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From my perspective, the "problem" is not the mission but rather the lack of a public "take <br />people as they come" shelter to supplement what the mission does. To get a true feel for the <br />Mission I would suggest spending a night there unannounced, experiencing it as a guest would. <br />Touring a mostly empty building during the day may give a person an academic understanding <br />of what they do and their structure and rules, but the experience is much more revealing. I do not <br />mean that as a cryptic suggestion that bad things go on there, but rather that the experience is <br />difficult to explain. <br /> <br />Having said that, perhaps making the mission more accessible with public funding could be <br />worked out, and perhaps Ernie (or Lynn, whom I don't know) would be amenable to that idea. <br />Ernie is a wonderful human being whose commitment to what he does is remarkable. We have <br />had many conversations over the years and he has been very consistent in discussing what he <br />does and why he does it. But, as John stated, he has been battered around some in the public <br />arena and may be reluctant to get involved in public process. I do not think having treatment or <br />other interventions there is a viable option at this time for the reasons already discussed. <br /> <br />I had intended to respond to Hugh's disappointment with the committee's failure to recommend a <br />public shelter, and still intend to, but John eloquently stated much of what I would have said. <br /> <br />36 <br />Blue Ribbon Committee on Homelessness, Recommendation April 2, 2008 -- Page <br />