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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Guanajuato Little League coming to Ashland ... Better late than never: Mt. Ashland opens ... The next day ... Guanajuato Little League coming to Ashland ... Better late than never: Mt. Ashland opens ... The next day ... COMMENTARY Commentary: Embrace the brave new Ashland Comment By Jeffrey Gillespie for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie for the Tidings Posted Dec. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Jeffrey Gillespie for the Tidings Posted Dec. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News There’s been a lot of talk lately about the visibility of a certain group of people in the city of Ashland. Specifically, the transient population, as well as Ashland residents who don’t have a fixed address, has come under scrutiny from locals who feel that conspicuous poverty in the midst of our downtown might spoil the view, upset the tourists, and, God forbid, drive down real estate values. Most concerning is the general view that people in the city who are potential “non-residents” might be asked to provide proof of residency to inquiring officers. The seemingly innocuous I.D. suggestion is symptomatic of the general mentality in Ashland that many find so hypocritical. Much is made in this city of the sense of “community” that we share here, but really, it’s a false sense. We live in a bubble of affluence that has historically been seen as smugly exclusive and fundamentally impenetrable. Just ask your neighbors in Medford or White City if you want to get an unvarnished opinion of Ashland’s elitism. The real culture of our town in one of entrenched ideas and a fear of change, couched cleverly in scenarios of historical preservation and a desire to keep things charming. If that idea is followed to its logical conclusion, then what you end up with is a sort of fascist Disneyland; a place where we can have charming parades and watch caramel apples being dipped at the local candy store, but if the colorful homeless fellow on the corner doesn’t suit our idea of the stoically cheerful town drunk, we’ll have him carted off by a police department that we claim isn’t “doing enough” to stem the tide of undesirables. What’s most irksome about this sort of quiet, small town classism is that it’s almost entirely ornamental. Nobody is much interested in discussing the root of the homeless issue. The theme, in general, seems to be an aesthetic one. The homeless are like the gray pavers on the Plaza; some don’t like the look of them, so they must go. The housing crisis in Ashland is out of control. Working people can’t find houses to rent. Home values are up by nearly 10 percent in the past year, and in the last 90 days alone, there has been a 20 percent jump in residential transactions in the valley. As anyone trying to find a home to rent in Ashland will tell you, if they’re on an hourly wage, they’re out of luck. Add to that the fact that we are smack in the middle of a corridor that links two of the three cities in which homelessness is most prevalent in the nation (namely New York, San Francisco, and Portland), and you begin to get some idea of just how easy it is for our town to end up hosting significant numbers of traveling folk. Seven years after the Great Recession there are more than 565,000 people living on the streets. In Portland, there are 3,800 documented homeless. When you look at figures like these, perhaps you will find it easier to understand why there might be a slight overflow into Ashland of human beings less fortunate than those of us who live, work, and yes, own homes within the city limits. There is absolutely no shame in a transient lifestyle, whether it’s elective or not, and people should not be required to change their behavior just because, if you’ll excuse my French, it’s pissing off the squares. The only shame is in looking down on those less fortunate. If a person is in real trouble, they should be helped. If a person is electing to be homeless, they have every right to that lifestyle choice. In a sense, getting underfoot of the affluent sufficiently to annoy them is the last radical act of an underclass that many up the food chain would prefer to see go entirely invisible. But the robust presence of homeless people on our streets is a good reminder of what this country has become. So suck it up, Ashland. It’s not exactly Syria-on-Bear-Creek here. Jeffrey Gillespie lives in Ashland. Email him at gillespie.jeffrey @gmail.com. By Jeffrey Gillespie for the Tidings DailyTidings.com By Jeffrey Gillespie for the Tidings Posted Dec. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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