PHILADELPHIA, place of Gay tourists

[#1 Fan]

No One wrote...

The SF needle exchange program makes no attempt to get the old needles back.

That isn't true from what I've read - they just don't get 100% back. The
program is working though - the number of infections due to intravenous
drug use has dropped dramatically.

While the number of infections due to stepping on discarded needles has
increased dramatically. But because the people who step on the needles
aren't Mary Howe's clients, she doesn't give a fuck about it.

BTW, I'm driving to San Francisco tonight. I always need more income,
so perhaps I can drive down Polk Street and throw fresh needles at the
crackheads and the city will pay me a $100,000/year salary for this
valuable public service. But I'm not nearly as qualified as Ms. Howe,
lacking the essential credentials in Social Work and Eskimo Studies
that are essential to properly distribute $0.05 disposable syringes.

Finally, where are suggestions for a needle DEPOSIT? The righteous
SF city council even debated deposits on plastic grocery bags before
deciding to ban them outright. The addicts shuffle along all day
collecting discarded aluminum cans for the $0.05 deposit, the same
exact price of a new needle. Even PAYING the addicts to return the
used needle would cost less than Ms. Howe's $100,000 annual salary.

[#1 Fan]

Someone wrote...

Philly has found that the gay $$$$$$$ is attractive.

What I want to know is why if gays have so much disposable income to
spend on tourism, that most gay AIDS patients receive free health care?
I'll confess I don't know the figures, but I'm betting that almost
every HIV+ gay man is enrolled in the various public AIDS programs
funded by the Ryan White Act. The law requires public funding for all
HIV/AIDS-"related" treatment, so there is no reason for most gay men
to obtain private insurance coverage.

Not that they could qualify for private health insurance, but since
they don't they obviously don't have to pay that major expense nor any
routine medical bills that people like me have to pay out of our own
pockets, they obviously have lots of extra disposable income to spend
on Philadelphia tourism and crack. Actually, they don't even have to
buy the crack because Ryan White covers all "related" treatment,
including erectile dysfunction caused by antiviral medications that is
treated with $20 Viagra pills that are traded for meth and crack.

And I swear I'm not making this up. The clinics really are prescribing
Viagra and Levitra to AIDS patients and one of them personally told me
about the scam.

[No One]

Post by #1 Fan
No One wrote...

The SF needle exchange program makes no attempt to get the old needles back.

That isn't true from what I've read - they just don't get 100% back. The
program is working though - the number of infections due to intravenous
drug use has dropped dramatically.

While the number of infections due to stepping on discarded needles has
increased dramatically. But because the people who step on the needles
aren't Mary Howe's clients, she doesn't give a fuck about it.

Any data for that? Given how rapidly the infection rate is dropping,
you'd expect needels that people might step on to be safer than
when the infection rate amoung addicts was higher.

Post by #1 Fan
BTW, I'm driving to San Francisco tonight. I always need more income,
so perhaps I can drive down Polk Street and throw fresh needles at the
crackheads and the city will pay me a $100,000/year salary for this
valuable public service. But I'm not nearly as qualified as Ms. Howe,
lacking the essential credentials in Social Work and Eskimo Studies
that are essential to properly distribute $0.05 disposable syringes.

IF you had read the newspapers, they are talking about going for the
$0.35 needles where the tip retracts after use, so the needle is safe
to handle or accidentally step on.

Post by #1 Fan
Finally, where are suggestions for a needle DEPOSIT? The righteous
SF city council even debated deposits on plastic grocery bags before
deciding to ban them outright. The addicts shuffle along all day
collecting discarded aluminum cans for the $0.05 deposit, the same
exact price of a new needle. Even PAYING the addicts to return the
used needle would cost less than Ms. Howe's $100,000 annual salary.

You sound jealous of Ms. Howe, who I'm sure does not distribute
needles personally. Why is that?

[#1 Fan]

No One wrote...

The SF needle exchange program makes no attempt to get the old needles back.
Of all the needles I've seen on the ground, not one has ever had any sort
of serial number or some identifier to properly track it.

What do you need serial numbers for? All you want to do is to encourage
people to bring in as many needles as they are taking out.

You are correct. I just realized that all that should be required is that
any old needle be exchanged for a new needle. Tracking needles becomes
unnecessary and Mary Howe SHOULD be able to demonstrate that her agency
possesses exactly as many needles as it originally received.

Come to think of it, this entire program could be automated in the form of
a vending machine that would require a syringe to be dropped into a
collection slot before dispensing a fresh needle. I imagine several dozen
such needle exchange machines could be purchased with Ms. Howe's $100,000
annual salary.