Transmission Tents

Oprah Winfrey recently came around my fair burg, highlighting the homeless population explosion due to the economy. Sacramento has a growing tent city, and is even being portrayed in articles across the pond....a "how can there be such want amidst plenty?" question.

The second picture in the article...most people see the stillness, the tents lined up neatly along the waterline.


Of course, all I see are my four 115kV transmission lines overhead. North City to Elverta, North City to Hurley 1&2, and the fourth line, while energized, doesn't terminate anywhere. Beautiful photo, isn't it?

Transmission line right of ways, railroads, highway overpasses, grade separations; all these have been where our homeless gather, then the Sacramento PD comes in and rousts up the tent city, the homeless move on, and later the PD comes in and rousts them up again elsewheres. A never ending cycle. I bicycle along MLK Jr. Blvd. on my way to work past a former tent city near 40th Ave. The po-po came in and razed the city and cut back all the vegetation.

I remember in Peru and in Costa Rica entire districts of cities whose people reside in shantytowns. Most lived halfway decently, even without running water or power. Here, you've got no option. Your shantytown will be bulldozed if it becomes more than just a tent. Sacramento is exploring the option of allowing a semi-permanent tent city, but hasn't yet figured out how to do it.


I will reiterate that I doubt, seriously doubt, we will enter a depression. Come on...California unemployment is at 10.1%...a rate the European Union can barely manage in the best of times. This isn't even close to any plausible definintion of a clinical depression. It would have to get a lot worse than a few thousand chronically unemployed tent dwellers.