Housing Meanness
Folks who find themselves rich — and getting richer — typically tend to react psychologically in one of two ways. They can either see themselves as incredibly fortunate or incredibly deserving.
Those rich who come to see the luck in their lives also usually come to understand that they have no more talent — and work no more diligently — than plenty of people who hold not much wealth at all. Those among the rich who see their wealth as a well-deserved reward, on the other hand, often come to see those without wealth as undeserving — of anything except contempt.
The latest sign of that contempt: The rush by localities to criminalize sleeping in cars. Communities where the wealthy predominate — like Palo Alto in Silicon Valley — have been particularly eager to do this criminalizing. Palo Alto last year had over 12 times more homeless people than available shelter beds.
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