Asheville is becoming a mecca for the homeless. Since city council adopted the Ten-Year-Plan to End Homelessness two years ago, people have noted increases in vagrancies.

A man who works for the homeless in Marion confirmed rumors that other municipalities are busing the homeless to Asheville. He said often when the mentally ill exhaust all the resources available in a small town, they’re told to seek out “real” care.

The Ten-Year-Plan proposed solving homelessness by putting people in homes. These, of course, are nice, new, tax-subsidized homes. Wraparound services, which include physical, psychiatric, and dental care are also provided. Victims of this socialist scheme are not encouraged to engage in any character-building exercises like work, or even attempted sobriety. The soul is allowed to atrophy on government life support.

At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, a staff report summarized the results of a public forum held on the subject of homelessness. Mayor Terry Bellamy wanted to clarify that there was a difference between homelessness caused by mental disorder or a stream of bad luck and vagrancy resulting from a willful disrespect for law and order. Dr. Carl Mumpower indicated that vagrants were better aware of the chinks in socialism’s armor than his peers – and willing to take advantage of them.

Homeless people in Asheville who don’t get hooked up with a nice apartment are treated like pigeons. Local ministries provide nesting for the night, but in the daytime, the homeless are sent outside to migrate through the town center. They congregate in Pritchard Park where good folks feed them. After a day of public urination, defecation, begging, and maybe an altercation or two, the homeless migrate back to the west side of town for the night.

City council has approved funding for another police beat for downtown; public restrooms; a public works detail that will clean litter and attack graffiti downtown; and a day shelter where the homeless can store their belongings, get cleaned up, and collect mail. What would you do?