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No Sh*thole People, Please, We’re Rich Liberals

West Side Manhattanites freak out over homeless shelter coming to neighborhood
“Aren’t we bringing crime?!” protests resident (NY1 screengrab)

Remember how horrified liberals were when President Trump’s vulgar remark about not wanting people from “shithole” countries as immigrants was reported? Sure you do. And do you remember how aggrieved a lot of the liberal Twittersphere was when I said on this blog that people don’t want housing for the poor in their neighborhood, and that they aren’t wrong for that?

Well, look at what’s going on in midtown Manhattan. I can’t embed that video, but it’s a news report from NY1, a local news station, about a raucous meeting of residents of West 58th Street in Manhattan — “Billionaire’s Row” — who are outraged by the city’s plan to house 150 homeless men in an old hotel space there. Watch the clip — it’s hilarious. The people are understandably upset (“Aren’t we bringing crime?!” protests one resident), because they are afraid of violence, chaos, and the decline of property values. Seriously, they are — this is what they said in the public hearing. Watch for yourself. There’s even a moment where the audience heckles an old lady from a local church who speaks up for the shelter.

I’d bet you my next paycheck that every one of those wealthy Manhattanites is a liberal — it’s easier to find a drag queen in Branson than a Republican on the West Side (people named “Podhoretz” excluded), who utterly deplores Trump. Especially for his shithole remark. But when it comes to moving the poorest of the poor into their neighborhood, well for heaven’s sake, darling, keep the shithole people at bay.

Says reader Sam M., who sent this clip in:

I don’t know. Maybe all the rich Manhattan people are Trump voters.

But of course they aren’t.

Ha ha!

You were right. They are liberal right up until the homeless folks threaten to move in.

If you are a liberal who was disgusted by Trump’s remark and my statement about it, then please post the name of your city and neighborhood so your municipal government will know where to put the next homeless shelter. It is very easy to moralize about this stuff … until it actually costs you something personally.

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