There is a small list of things that, as Red State Refugee, I prefer about Idaho to Oregon. Better license plates (7 letters over 6). College football (go Big Blue!). Street addressing (seriously, Medford, what’s with the hidden houses in people’s backyards?).
But high on the list is Boise’s approach to homelessness. There are no tent cities on the Boise River Greenbelt. But on Medford’s Bear Creek Trail, it’s a veritable Hooverville.
That trail abuts and runs alongside Interstate 5. So, from time to time, you see a homeless person walking alongside the interstate, or, worse, trying to run across it. And, predictably…
MEDFORD, Ore– Oregon State Police have confirmed with Newswatch 12 that a pedestrian was killed on Interstate 5 in Medford Saturday night.
Reports show that the crash happened around 8 p.m. near exit 30, which is the Crater Lake Highway exit.
Specific information on the driver involved and the pedestrian killed have not been released at this time.
https://www.kdrv.com/news/top-stories/pedestrian-hit-killed-on-i-5-in-medford/article_1f71794a-e199-11ed-8810-43d43bc98ac2.html
I was out driving last night and wondered why cops were blocking off the Exit 30.
Capitalism has failed when we have more empty houses than homeless people. We should institute Universal Basic Income and declare housing to be a human right. Mental health and substance abuse treatment should be free at point of walk-in.
But until that happens, the answer can’t be “let people set up camp and live by the freeway.” As bad as I feel for the dead guy, imagine how terrible the surviving driver feels?
