By DAVID COLE
While homelessness is indeed a national and regional problem, I am most concerned with Santa Monica. We need to work on a Santa Monica plan, not just excuse our poor and wasteful services on the other cities nearby.
Some folks need and want help, and we do an admirable job for those folks. Yet, half of the people on our streets are mentally ill and our current policy of “live and let live” must end. Our City Council is the reason they are suffering year after year on the streets. Our leaders have taught us to just step over them, tell our kids to avoid them and ignore their human suffering. I am an expert on this subject and will work to overhaul the way we deal with these poor souls with the millions of dollars we already spend. We don’t need more money — just more brains.
Lastly, several hundred so-called “homeless” are on our streets every minute of every day and they are anything but souls to be pitied. They are hardened vagrants who don’t want help. Don’t care about our laws and stay here because our city government has instructed the police to give them a “pass” on following the laws.
We must enforce our laws. Arrest the violators and we will see a huge decrease in the anti-social element in our city. They come here because our elected leaders have the very lowest expectations of them and the least interest in personal accountability of anyone in this city.
After all, they have not needed to be accountable to anyone themselves. Sure, the voters have the final word, but they have got so many people brainwashed into thinking they are on your side by protecting rent control. Hello. It’s already part of the City Charter and no elected person can change that.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 12, 2004. Read the original PDF.