(11-06-2022, 04:59 PM)mikesez Wrote:

(11-06-2022, 04:23 PM)Lucky2Last Wrote: Imo, you are the one trying to get cute with statistics. Alcohol is a drug. It's mind altering and addictive. So even using your own data, 64% of homeless have an issue with substance abuse. That's not a minority last time I checked. Also, does that data look at those numbers collectively across the US or just in the cities we are discussing. Because it may be the case that these cities have a distinct problem than the entirety of the US.

Btw, what is up with you and your ilk saying we need to "believe" in things. It's either right or it's not. It doesn't take belief. Oh, guess what... statistics, data, science... all easily manipulated. It's the scrutiny of those subjects that leads to truth, not blind belief.

I agree alcohol is a drug, and I wish the article didn't split it up like that, but, I think you do need to brush up on your prob/stat skills before we proceed.
P(a or b) = P(a) + P(b) - P(a and b)

Yeah. My bad. Was on my phone and misread that. Still, there is a chance it's over 50%, and I still think it's stupid to conflate national rates with local rates for the purpose of diagnosis. The relationship to availability and legality of drugs and alcohol will drastically change those numbers based on local policies. And this says nothing of lack of policing the vagrants which would help address mental problems.

Here's a document from the city of Seattle in an attempt to diagnose their problems with regards to homelessness and addiction. Surprise, surprise.... 55% of the homeless admitted to drug use. That's not a scientific survey, either. There's a good chance a lot of them are lying. 

City of Seattle Homeless Needs Assessment March 2017 - DocumentCloud

11% of them identified as refugees. 13% reported becoming homeless in the US but outside of the state or county, indicating a migration based on lax laws (even though the city said they couldn't figure out a reason for the migration, lol). 30% of these people are chronically homeless. 76% admit to having been approached by a case worker for alternative shelter but denied it. 

Only 11% indicated rent prices as the primary source... which probably overlaps with the 13% having identified having full time jobs. So, yeah... that's probably the group you are imagining in your head makes up the majority of the homeless in Seattle, which just isn't the case.

I mean, dude... you have got to stop regurgitating talking points and question things that don't match what your eyes see.

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