Perhaps mr Aitken might like to put a couple of the so called homeless up in his home, this being the christian thing to do.

Yes cut the money, and then say it weas meant to be spent somewhere else.. mmmm doe'snt quite sound right...

A bit rich for the Reverend Rasputin to be wringing his hypocrite hands now, when this situation is the direct result of one of the last acts of his ousted administration!

Yep, seems change that all this heart changing come on in opposition....

John Gibson should be made tae print a pamphlet for these poor folk on how tae eat and drink in aukd reekie for free.

With so many people of the cloth and other do gooders saying something should be done,we all know that but what,why dont churches open their doors.

Wasn't the Ark closed by the Labour Councillors just before the elections?

Short sighted approach as usual....

The ark had some weaknesses... oh really?

So, better to close the damn thing than try to put right those weaknesses. What did the Council (at the time) think all these homeless people were going to do with themselves once the Ark closed it doors? Looking for a job perhaps?

As with so many things where public money is concerned, we seem to think we can cut corners to save money, but then need to spend even more putting bugger problems right.

Where does all this "saved" money go.

Truth is, this country is skint - time to increase taxes so we can PROPERLY fund public / social services!

Ewan Aitken - the guy of whom it is usually said: "Who?'

Who?

If the homless were registered voters. They could get on the SNP gravy train of free money until we get independence and then, more free money. It's all postive and no-one has to pay. Except unionists and super-rich nasty people. I'm amazed that no-one has yet accused anyone of "broon envelopes". I imagine some ruthless property developer has a hand in this somewhere.

The best solution would be to make them work in the country-side for money, self-respect and a brake from thier miserable life, embarassing society and stealing.

Most of the street drinkers who cause the problems are not in fact homeless. They are just drunken anti-social bums. The police should do their job and clear them off the street.

Who is Ewan Aitken?

Well, Dougie@12, I understand that some allegedly ruthless property developers have indeed been sniffing around this area, with the encouragement of one Trevor 'Dick Dastardly' Davies, member of the previous administration. Whether or not broon envelopes were involved is something on which I couldn't possibly comment. And I'm sure that the withdrawing of funds to the Ark had ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the new Cooncil HQ being built just round the corner, either.

I was joking. It worries me that you believe what you wrote to be true. It's all a huge consipracy is it not. Do you believe conservationists can be ruthless or are they all fluffy and pink like all businssmen should be? Nasty big businesses. I bet they all behave like ebeneezer scrooge.
bah humbug! x

Don't worry, Dougie, I have a pretty well developed Irony Detector. And I'm under no illusions about the Enviro-Fascist wing of the Conservation Lobby. The cynic in me just doesn't think it's coincidence that the support for a 'down and out' facility was withdrawn about the time that the Council occupied their nice shiny headquarters in the neighbourhood and the yuppy development was going full steam ahead.

So whats been said here.

The Ark was removed, and Aitken seemed to think that something was going to replace it.

Nothing has. Is part of his job not to make sure that B follows A ?

Give over the running of the Ark to the 4Square crew from down at the Cowgate Centre.
They have a proven track record of helping these folk.
Ask the Polis.

Much of the drunken bum problem is actually my fault. I went around last week super-glueing and nail-gunning old men to park benches. I left each one with a 2 litre bottle of white lightening. All part of my social experiement. This time next year they are all getting bussed to Oxford to begin their D.Phils in subjects ranging from analysis of 'marriage and parenting' amongst the Intoli people of Western Borneo through to an interesting thesis using computation fluid dynamic computer modelling to make laser-jet printiners an estimated 0.083% more efficient.

The 'five star Mountgrange hotel' could spare a few rooms for the homeless seeing as how the company were largely responsible for pressurising the previous council into selling off land and demolishing buildings..

the real reason for the arks closure was not the councils report which came to the marvelous conclusion "that it (the ark) provided no long term benefit to it's users" - the users want a hot drink or meal in the short term.
The reason is much more likely to be the developers wanted the space and the council wanted to get rid of the "jakes" spoiling the ambiance for the tourists wandering up and down the ever increasingly Disneyland royal mile. another benifit to the council is they no longer have to pass the ark on the way to work. my bet is it will become a starbucks

12 - better still they could work for their Caltongate betters.

St Ewan of Caltongate should be wearing sackcloths and ashes.
BTW what are his comrades Anderson and Davies up to these days ? sellin the Big Issue, or doing something their talent merits, such as sweeping the streets.

how about you re-open the ark so that i, and many others, don't get harassed every day on my way to AND from work. Then once it's re-opened... think of how to fix the problem. How about a short term fix until you brain boxes come up with another one.

tbh it's like closing the bypass and then (2 months later) thinking.... oh wait where's the traffic gonna go!

Tripe outbreak! By continuing to fund a centre that allows its users to continue in their booze dependency, idleness and "the Country owes me a living so I'll carry on as I please so get it up yie" attitude the Council would be doing the CLIENTS no favours. Most of them are not poor we souls who don't want to cause anybody any bother - many revel in their public drunkenness and disorder. Put it this way - if they acted in public as they do now, but had homes, would we say "Oh its just high spirits" or would you want them jailed for disorder offences?

The answer is NOT to go back to the way it was before - if they won't agree to clean up their act, and want to continue to make the lives of those around them a misery, ASBO them into jail.

GB

#25 It is him! He's just coming to terms with Labour loosing the election. Ssshhh! Don't wake him!

Aitken, Leader of the LABOUR administration pulled the plug on the funding for the cafe. This says it all! The homeless are probably some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and a LABOUR council puts the boot in. This is a disgrace, shame on them all. One wonders how much funding was cut, compared to the gross waste of money on Auld Reekie transport schemes that are ill considered and not wanted. Never mind Aitken and his Aparatchiks can step over the homeless on their way home to Morningside.