Spring time in NYC

If you live here in the city you may have noticed a slight change in the people on the street in recent weeks.  The crazies are out, making shrines around the columns in the subway, talking to themselves or mailboxes, sleeping on the trains with their imaginary friends.  I haven't been able to confirm if New York State is still releasing mental patients into the city in the spring, however for years in the 80's and 90's it was a common practice.

I've come to rely on the sudden and consistent appearance of certain deranged individuals as a true sign that spring has been sprung, along with all the people the city scooped up in late fall to keep them from freezing to death.  Of course, the politicos blame budget shortcomings as the reason these people cannot be housed and properly cared for year round.  It was only after a long public outcry about the number of deaths among the homeless mentally ill that the city even began it's policy of forced incarceration during the worst weather.  This completely ignores the fact that the state institutions began releasing people in the late 70's and 80's because of lack of proper funding, thus creating this game in the first place.  Now you have a place to live, now you don't.

I realize that the monetary concerns are real, however, if we eliminate the corruption at every level of government and the colluding HMO's and private Health Care Providers, the insurance companies and drug companies I am sure there would be enough money not only to care for the mentally ill homeless ranting at the tourist in time square, but also the rest of us.