What a thoughtful post, I thought, until I read your last line --- "on the streets homeless where you left them."  The irony of this is delicious.  It shows the extraordinary moral preening and sense of superiority of people like you.  Just so you know, I'm taking a moment away from writing a brief to federal court on behalf of a poor, disabled man.  The very object of my long efforts on his case --- I've spent over 30 hours on his brief already --- is to keep him out of the poor house.  I do this all day, every day, including week-ends, and I succeed for the poor where many others fail, because I care about them more than many of my "liberal" colleagues in this field.  You self-satisfied  . . .