Deadly Heat Wave Continues in Phoenix

The Los Angeles Times (LAT) reported yesterday on Phoenix’s deadly heat wave. Click here. They say that 15 homeless people are now dead because of the blistering heat. 50,000 bottles of water have been donated to help those who are homeless survive the high temperatures. 10,000 to 12,000 people are homeless in Phoenix.

Advocates in Phoenix say that what the homeless really need are more services. Here are the reasons why more services are not offered, according to those people quoted by the LAT in Phoenix:

1. High cost of housing is forcing people to be homeless.
2. NIMBYism (Not In My Backyard); developers would rather build expensive housing rather than homeless shelters.
3. People in Arizona believe in “individualism and limited government”; so homeless people need to help themselves.

Interesting reasons why people are dying in a heat wave in an American city… “Individualism and limited government” as the cause of their deaths?