✆ “First of all, I wish that we would stop referring to these people as ‘homeless.’ Homeless implies people who have a home or apartment in Santa Monica and through circumstances beyond their control — loss of a job or some economic catastrophe — find themselves on the street without a place to live. These people should be helped immediately to find employment and get a place to live. The people you’re referring to are drug addicts, alcoholics and mentally ill people who congregate here to get fed, clothed and given our services we provide. So what must be included in this panel’s plan is something to help the mentally ill to get medication and supervision, sobriety for the drug addicts and alcoholics if they’re going to be helped.” ✆ The enabling procedures that have gone on for years, such as all the outside feeding programs and the permissive attitude of City Hall and the police have got to stop. We have attracted the dregs of society who want just that — to be enabled. To lead lazy, shiftless, dependent lives. Consequently, the real homeless and underprivileged in our own community come up wanting and force the vagrancy laws.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 11, 2004. Read the original PDF.