By Fred Alexander
As a long-term resident of Santa Monica I am sick and tired of council members making Santa Monica a haven for vagrants. I have traveled extensively and nowhere have I encountered more vagrants than in Santa Monica. I suggest the council members approve and enforce more stringent laws against loitering, urinating in public places, panhandling, sleeping in our parks, etc. Also, the millions spent on the homeless programs are obviously ineffective as there has been no decline in the homeless population for the last 15 years. The monies allocated for these vagrants can be better spent on other programs.
If the council members can’t stop catering to the homeless than perhaps they should promote the homeless in Santa Monica as a novelty tourist attraction. Santa Monica can boast that we are the home to the homeless and have more bums and vagrants than any other city.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 20, 2005. Read the original PDF.