About Ronald Reagan: I have heard over the years that he was the one
that turned the mentally handicapped out and that was the main cause
of the homeless increase in Southern Ca.  I missed the answere that
Larry Elder was going to give on that subject June 8, 04.  He did say
it was not Ronald Reagan, but the ACLU that forced that action.  What
is the Answere and why?

I'm not sure what turned out means. If you mean released from mental
hospitals; John Kerry, Ronald Reagan and the ACLU all three likely are
responsible for a few people being released.  That is not necessarily
bad, if the people have partially recovered, should not have been
commited and/or want to try to make it on their own.
 All societies have had some homeless people, but the problem has
likely worsened many places in the USA. Typically these people are
being offered alternatives and are refusing them. Can you suggest some
low cost alternatives we might offer them? As citizens they should not
be forced into alternatives, in my opinion unless they are creating
serious crimes, and/or are a serious danger to themselves. It is an
unhelthy society that ties to force a set of standards on everyone.

 Many of these homeless persons messed up their brains by abusing
substances. Others were marginal employees, who weren't worth the
manditory minimum wage. Others received too little disapline as
children, and have been unable to generatate the self disapline as
adults that were already habit by age 8 in previous generations with
rather rare exceptions.

 I don't think there are any easy answers, but we should keep trying
pilot programs, preferebly in the private sector with minimum over
site. Clearly we are headed for 3d world status if we keep repeating
the errors of past Democrats, Republicans, judges and (boo hiss)
lawyers.   Neil