My brother sent me an article from the New York Times.  (He correctly assumed that I don't often read that publication.)

The article reported on Seattle's efforts to provide free toilets in their community.  In 2004, Seattle installed five high-tech toilets on their streets.  The stand-alone units were capable of actually cleaning the floors and toilet seat between uses - all automatically.   And they were free to use!!  They would restore dignity for the homeless, while reducing the public health concerns of public urination.

Sounds like a great idea.  

After spending $5 million, the program is a bust.    The unit's automatic floor scrubbers were rendered useless because of the voluminous amounts of trash left behind by the users.  Further exacerbating the problem was the fact that prostitutes and drug dealers were using the facilities for their entrepreneurial ventures. 

I loved this quote from the article: 
    “I’m not going to lie: I used to smoke crack in there,” said one homeless woman, Veronyka Cordner, nodding toward the toilet behind Pike Place Market. “But I won’t even go inside that thing now. It’s disgusting.”

When you can't keep the program up the standards of the crack users - you know you've got a problem.

But there's a larger lesson here.  Giving away resources from Government largess, without responsibility on the part of the recipient, never ever works. 

The food stamp program is rife with individuals using their food stamps for steak, and other expensive foods.  Why?  Because the recipients had no incentive to act responsibly when they were getting everything for free.   

Would that our politicians begin every year looking at our social programs and pledging, "No responsibility from the government, without accountability from the recipient."