DATELINE – Homeless, USA.

To the Editor:

Although I have been a loyal reader of your publication since 1983, I have never seen fit to write in with my opinion, (although it was very tempting when you endorsed the youth curfew). But I feel I must respond to the piece you ran Nov. 18, 1998 entitled “Holiday Miracle: Camping Gear Comforts Homeless.”

First, let me say you showed bad judgment in running anything penned by Adam Polanco. In the past, his articles have been riddled with factual errors and inconsistencies ala Stephen Glass. Frankly, writers like Mr. Polanco should not be permitted to stain the integrity of your journalistic endeavors.

But leaving history aside – as we are wont to do these days – the very spirit of the “Camping Gear” story, whether it turns out to be wholly factual, fictional, or somewhere in between, is an assault on the values we in this community hold dear. Values like the right to a living wage. Goodwill to strangers. Compassion and understanding for those in need. Does this ring a bell?

To begin with, the homeless in this community do not “number in the hundreds” as Mr. Polanco would have us believe. The last survey done by Social Services turned up over 1,400 homeless people – and that’s not including families and the like who spend stints at our municipally funded welfare hotels. Second, there are more than “some” U.S. veterans in the mix. My husband, who spends his Saturday afternoons volunteering at the St. Alban’s soup kitchen, knows of at least two dozen men now sleeping on the streets of our downtown. A few of them even did a tour of duty with him in Vietnam.

Now, as to the “Holiday miracle” of a privileged few giving away their overpriced camping gear to homeless men and women – only a shortsighted fool like Mr. Polanco could find any solace in such revolting displays of noblesse oblige. What these down-and-out individuals need is a helping hand, not a high-tech handout.

Is it just me or does anyone else take offense at the thought of malnourished, mentally ill, or otherwise incapacitated individuals living on the streets decked out in last year’s top-of-the-line North Face or Patagonia mountain climbing gear?

Mr. Polanco apparently believes the benefits of “Polarguard® 3D insulation,” “Dead Air Space parka insulation systems,” “Infurno Encapsil fiber treatment,” “neoprene ankle gussets,” “European 775-fill power goose down,” “slant box baffle construction,” and “breathable Gore DryLoft™ fabric” are a panacea to the “challenges” of living outside.

Who buys this stuff? What’s next? Giving the homeless cellphones?

I don’t want to discourage people from trying to do what they can to help the less fortunate in our community. Good intentions go a long way, but they can also lead to folly. Outfitting the homeless with second hand outdoor gear like a “4-pound Marmot Quonset Tent,” “lightweight Stretch Triolet mountaineering parka with two-way pit zips,” (really, Mr. Polanco!) or “Down Time DryLoft Technical Sleeping bag with anti-snag zipper” does little to address the very real security, health, and social problems faced everyday by the citizens who sleep under our bridges, in our doorways, and on top of our steam grates.

The problem is wasted resources. A $400 tent might seem like a nice gift for a homeless person, but what if that $400 were to be donated to a program that creates affordable housing?

Usually your reporting on social issues is balanced. Why did you include Mr. Polanco’s naive puff piece in your spotlight on holiday charities?

I hope that in the future you will consider devoting more space in your pages to people and programs that are providing permanent solutions to the problem of homelessness in our community.

Sincerely,

Dorothy Tagg

Adam Polanco replies: Despite Ms. Tagg’s assertion that she has all the answers to the homeless issue, I believe that the efforts I described are laudable. If you spent a week outdoors you’d appreciate the value and quality of the camping gear being donated. If homelessness isn’t an extreme living experience, I don’t know what is.