department of Health and Human Resources), WOW.  If 'incompetence' were a gold medal event at the Olympics, well - let's just say they'd sweep it, easily.

Then, there's Mayor Bridget Newton, whose just too cute for words.  Really, that's about all she's good for.  President Obama put forth his 'Mayors Challenge' for mayors across the country to sign up, as a commitment to ending homeless in their cities.  Bridget couldn't be bothered. She was too busy - oh, hell - I don't know what was going through her mind that she couldn't or wouldn't take the time to pick up a lousy pen and sign her name to a largely symbolic commitment to end homelessness;  I can't even venture a guess...  Well, maybe I can - judging by the way I've been treated here, especially these last two years - Rockville City has made it crystal clear that it doesn't want low-income, or even moderate income residents to stick around and get too comfortable, for too long.  

Forget the great quality of life purportedly offered here, in tony Montgomery County - that's not for 'us', it's for 'them', you know.... 'the others'.  We're only supposed to be here just long enough to mow their expansive lawns, clean their McMansions, serve their gourmet meals, and wash their dirty laundry, not air it.  Ooooops.  Guess I didn't get that memo.....