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Good samaritans getting the brush-off, which is creating a Kafkaesque nightmare
Friday, Jul 28, 2023 - Posted by Rich Miller * Sun-Times…
As the article goes on to explain, the problems go well beyond money. Pilsen residents banded together, found a warehouse and have been providing food and shelter to asylum seekers. The article claims the shelter now houses 220 people, many of whom are children. Asylum seekers in official city shelters receive wrap-around services which the Pilsen shelter can’t provide. More importantly, while the city’s official shelter occupants are automatically put on a track to receive affordable housing, the folks sheltering in Pilsen don’t qualify for that track, so they’re now in limbo with no way out. All because a group of admirable Chicagoans stepped up and did the right thing…
If the city won’t act, the state needs to step in. Like now. Decent people who did the right thing are getting kicked in the teeth. Enough, already.
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- Jerry - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 9:03 am:
Agreed! Clearly these Patriotic Americans who started this are truly examples of Pro-Life Christianity.
- TheInvisibleMan - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 9:12 am:
Perhaps the richest organization on the planet could sell off one of their many gold statues, and use it to help people?
Just kidding. If they did that, there wouldn’t be people suffering anymore.
- ChicagoBars - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 9:22 am:
98% of the time I’m a “Everything is complicated” and “Easy solutions are usually neither” but this situation really, really seems easily fixed. Hopefully by end of day today.
- TheInvisibleMan - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 9:35 am:
“truly examples of Pro-Life Christianity.”
Where was religion mentioned anywhere in the story? Much less a specific one.
I can’t fault you too much for such charitable colonialism. It’s built into our culture and language by design to make such assumptions. Just look at the post title.
The absence of any religious organization or motivation is much more obvious. With the volunteers themselves knowing the only actual solution is to get additional help from the state.
When the rubber meets the road, the volunteers already know who not to rely on, or even ask, for more help.
- Back to the Future - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 9:36 am:
Thanks for the connection to the Sun Times story.
The article by Michael Lori’s is really worth a read.
Chicago is a good place to live with decent, caring people.
The article also had a Go Fund link in it.
- H-W - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 10:07 am:
I am a sociologist, with solid training in the area of organizations (i.e., Max Weber, bureaucracy, work, labor markets, etc.).
I often say that while I understand bureaucracy, I do not do bureaucracy. This is a prime example.
The problem holding these immigrants back is nothing more that socially created rules of operation. Once rules become established, going against them is seen as dangerous, criminal, etc.
This is exactly why Dr. King advocated challenging “unjust laws.” It is why he demanded the federal government create new rules - the Civil Rights Acts.
Helping these immigrants receive services is actually quite simple. Change the rules. Challenge the rules before the rules-makers and rules-enforcers.
If elected officials serve the people, then elected officials can best do their jobs by recreating rules that serve the people today, not yesterday. Rules are not meant to be permanent, while societal conditions change.
The problems with bureaucracy and bureaucrats are well known. Aversion to change is the problem before us, not the immigrants, not the people of Pilsen who are doing good deeds.
Change the rules. Change them now.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 10:45 am:
Mayor Johnson, this should be right in your wheelhouse. Please don’t whiff and go down the same road as Lightfoot.
- Been There - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 11:05 am:
This story is in Isabel’s Morning Briefing today:
* Block Club | Chicago Will Partner With Local Nonprofits To Run Migrant Shelters: The change in city strategy comes after volunteers have begged the city to copy their community-run shelters. Alderpeople also sounded off about crime happening near shelters.
- Jerry - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 11:11 am:
Please look up the history of the Good Samaritan. Its pretty Christian!
- NIU Grad - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 11:35 am:
One problem is that many in the Chicago DSA world view “outsourcing” services to non-profit entities as a neoliberal failure of government. They would rather that the city double down on their own resources.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 12:00 pm:
- One problem is that many in the Chicago DSA world view “outsourcing” services to non-profit entities as a neoliberal failure of government. -
Remind me, how long have “Chicago DSA” types been running the city?
- Cubs in '16 - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 12:30 pm:
-H-W sums it up rather nicely. Having worked in State government 30+ years I’ve yet to see bureaucracy not get in the way of helping folks.
- NIU Grad - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 2:13 pm:
Excitable Boy - I’m remarking on the challenging line that Mayor Johnson faces politically on that front. If he brings non-profits into the fold to help out with the crisis, he might face that blowback from his base.
- Excitable Boy - Friday, Jul 28, 23 @ 2:53 pm:
- he might face that blowback from his base. -
Leaders lead. As someone pretty firmly on the left, I see no downside to extending public services to migrants currently housed in a private non-profit facility, especially during a crisis. I don’t think there will be much backlash.