Hawaii Rep. Tom Brower Thinks Smashing Shopping Carts Will Help Solve Homeless Problem

In Hawaii, Tom Brower, a Democratic state representative, is walking around with a sledgehammer and disabling shopping carts used by the homeless. He says he does it because “it’s threatening to steal things,” referring to the homeless taking shopping carts to use as storage for their personal possessions, and yet Brower does not see the irony of how threatening it is to walk around with a sledgehammer to smash carts. And it’s not just the carts — Brower appears to have disdain for the homeless, one of the most vulnerable segments of our society who often suffer from mental health issues.

“If someone is sleeping at night on the bus stop, I don’t do anything, but if they are sleeping during the day, I’ll walk up and say, ‘Get your ass moving,’” he told the Honolulu Star Advertiser.

Instead of spending so much time walking around smashing things, Brower should use his time to talk to the homeless (see here, here, and here), and figure out ways to help. As we learned yesterday, even the most fortunate people can end up sleeping on the streets.

[via ThinkProgress]

Support The Billfold

The Billfold continues to exist thanks to support from our readers. Help us continue to do our work by making a monthly pledge on Patreon or a one-time-only contribution through PayPal.