40 Heroin Addicted Hookers for Discount Price

After I left city hall last night, a homeless man named Ippy told me of his view of politics and where I could go if I wanted to buy 40 heroin addicted hookers for discount price. This happens too often for comfort in this city. I can't seem to walk down the street without someone asking if I'm selling something or if I know anyone who's buying.

Ippy stood in front of the Main Branch library smoking a cigarette slowly with a rather sickly, thin woman in her 30s named Marion. Upon seeing me, the first thing to come out of his mouth was not about hookers and heroin but whether I was a lawyer. I noted to myself the large tattoo peeking from under Ippy's sweater and immediately decided to speak with him about the issues of the city since I had a rather interesting time in City Hall.

Ippy is a disheveled, grimy looking man in his 40s who's been living in Elkhart since April. When asked what the most important issue Elkhart is facing today, he said lack of funding for new libraries to be built. He then went on to tell me about a branch of the library that was supposed to be built but was postponed due to the fact that someone had the bright idea of building it on contaminated land and the price for cleanup far exceeded the budget for the project.

"Yeah man, there's just too much red tape to get funding for libraries and the planning sucks too." Marion, in her high pitched voice and hands which perpetually trembled, pretty much spent the entire time repeating exactly what Ippy said.

Now, it may be strange to some that a homeless man would find funding for libraries to be a huge problem. This is because typically, especially during the winter, libraries are a safe haven for the homeless. They go there to sleep, read, use the computers and sometimes eat their food. This is the same in Chicago, where the public computer section constantly smells like the sleeping quarters of a shelter.

Ippy went on about many things. It didn't surprise me that he was rather articulate and didn't rant about his situation. When asked about if he was leaving Elkhart anytime soon he simply said, "No, I don't want to leave. It's easy to find work here because there are a lot of factories and many of the temp agencies in places like South Bend don't hire convicted felons."

"Do you have any violent felonies?"

"Yes. I have 5 battery charges and numerous drug charges. Stupid shit. You know they also should increase the neighborhood watches around town. There are a lot of places to help the homeless but they're all in bad neighborhoods."

"So there's a bit of a drug problem?"

"Drugs, prostitution, you name it. It's all that way," he pointed east and moved his arm in a horizontal arc until it pointed south.

"So if I were to walk 10 blocks east I could actually see this?"

Marion interjects, "Man, you'd be right in the middle of it."

At this point I bid them both farewell and go into the library for research. Upon leaving, I walk 10 blocks to the East and after about 90 seconds I'm asked if I'm looking to score. The workers, I admit, are dedicated. I made a note to meet with Ippy again.