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# City’s homeless policies create tourist fears
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/citys-homeless-policies-create-tourist-fears-editor/
- Published: 2003-05-24T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T02:10:14.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

Being the good Democrat that I am, I was all set to vote yes on Proposition S. This is because I never bitch about taxes and it seems unfair to penalize our children (I have none, by the way) just because our city is run by a bunch of morons.

Then I saw today’s article in your paper that reported that Delta Airlines almost didn’t renew its contract with a Santa Monica hotel because their employees didn’t feel safe in Santa Monica due to the homeless population. That got me thinking (and I hate to say this) that maybe the Republicans have a point about taxes. Why is it that the city uses a tax increase as the first solution to the problem? How about working harder on growing revenues or cutting costs?

Santa Monica is sitting on a gold mine of potential tourist dollars but people are scared to visit or shop in Santa Monica because of the out-of-control homeless situation. Visitors are disgusted or down-right scared by it all. Meanwhile, our city leaders think it is all about love and that we shouldn’t let all the bums in the park, the street, the mall, the... everywhere frighten us. That may be true. In fact, many of us, while annoyed by it all, are inured to it.

But why can’t our councilmembers see that it’s not what “we” think, it’s what they — the visitors to our city — think that is important.

Mr. Bloom says, “The reaction from Delta was a little over the top...they need to hear the truth about Santa Monica...” No, Mr. Bloom, it is you and your cohorts in City Hall that need to hear and listen to the truth: Your policies on homeless are making people afraid to come to Santa Monica and that is ruining the city’s tax base.

So I say hold your nose and vote yes on Prop S. We can’t change the city’s ways overnight and it’s not fair to penalize the children. But remember this vote and go out and vote next time to remove our inept and irresponsible city councilmembers.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 24, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/052403.pdf?ref=smdp.com)