But Doug - That's not always practical. I had a conversation with the director of a local night shelter and I asked about the residents. He said a large share of them have mental or emotional problems or handicaps that prevent them from working. Are there a lot of drunks on the street asking for money for wine ? Sure - but not all of the beggars are able to work a 9 to 5 job. And a lot of these people were thrown out on the street during the Reagan era. But that's another conversation.

This homeless shelter director said that most of us are only three or four paychecks away from the street. That's a scary idea.