Kevin, While the stories below are touching, they completely miss the actual points of debate over the mission. I don't like it when Tommy distorts the truth to make his arguments and feel the same way about your message below. For instance:
"So before you all start thinking that only pedofiles, and drug addicts are the ones who need mission and shelters and the like you better thank your lucky stars or you're higher powers that you do not need a mission to turn to from time to time." Not once have I ever heard anyone claim that only pedofiles and drug addicts would be using the mission. Just that there are no protections against them from coming, both from AP and worse yet from other towns. No background checks. Nothing to keep the community safe. There is no debate that missions and shelters that serve the poor help people. That's not the debate here. It's about whether Asbury Park has already done our fair share of "helping" and whether we should be forced to accept yet another facility when other cities are not being asked to shoulder their burden. Why is this not opening in downtown Spring Lake? What about Sea Girt? Because they would never accept this, and have the ability to fight it because they have a united population and the resources to fight it. So the answer is always "just stick it in Asbury Park." So Kevin, let's stick to the point and not try and change the debate to something it's not. While these types of missions help the people they serve they are also a burden to the community that surround them. When is enough for Asbury Park? Doesn't Asbury Park have enough challenges we need to work through without another one? Why not one of the many other towns who have not done their "fair share"? When have the people of Asbury Park done enough? This one? The next one? I'd like to know. I think we deserve to know when those who would thust this burden on us think we've given our share, and why it always needs to be us? I do not mean these as rethorical questions. I really would like you to provide a point of view on them. --- In AsburyPark@yahoogroups.com, "Kevin Brown" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Just imagine, if there were no places for struggling people to have a > peaceful meal. > > Let me draw you an illustration. > > Mike & Maureen were born in the 60's. > Mike has worked for most of his adult life at JC Penny's. He grosses > $36,000.00 a year. He decided to go to college and get an associates > degree part time at night and continue working fulltime at the store. > > It took him 4 years. JC Penny gave him a $1.00 an hour raise when he > got his Associates degree. > > He had a modest room for over 12 years, no family. He was fortunate > to be able to buy a car and keep it maintained. He has never been > arrested, and pays his bills on time. > > He takes a two week vacation every year and spends most of his > savings on that vacation. He has traveled to places most people > don't ever get to go to. > > He dates rarely and he happens to be a really nice guy. He is just > poor. > > Maureen on the other hand bought a house when she was 21, from the > insurance left her when her mother died. > > She too has no living family. She works in a shoe store chain outlet > and makes about $40,000.00 a year. She was married once and now > divorced. > > She has an 11 year old son with a childhood disorder. She has no > mortgage and becasue she owns the home, can not qualify for most > assistance programs. > > She has a high school diploma, and some college - no degree. > > Both these people work, neither drinks, nor does drugs. Neither have > broken the law. > > and they are not living together, they dont even know each other. I > know them. How do I know them, they need help from time to time and > have turned to me. > > So before you all start thinking that only pedofiles, and drug > addicts are the ones who need mission and shelters and the like you > better thank your lucky stars or you're higher powers that you do not > need a mission to turn to from time to time. > > Any way both Mike and Maureen stopped by to say hi this year as is > their custom, Maureen needed some holiday food and this year Mike > wanted to do something for me. > > Maureen cried because she promised her son something for this > christmas that was out of her budget. Her taxes went up 28% in the > last 2 years. Utilities went up 11%, but what killed the budget was > gas going over $3.00 for most of the past year. > > Real people, good people, disadvantaged? Or just "unlucky" - How > about, just plain poor. > > God Bless those in need this year, May the Lord deliver them from the > judgement of mankind. > > Rev. Kevin Brown > Lighthouse Mission > Long Branch, NJ >
