Latest news with #VSC
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NC House bills will undercut services to homeless vets
People experiencing homelessness in Raleigh pack to leave an encampment off of Highway 70 near Interstate 40. (Photo: Greg Childress) As a U.S. Navy veteran, I am honored to manage a team that serves other veterans who find themselves without a home in North Carolina. In my role as director of outreach for Veterans Services of The Carolinas (VSC), our team collaborates daily with the faith-based community, mental health and substance use providers, LME/MCOs, law enforcement, housing providers, and others across all 100 counties of North Carolina. That experience has provided us with deep insight into what works and what doesn't. Two pending bills in the North Carolina General Assembly will have a direct impact on our communities, service providers, law enforcement, and those we serve. Both are promoted—as they were in other targeted states —by an interest group out of Austin, Texas, called Cicero Action. Joe Lonsdale, its founder, is a venture capitalist with ties to those in private prison contracting, including technology for the newer field of e-carceration. One bill – House Bill 437 – would criminalize nonprofits like ours by threatening felony charges if drug activity occurs within 100 feet of our facilities — an extreme and unworkable standard that punishes service providers for circumstances beyond their control. The other — House Bill 781 — establishes new requirements on cities and counties to set up state-sanctioned homeless encampments for up to a year without additional funding. Going after nonprofits and supporting unfunded mandates is not on-brand for the state of North Carolina, but neither is disrespecting our faith-based and veteran leaders who the Cicero lobbyists characterize as unserious activists. Representatives for four bishops overseeing 1200 North Carolina Episcopal and United Methodist churches joined VSC and other veterans in sharing concerns about these bills and the impacts they will have at multiple House committee podiums. And yet, the bill passed out of the House and now awaits a round of committee hearings in the Senate. Under the guise of a self-described think tank, the Cicero Institute—in the absence of data—blames the Housing First model for the increase of homelessness. From Texas, it declares there is no lack of affordable housing in North Carolina and glosses over how two out of three of its residents experiencing homelessness in recent years are experiencing it for the first time. Prioritizing housing with wrap-around services—the housing first model—has been the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs approach since 2012. More than 133,000 veterans were housed and provided with supportive services to help them retain housing over the last three years. The practice was first introduced by the George W. Bush Administration and has enjoyed subsequent bipartisan support because of data showing its effectiveness. The average number of returns to homelessness across the state utilizing Housing First is less than 13%. The City of Raleigh estimates it costs $96,000 a year in emergency services, law enforcement and health care for a homeless person living outside. As Raleigh's News & Observer reported recently, putting someone in a home and making services available costs $20,000 — saving taxpayers' $76,000 per person. In contrast, another local government projected the cost of installing just one Greenflow unit to provide the bill's requirement of running water and restrooms at up to $200,000 alone. Will local governments have to add this cost and others in their capital improvement or their regular budgets to meet the state's approval? Will property tax increases be required to move the state-sanctioned encampments around each year? Additionally, legal counsels from local governments have raised concerns about increased liability and incarceration along with decreased local control–as reported by their colleagues in states where the Cicero bills have passed into law. Cicero offers no data to indicate its proposal will do anything to end homelessness—just make it less visible. A month after the Florida encampment law went into effect last year, the first lawsuit was filed, resulting in a hasty sweep of an encampment without a plan for where people would go. Ongoing treatment for substance use and medications for mental illness are interrupted or lost when caseworkers and peer support specialists cannot find those they serve. State-sanctioned, compulsive homeless encampments will drive unsheltered veterans further from the resources needed and further away from sustainable recovery, while putting the onus on our local law enforcement. Especially in the context of yesterday's annual observance of Memorial Day, it makes no sense for our leaders to pass laws that criminalize those who have given up so much for the freedoms we enjoy. Our General Assembly members would serve their communities more effectively by investing in solutions that have been proven to work and are cost effective.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
NC House bills will undercut services to homeless vets
People experiencing homelessness in Raleigh pack to leave an encampment off of Highway 70 near Interstate 40. (Photo: Greg Childress) As a U.S. Navy veteran, I am honored to manage a team that serves other veterans who find themselves without a home in North Carolina. In my role as director of outreach for Veterans Services of The Carolinas (VSC), our team collaborates daily with the faith-based community, mental health and substance use providers, LME/MCOs, law enforcement, housing providers, and others across all 100 counties of North Carolina. That experience has provided us with deep insight into what works and what doesn't. Two pending bills in the North Carolina General Assembly will have a direct impact on our communities, service providers, law enforcement, and those we serve. Both are promoted—as they were in other targeted states —by an interest group out of Austin, Texas, called Cicero Action. Joe Lonsdale, its founder, is a venture capitalist with ties to those in private prison contracting, including technology for the newer field of e-carceration. One bill – House Bill 437 – would criminalize nonprofits like ours by threatening felony charges if drug activity occurs within 100 feet of our facilities — an extreme and unworkable standard that punishes service providers for circumstances beyond their control. The other — House Bill 781 — establishes new requirements on cities and counties to set up state-sanctioned homeless encampments for up to a year without additional funding. Going after nonprofits and supporting unfunded mandates is not on-brand for the state of North Carolina, but neither is disrespecting our faith-based and veteran leaders who the Cicero lobbyists characterize as unserious activists. Representatives for four bishops overseeing 1200 North Carolina Episcopal and United Methodist churches joined VSC and other veterans in sharing concerns about these bills and the impacts they will have at multiple House committee podiums. And yet, the bill passed out of the House and now awaits a round of committee hearings in the Senate. Under the guise of a self-described think tank, the Cicero Institute—in the absence of data—blames the Housing First model for the increase of homelessness. From Texas, it declares there is no lack of affordable housing in North Carolina and glosses over how two out of three of its residents experiencing homelessness in recent years are experiencing it for the first time. Prioritizing housing with wrap-around services—the housing first model—has been the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs approach since 2012. More than 133,000 veterans were housed and provided with supportive services to help them retain housing over the last three years. The practice was first introduced by the George W. Bush Administration and has enjoyed subsequent bipartisan support because of data showing its effectiveness. The average number of returns to homelessness across the state utilizing Housing First is less than 13%. The City of Raleigh estimates it costs $96,000 a year in emergency services, law enforcement and health care for a homeless person living outside. As Raleigh's News & Observer reported recently, putting someone in a home and making services available costs $20,000 — saving taxpayers' $76,000 per person. In contrast, another local government projected the cost of installing just one Greenflow unit to provide the bill's requirement of running water and restrooms at up to $200,000 alone. Will local governments have to add this cost and others in their capital improvement or their regular budgets to meet the state's approval? Will property tax increases be required to move the state-sanctioned encampments around each year? Additionally, legal counsels from local governments have raised concerns about increased liability and incarceration along with decreased local control–as reported by their colleagues in states where the Cicero bills have passed into law. Cicero offers no data to indicate its proposal will do anything to end homelessness—just make it less visible. A month after the Florida encampment law went into effect last year, the first lawsuit was filed, resulting in a hasty sweep of an encampment without a plan for where people would go. Ongoing treatment for substance use and medications for mental illness are interrupted or lost when caseworkers and peer support specialists cannot find those they serve. State-sanctioned, compulsive homeless encampments will drive unsheltered veterans further from the resources needed and further away from sustainable recovery, while putting the onus on our local law enforcement. Especially in the context of yesterday's annual observance of Memorial Day, it makes no sense for our leaders to pass laws that criminalize those who have given up so much for the freedoms we enjoy. Our General Assembly members would serve their communities more effectively by investing in solutions that have been proven to work and are cost effective.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Express Tribune
Norris wins 'dream' maiden Monaco Grand Prix
Lando Norris resisted intense pressure to claim a well-deserved victory for McLaren ahead of Ferrari's local hero Charles Leclerc in Sunday's strangely chaotic and tactical Monaco Grand Prix. The Briton came home 3.131 seconds clear of last year's winner with championship leading McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri taking third. Four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull came next ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari. Norris became the first McLaren winner in Monaco since Hamilton, in his first title-winning season of 2008. It was his first Monaco triumph, his second this year and the sixth of his career. French rookie Isack Hadjar finished sixth for the RB team ahead of Esteban Ocon of Haas, Liam Lawson in the second RB and the Williams pair Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. "Monaco baby, yeah baby!" screamed Norris from his car during his slowdown lap after closing to within three points of Piastri in the title race. "It feels amazing. It's a long and gruelling race. I was nervous into the last corner and we pushed, but we won in Monaco so it doesn't matter how you do it. "I've realised a dream today." The race began on a clear, dry and sunlit afternoon with the teams choosing a wide range of tyres ahead of the first mandatory two-stop race. Norris made a solid start from pole, but went close to sliding off at Ste Devote. He held on to resist Leclerc before a quartet of tail-enders - including Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly made early stops. A skirmish involving Kimi Antonelli and Gabriel Bortoleto was followed by early use of a virtual safety car (VSC) which prompted the first stops, but most stayed out with Norris hanging on in front. Yellow flags waved again on lap eight when Gasly lost control of his Alpine at the Nouvelle Chicane and ran into Tsunoda's Red Bull, damaging his front left wheel. He limped back to the pits and retired. The disrupted order was affected by off-set strategies as teams sought to control one car's pace to create space for a pit-stop for the other. This ploy required Hamilton, Lawson and Sainz, among others, to sacrifice their races, in the process slowing the field and creating traffic jams. Hamilton pitted on lap 18 and Norris on 20, the race leader resuming in fourth as Hadjar, making the most of RB's tactics, pitted for a second time and returned in eighth.
RTHK
5 days ago
- Sport
- RTHK
Norris closes in on Piastri with Monaco win
Norris closes in on Piastri with Monaco win Norris finished ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to top the podium in Monaco. Photo: AFP Lando Norris resisted intense pressure to claim a well-deserved victory for McLaren ahead of Ferrari's local hero Charles Leclerc in a strangely chaotic and tactical Monaco Grand Prix. The Briton came home 3.131 seconds clear of last year's winner with championship leading McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri taking third. Four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull came next ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari. Norris became the first McLaren winner in Monaco since Hamilton, in his first title-winning season of 2008. It was his first Monaco triumph, his second this year and the sixth of his career. French rookie Isack Hadjar finished sixth for the RB team ahead of Esteban Ocon of Haas, Liam Lawson in the second RB and the Williams pair Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. "Monaco baby, yeah baby!" screamed Norris from his car during his slowdown lap after closing to within three points of Piastri in the title race. "It feels amazing. It's a long and gruelling race. I was nervous into the last corner and we pushed, but we won in Monaco so it doesn't matter how you do it. The race began on a clear, dry and sunlit afternoon with the teams choosing a wide range of tyres ahead of the first mandatory two-stop race. Norris made a solid start from pole, but went close to sliding off at Ste Devote. He held on to resist Leclerc before a quartet of tail-enders - including Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly made early stops. A skirmish involving Kimi Antonelli and Gabriel Bortoleto was followed by early use of a virtual safety car (VSC) which prompted the first stops, but most stayed out with Norris hanging on in front. Yellow flags waved again on lap eight when Gasly lost control of his Alpine at the Nouvelle Chicane and ran into Tsunoda's Red Bull, damaging his front left wheel. He limped back to the pits and retired. The disrupted order was affected by off-set strategies as teams sought to control one car's pace to create space for a pit-stop for the other. This ploy required Hamilton, Lawson and Sainz, among others, to sacrifice their races, in the process slowing the field and creating traffic jams. Hamilton pitted on lap 18 and Norris on 20, the race leader resuming in fourth as Hadjar, making the most of RB's tactics, pitted for a second time and returned in eighth. By lap 30, despite the pit-lane chaos, it was 'as you were' at the front with Norris leading Leclerc, Piastri and Verstappen - and Hamilton fifth, despite his three-place penalty. Obeying team orders, Hamilton built a deficit of 14 seconds behind Verstappen, to create a gap for Leclerc's second stop before Alonso retired at the Rascasse. After more pit stops and with 25 laps to go, Verstappen led Norris from Leclerc and Piastri fourth, but the champion had a stop to make as attention switched to incidents that saw George Russell and Antonelli cut the chicane to pass a deliberately slow Alex Albon. Russell refused to hand back the place and was given a drive-through penalty. "I prefer not to speak," he said, clearly furious. For Mercedes, it was a day to forget. "It's not way we want to race," admitted Williams' chief James Vowles, having schemed his men to ninth and 10th. Verstappen hung on in front on his old tyres, hoping for a red flag stoppage to gift him a cheap stop as he backed off and compressed the front group into the closing laps. He knew, too, that he faced a 30-second penalty if he did not stop again and would finish fourth anyway before he came in ahead of the final lap to rejoin behind the top trio. (AFP)
eNCA
5 days ago
- Automotive
- eNCA
Norris wins 'dream' maiden Monaco Grand Prix
MONACO - Lando Norris resisted intense pressure to claim a well-deserved victory for McLaren ahead of Ferrari's local hero Charles Leclerc in Sunday's strangely chaotic and tactical Monaco Grand Prix. The Briton came home 3.131 seconds clear of last year's winner with championship-leading McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri taking third. Four-time champion Max Verstappen of Red Bull came next ahead of seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari. Norris became the first McLaren winner in Monaco since Hamilton, in his first title-winning season of 2008. It was his first Monaco triumph, his second this year and the sixth of his career. French rookie Isack Hadjar finished sixth for the RB team ahead of Esteban Ocon of Haas, Liam Lawson in the second RB and the Williams pair Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. "Monaco baby, yeah baby!" screamed Norris from his car during his slowdown lap after closing to within three points of Piastri in the title race. "It feels amazing. It's a long and gruelling race. I was nervous into the last corner and we pushed, but we won in Monaco so it doesn't matter how you do it. "I've realised a dream today." The race began on a clear, dry and sunlit afternoon with the teams choosing a wide range of tyres ahead of the first mandatory two-stop race. Norris made a solid start from pole, but went close to sliding off at Ste Devote. He held on to resist Leclerc before a quartet of tail-enders – including Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly made early stops. A skirmish involving Kimi Antonelli and Gabriel Bortoleto was followed by early use of a virtual safety car (VSC) which prompted the first stops, but most stayed out with Norris hanging on in front. - Pit-lane chaos - Yellow flags waved again on lap eight when Gasly lost control of his Alpine at the Nouvelle Chicane and ran into Tsunoda's Red Bull, damaging his front left wheel. He limped back to the pits and retired. The disrupted order was affected by off-set strategies as teams sought to control one car's pace to create space for a pit-stop for the other. This ploy required Hamilton, Lawson and Sainz, among others, to sacrifice their races, in the process slowing the field and creating traffic jams. Hamilton pitted on lap 18 and Norris on 20, the race leader resuming in fourth as Hadjar, making the most of RB's tactics, pitted for a second time and returned in eighth. By lap 30, despite the pit-lane chaos, it was 'as you were' at the front with Norris leading Leclerc, Piastri and Verstappen – and Hamilton fifth, despite his three-place penalty. Obeying team orders, Hamilton built a deficit of 14 seconds behind Verstappen, to create a gap for Leclerc's second stop before Alonso retired at the Rascasse. After more pit stops and with 25 laps to go, Verstappen led Norris from Leclerc and Piastri fourth, but the champion had a stop to make as attention switched to incidents that saw George Russell and Antonelli cut the chicane to pass a deliberately slow Alex Albon. Russell refused to hand back the place and was given a drive-through penalty. "I prefer not to speak," he said, clearly furious. For Mercedes, it was a day to forget. "It's not way we want to race," admitted Williams' chief James Vowles, having schemed his men to ninth and 10th. Verstappen hung on in front on his old tyres, hoping for a red flag stoppage to gift him a cheap stop as he backed off and compressed the front group into the closing laps. He knew, too, that he faced a 30-second penalty if he did not stop again and would finish fourth anyway before he came in ahead of the final lap to rejoin behind the top trio. str/nr
